In a first, Team India of armed police personnel to climb Everest for ‘camaraderie spirit’

A 38-member team of CAPF personnel, eight of them women, will leave from Delhi in the first week of March for the 75-day expedition.

CRPF personnel in Maharshtra | ANI file photo

New Delhi: In a first, personnel from the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) are set to climb the Mount Everest together as a team. The 38-member team from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and the Border Security Force (BSF) will leave from Delhi in the last week of March for 75-day expedition.

The team will carry national flags to be planted at the summit. The Ministry of Home Affairs has sanctioned Rs 11 crore for the expedition.

“The purpose of this expedition is to inculcate team spirit among the personnel from across the armed police forces,” a senior CRPF officer said. “They will be climbing Everest not as personnel of a particular force but as Team India and this is happening for the first time.”

“Moreover, this exercise will also teach the personnel on how to deal with tough situations under difficult circumstances,” he added. “While climbing the peak, they will face a host of difficulties, which they will have to find solutions to as a team, fight back and keep going.”

“It is for the first time that the CAPFs are all going together as one team, i.e. Team India. We told them that it is a competition with oneself and not with any other force, it is a learning experience,” the officer added.

Another CRPF officer said the expedition will “test the mental and physical ability of the personnel”. 

“It is important for a person in the armed forces to be trained for this. This expedition will help develop a spirit of camaraderie,” he said.

The team of 38 personnel, including eight women, will also have DIG-level officers along with professional climbers.

To acclimatise the personnel with the weather conditions, the team was sent to Auli in Uttarakhand in January. 

External agency roped in for expedition

According to the first officer quoted above, procurement is being made for the team in large numbers.

“Procurement in large numbers is being made for the personnel. These include snow boots, winter resistant jackets, pants, goggles, helmets, tents, rucksacks and more,” the officer said.

An expert agency is also being roped in for logistical support.

“An external agency…will provide the team with oxygen cylinders, arrange the lodging and boarding, along with other support,” he said.

“The permissions that are required from Nepal are done, also the taxes are being taken care of,” the officer said.

Some of the personnel who are part of the team have previously climbed smaller peaks.

“We also have some expert climbers with us. One officer has climbed Everest seven times in the past,” he said.

The CRPF has been tasked with the responsibility to arrange for the planning of the expedition, which is being supervised by Special DG S.N. Srivastava.