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They wanted to inspire young people of India to take up mountaineering. So Arjun Vajpai and Bhupesh Kumar scaled a 6,180 metres high unexplored peak, becoming the first people to do so.

T wo mountaineers, Arjun Vajpai and Bhupesh Kumar, have become the first people to scale a ‘six-thousander’ peak located near the Bara Shigri glacier.

The term ‘six-thousander’ refers to a peak that is 6,000 metres high, or taller. This particular peak is 6,180 metres tall. It overlooks the Spiti Valley, and gives a view of the Himalayan landscape from an altitude of over 19,000 feet. Bara Shigri glacier is the largest glacier in Himachal Pradesh.

The duo wanted to go for an unexplored peak to inspire young people to take up mountaineering, and they completed the mission on Oct. 14, returning on Oct. 20.

They also named the peak Mount Kalam in the memory of the former Indian President.

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Arjun, who had climbed Mount Everest in May 2010, comes from Noida. He had also tried to scale Mount Makalu in Nepal this year, but was stopped because of the earthquake. Bhupesh hails from Bulandshahr and he has scaled 17 Indian peaks till now.

“It is a technically challenging mountain with lots of deep snow, hidden crevasses and abundant rock. Climbing the mountain in an extremely cold environment was difficult. But we scaled it successfully,” Arjun told The Times of India. According to him, around 300 peaks in India are ‘six-thousanders’

They had left Noida on Oct. 8, reaching Batal camp in Himachal Pradesh on Oct. 9. From there, they climbed to Scout Camp (4,100 metres), Intermediate Camp (4,400 metres), Base Camp (4,750 m) and Summit Camp (5,500 metres). On Oct. 14, they scaled the peak and hoisted the Indian flag there.

All pictures: Arjun Vajpai/Facebook

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