In a momentous achievement for the Indian mountaineering community, the West Bengal Sonarpur Aarohi Club, led by a team of skilled and eminent mountaineers, successfully summited Mt Brammah 1 on July 18, 2023. This challenging peak, renowned for its technical difficulty, has been an aspirational conquest in the mountaineering world since it was first scaled by British mountaineer Chris Bonnington almost half a century ago.
The historic triumph on Mt Brammah 1 marks the first-ever Indian team to conquer the summit, etching their names in the annals of mountaineering history.
The ambitious expedition, which began on July 16, faced initial setbacks due to adverse weather conditions, including whiteouts and heavy snowfall, forcing the team to abort their first summit attempt. During this unfortunate incident, a Sherpa member fell approximately 70 meters, miraculously surviving with bruises, cuts, shock, and snow blindness while searching for the summit route. In a display of courage and camaraderie, the team decided to halt and wait for his recovery, undertaking another attempt within 30 hours.
The triumphant summit involved nine climbing members and five Sherpas, with three members coordinating activities from the base camp. The summit team members were Rudra Prasad Halder, Partha Sarathi Layak, Satyarup Siddhanta, Rudra Prasad Chakraborty, Dr. Uddipan Halder, Debasish Majumder, Avik Mondal, Tuhin Bhattacharyya, and Naitik Naskar. The Sherpa members included Phursemba Sherpa, Nurbu Sherpa, Janga Bahadur Rai, Pass Dukya Sherpa, and Dawa Nurbu Sherpa, while Tenzing Sherpa, the injured Sherpa member, exhibited immense resilience throughout the expedition.
The success of the summit was a result of meticulous planning and cooperation from the district Administration Kishtwar, along with support from various government and military bodies. The West Bengal Sonarpur Aarohi Club extended their heartfelt gratitude to the district Administration Kishtwar, Indian Army 17RR, Police, Forest Department, KDA, and the local team for their indispensable support and assistance during the expedition. The team also acknowledged the contributions of two local youth from Kishtwar who recently completed the Adventure Training Course at the Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering and Winter Sports, Pahalgam. These young individuals made a remarkable difference by accompanying the climbers and providing essential support.
Despite the triumph on Mt Brammah 1, the team faced a setback when their initial plan to climb Brammah’s other peaks had to be canceled due to challenges in retrieving climbing equipment, resulting in significant financial losses that may take time to recover without adequate sponsorship. Nonetheless, the team remains resilient and committed to overcoming these obstacles.
In the spirit of giving back to the local community, the West Bengal Sonarpur Aarohi Club carried out philanthropic activities, providing school supplies to be distributed at Kibber Nala school for the students on July 22. Additionally, the team conducted a medical camp, supervised by the team doctor, during the same visit, further showcasing their dedication to uplifting the local community.
Looking ahead, on July 23, the team will proceed to Kishtwar to express their gratitude to the office of DC Kishtwar for the invaluable cooperation extended to them during the expedition. Dr. Devansh Yadav, DC Kishtwar, congratulated the team for their remarkable accomplishment and expressed enthusiasm about boosting the tourist potential and adventure tourism in Kishtwar. He firmly believes that the success of this expedition will open up new avenues for future adventure tourism in the Kishtwar Himalayas.
The West Bengal Sonarpur Aarohi Club cherishes the memories made during this expedition and eagerly anticipates more such inspiring journeys in the future. With their spirit of adventure and determination, they aim to further explore uncharted territories and continue contributing to the world of mountaineering.
Saqib Zargar is a The Chenab Times staff reporter.