KISHTWAR: An official said on Thursday, a group of Indian mountaineers created history by scaling Mt Brammah-I, standing at a formidable 6,416 metres, in Kishtwar district.Since it was first climbed by British mountaineer Chris Bonnington around five decades ago, the demanding peak, noted for its technical complexity, has been a long-standing goal in the community. East of Kishtwar town and close to the Himachal Pradesh border is a mountain massif known as Brammah-I. From west to east, it has four peaks: Brammah-I, Flat Top, Brammah-II, and Arjuna. The highest of the group is Brammah-II. The nine-person team from the West Bengal-based Sonarpur Aarohi Club, which included accomplished and talented mountaineers, successfully scaled Mt. Brammah-I on Tuesday, according to the official. The official remarked, “This remarkable achievement marks the first Indian team to conquer the summit, making history in the world of mountaineering,” adding that the summit-climbing path had also been newly discovered. The expedition began on July 16 after careful preparation and cooperation from the Kishtwar district administration, numerous government agencies, and the Army. However, the team’s initial summit attempt had to be abandoned due to unfavourable weather, including whiteout and significant snowfall, the official said. During this, one of the group’s Sherpas fell about 70 metres. He did, however, manage to survive while experiencing scrapes, bruises, shock, and snow blindness, the official continued.The crew bravely decided to wait for his recovery before beginning a second effort to reach the summit within 30 hours. At midnight on July 17, the team headed out once more, and at roughly 10.30 am on July 18, it successfully summitted Mt. Brammah-I. The team measured the summit height at 6,426 metres, which was somewhat higher than the elevation of 6416 metres indicated on the topo map, according to the official. According to the official, three people from the base camp coordinated the proceedings while nine climbers and five Sherpas reached the summit. Devansh Yadav, Deputy Commissioner (Kishtwar), commended the team on their success and expressed excitement about the development’s potential to enhance tourism in the hilly district.The Kishtwar Himalayas will now have more opportunities for adventure tourism, according to Yadav, who urged climbers and adventurers to trek to the region’s unexplored heights. He also promised them a supportive environment and the resources they would need. On July 19, around 8:30 p.m., the team, which was led by famous mountaineers Satyarup Siddhanta and Rudra Prasad Halder, returned to their base camp and thanked the district government for its direct and indirect assistance throughout the journey. They also expressed gratitude to the police, the forest service, the Kishtwar Development Authority, and the local team in addition to the Army’s 17 Rashtriya Rifles.
