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Uttarkashi Avalanche: 'NIM instructors amongst the best in India, but things happen in the mountains'

"Nehru Institute of Mountaineering is one of the premier institutions for mountaineering not just in India but anywhere in the world. Their instructors are amongst the best in the country; they are very-very safety conscious. But you see, with the best of anything, things can happen in the mountains," says NIM member and mountaineer Ajeet Bajaj.

Uttarkashi Avalanche: 'NIM instructors amongst the best in India, but things happen in the mountains'
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First Published Oct 4, 2022, 9:36 PM IST

Efforts are on to rescue over 30 trainee mountaineers who went missing when a massive avalanche hit Mount Draupadi Ka Danda-II peak in Uttarakhand. The trainee mountaineers and instructors are from the Uttarkashi-based Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM), rated among Asia's most prestigious institutes. 

The batch of 34 trainee mountaineers, seven mountaineering instructors and one nursing assistant were undergoing high-altitude navigation and height gain to mount Draupadi ka Danda-II (5670 metres) as per the Advance Mountaineering Course training schedule.

While returning from the mountain peak, the Advance Mountaineering Course met with an avalanche at 08:45 am. The rescue operation began on a war footing but had to be stopped at 4:30 pm due to adverse weather conditions and heavy snowfall at the site. 

Asianet Newsable reached out to NIM member and mountaineer Ajeet Bajaj to understand the situation in which the 34 trainees and seven instructors would have found themselves.  

"Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) is one of the premier institutions for mountaineering in India and anywhere in the world. Their instructors are amongst the best in the country; they are very-very safety conscious. But you see, with the best of anything, things can happen in the mountains. There can be an avalanche," Ajeet said.

He mentioned an avalanche that took place in Nepal some weeks ago. "Lots of people were reported to be killed. The weather patterns all over the world are changing, and they are becoming a lot more intense. The vagaries of weather are leading to all this chaos."

On being asked about the course that the NIM provides to mountaineering enthusiasts, he said: "The NIM has courses from basic to advance level. It even has a course for search and rescue, and for instructors as well."

Besides the mountaineering course, the institute also provides adventure courses that include trekking, rock-climbing, bushcraft, river crossing, camping, navigation, and study of flora and fauna and their conservation, among others. This course is basically for school students and teachers. The trainees are selected only if they fulfil every criterion that includes medical fitness, indemnity bond, age proof certificate, ID proof card and previous course certificate (if applicable). Seats are allotted only on the 'First Come, First Serve' basis.

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