The Hindu : National : Naval team conquers Mount Everest

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 19, 2004

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National

Naval team conquers Mount Everest

By Arunkumar Bhatt

MUMBAI, MAY 18. The Navy, for the first time, conquered Mount Everest this morning when Surgeon Lieutenant, Viking Bhanoo, and two of his team-mates, Leading Medical Assistants, Rakesh Kumar and Vikas Kumar, reached the summit from the challenging North Face route.

Surg. Lt. Bhanoo, medical officer of INS Angre, a naval establishment here, erected the Tricolour and the Naval Ensign on reaching the summit. All three members of the team are naval medics.

The team had approached the summit from the North Face via Tibet, the most difficult and challenging route. The second team of the expedition that was flagged off by the Defence Minister, George Fernandes on March 8 is expected to approach the summit tomorrow.

Tomorrow's team comprises combat-submariners, led by Commander Satyabrata Dam, Lt. Commander A. Kankan, and Lt. Lijo Stephen Chacko. They will be accompanied by three Sherpas, famous inhabitants of the Khumbu valley who have been living in high altitudes for generations and are known for assisting mountaineers.

Mt. Everest has 14 well-defined routes to the summit. Of these, only the East Ridge is yet to be explored. The South West and North Face routes, which are dotted by granite walls and mixed ice, are considered to be the most challenging. The Army had scaled the Everest twice, in 2001 and 2003, but from the South Col route from Nepal.

The Navy has been promoting mountaineering and other adventures and had scaled the Everest earlier when it put on top of the world the legendary mountaineer, Capt. M.S. Kohli. But this is the first time an Indian armed force team has reached the Everest from the North Face.

The Navy is also the first among the world navies to do so.

Our Staff Reporter writes from New Delhi:

"It was an extremely exhilarating moment for us when we set foot at the summit of the highest piece of land on Earth. The two years of sweat and toil paid off as we have accomplished a number of `firsts'.

``Despite the freezing temperatures, our hearts have been filled with the warm glow of satisfaction of achieving our objectives. All of us are looking forward to further expeditions," is what Surgeon Lieutenant, Viking Bhanoo, is reported to have said after reaching the top.

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