Army team to scale Mount Trishul

Lucknow, April 25 (IANS) The Indian Army will Friday launch a mountaineering expedition to the 7120-metre Mount Trishul in Uttarakhand in its first attempt to scale all three peaks of the western Kumaon massif, officials here said.

Intrepid climbers from the Mahar regiment and 4 RAPID (Strike) division of the Indian Army will set out from Lucknow Friday in the army's first attempt to scale all the three peaks of the mountain in one expedition

The massif is called 'Trishul' as the three Himalayan mountain peaks take the shape of a trident. The peaks are located in Bageshwar district of Uttarakhand, and are best viewed from Kausani and Bedini Bugyal.

The expedition, an army official involved in it told IANS, "aims at inculcating a spirit of adventure and daring among its soldiers, thereby developing leadership values, initiative and camaraderie".

The expedition will be flagged off from Lucknow by Major General Surinder Singh, General Officer Commanding 4 RAPID (Strike). The team will comprise 16 climbing members and eight support staff.

Approved by the adventure wing of the Indian Army, the team will make its way by road to Bagad road head via Nandprayag, 786 km from Lucknow, and then traverse 34 km over inhospitable and challenging trails through the outer route of the famous Nanda Devi Sanctuary, as the inner route is closed for environmental reasons.

To prepare for this audacious and challenging climb, the team has undergone rigorous training at the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Uttarkashi, officials said.