ONGC team summits Mt. Kangchenjunga

A team of ONGC has successfully scaled the third highest and most challenging peak, Mt. Kangchenjunga.

The first group comprising five ONGC employees completed the mission on May 20, while the second group of four ONGC employees and one Indian Mountaineering Foundation member summited the peak on May 21.

With this, ONGC, whose team also scaled the Everest last year, becomes the first corporate in the world to accomplish this difficult and unique feat.

The team attempted the summit in two groups, with the first group, comprising of expedition leader Nirmal Kumar, Pankaj Joshi, Monti Rajkhowa, Palkesh G Kalma and Gaurav Kadian scaling the peak at around 8:15 am Nepal Time on May 20, and the second group comprising of Yogender Garbiyal, Rahul Jarngal, Akash Bavariya, Surendra Prasad Jakhmola and Indian Mountaineering Foundation's Sheetal scaling the peak on May 21 at around 3:40 am Nepal Time.

The Kangchenjunga expedition team had three women members, out of which ONGCian Monti Rajkhowa and IMF's Sheetal successfully summited the peak while Shipra Batra, another ONGCian accompanied the team as support staff.

Monti Rajkhowa was also part of the Everest expedition last year, scaling up to camp 4 at an altitude of 8000 m.

Summiteers Nirmal Kumar, Rahul Jarngal and Yogender Garbiyal were also part of the team that scaled the Everest last year, a unique accomplishment.

Congratulating the team on its momentous feat, ONGC CMD Shashi Shanker said, "This is a unique achievement which will inspire all ONGCians. ONGC continues its tradition of creating new milestones and scaling new heights".

ONGC Director (HR) D D Misra, who is the driving force behind this expedition, hailed the team and said, "This is a proud moment for ONGC, a date to be earmarked. A significant milestone has been achieved, scripting a new history in our annals. Kudos to the team on this achievement".

Sharing their experience on this momentous occasion, the team said, "We have done it again. Summited the most difficult mountain, Kangchenjunga. We dedicate this success to all the martyrs of ONGC who laid down their lives in the service of the nation. We feel privileged to take the ONGC dream to the top of the world again".

ONGC, as part of its unique HR initiative, encourages mountaineering among its employees, as it is one of the greatest team building activities.

The country's largest oil and gas explorer also inculcates the spirit of adventure among its workforce on an ongoing basis.