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Friday, Jul 29, 2005

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Coping with the Siachen

Luv Puri

The Army readies soldiers for the highest war zone in the world

— Photo: Luv Puri

HIGH-RISK TASK: A soldier crossing a crevasse at the Siachen Glacier at a height of 20,000 feet.

NORTH PULU: Longstaff Arthur Hened and Lt. Singsby, both British nationals, who discovered the 72-km-long Siachen Glacier at a height of more than 20,000 feet above sea level in 1909, would have never thought humans would come to inhabit it round the year. But the Army trainers at the Siachen base camp make that possible today by imparting soldiers the skills to live on the highest war zone in the world.

As each soldier arrives at the base camp, which is the main transit point for soldiers coming to serve on the Siachen, a lengthy acclimatisation regimen is lined up for him. Each is taken to the North Pulu camp, situated few kilometres ahead of the base camp at some 20,000 feet, which is also the height of the tallest peaks of the glacier. A soldier gets 15 days to get used to low oxygen conditions and the cold. This is a familiarisation session. According to Army doctors, the usual consequences of low oxygen levels and the cold are nasal bleeding, breathlessness, loss of appetite, mountain sickness, High Altitude Pulmonary Oedema (HAPO) and High Altitude Cerebral Oedema which is potentially fatal.

Says Colonel Tejinder Jaggi: "A healthy soldier fighting on the Siachen is the combined effort of several units of the Army — which fact normally remains unnoticed. A lot of effort goes into training soldiers for a three-month tenure. Our purpose in bringing the soldiers to the North Pulu camp is to have a team of doctors keep a watch over their health as they are prepared for a tenure on the glacier. Unlike on the glacier, here we have the best medical back-up at our disposal and any kind of weather-related problem can be treated."

The soldiers take complete rest on arrival, as any physical activity would have harmful effects at that point. Major Rahul Sharma, an instructor, says: "These are abnormal conditions and my experience of two years has shown that anyone violating our medical instructions instantly falls ill. There is no room for complacency."

During the 15-day acclimatisation period, soldiers are taught the basic skills to brave the weather. Attention is given to guarding the skin as the main problems reported while on the glacier are related to frostbite on the nose and chin. Even decaying of feet is common. Training is provided in the use of equipment including special clothing, to combat the cold.

Helping cope with health problems relating to low-pressure conditions is another feature of the training. Training in the use of pressure bags is provided: these can be used in contingency situations to create normal atmospheric conditions to help a suffering colleague.

After 15 days, the soldiers return to base camp. A three-week-long second round of training, mostly related to working on the glacier, is given. Here, the training is mainly related to walking on the glacier, climbing the snow-capped slopes whose gradient is at times 90 degrees.

Captain Yadav, who returned from a stint at the Central glacier a few days ago, recalls that on the glacier every step is a walk between life and death. He talked of how a wrong step almost cost him his life as he slipped several metres down the slope before being rescued by a group of jawans after two hours.

The glacier is basically a frozen river, and walking on it is a risky proposition. The Nubra drains from the glacier and joins the Shyok near Khalsar. "You never know what awaits you," says Col. Tejinder. There are spots where one has to climb on 200 feet of snow along a 90-degree gradient. Access to the glacier from the Indian side is more difficult compared to the Pakistan side. There are posts that take 21 days to reach and are situated a few metres from the posts of the Pakistan troops.

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