Indian Army mountaineers paraglide from 5,921-metre peak to Ladakh roadhead
Two Indian Army mountaineers flew a paraglider from the 5,921-metre summit of Mt Delta-41 to a roadhead camp at about 3,600 metres in Ladakh, marking a first in Indian adventure sport.
From the towering 5,921-metre summit of Mt Delta-41 in the Tangol area of Kargil, two Indian Army mountaineers completed a historic paraglide to a roadhead camp in Ladakh, according to an Army spokesperson. Colonel Hem Chandra Singh, principal of the Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering & Winter Sports, and mountaineer Manish Makholia released their gliders from the peak and landed safely at the Road Head Camp in Tangol village, situated at about 3,600 metres.
The 13-person expedition, led by Col Singh, had established a base camp and divided into two teams because of sub-zero temperatures and a limited climbing window. One team reached the summit on Independence Day, while the second team arrived at 6:10 am on August 16 after a pre-dawn start. Participants also included Capt Anupam Singh, Mahfooz Ilahi Hajam, Hony Capt/Sub Maj Rafiq Ahmad Malik (Retd), and nine other climbers from across India. Officials described the direct paraglider descent as the first of its kind in the nation’s adventure-sport record.
Why it matters
It showcases a new frontier in high-altitude adventure, highlighting Indian mountaineering skill and innovation.
In this story
