Indian Army's Ladakh Scouts have scaled the 7,287m-high virgin 'Plateau Peak' in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir, becoming in the process the first team of Indian mountaineers to have conquered a virgin peak.
"After a gruelling climb of 13 hours and 32 minutes, facing harsh climate, hazardous terrain and steep ice walls, a team of two Junior Commissioned Officers and 16 others scaled the peak on August 26," a defence spokesman said today.
The mountaineers had to brave avalanches and clamber up gradients of 80-85 degrees during the expedition, which was launched to mark Ladakh Scouts' Golden Jubilee.
The expedition especially sought to utilise the specialist skills of local climbers to summit a virgin peak, the spokesman added.
"On July 6, the team of six Army personnel and 12 local climbers was flagged off by GOC, Fire & Fury Corps," he said.
Plateau Peak stands 7,287m tall and is situated one kilometre south of Saser Kangri. It was one of the highest unclimbed peaks in India.
"Being a virgin peak, it had always been mountaineers' dream. Several unsuccessful attempts in the past from all sides had made it a sought-after target," he said.
After a detailed study of map and satellite images, the Ladakh Scouts team selected a fresh route which had never been taken before.
"The ascent came after a long spell of inclement weather due to which two prior summit attempts had to be abandoned.
"The tenacity of the team despite adverse weather for prolonged periods at super-high altitudes is noteworthy," he said.
Having scaled the peak, the team unfurled the Tricolour and the flags of Indian Army and Ladakh Scouts at the summit.
