PINAKI MAJUMDAR
Jamshedpur, Aug 12: Tata Steel Adventure Foundation (TSAF) has launched a twin peak expedition that includes summiting two peaks above 6000m in a single expedition (Dzo Jongo and Kang Yatse II) in the Leh Ladakh region.
The 31-member team including instructors and staff reported at Leh on August 2 for proper acclimatization and preparations before embarking on this venture.
The expedition is being led by Asmita Dorjee, senior instructor at TSAF who became the first Indian woman to reach a height of 8749m without supplementary oxygen on Mount Everest this year.
The team is accompanied by Meghlal Mahato and Skalzang Rigzin, as technical guides of the team. Rigzin is a mountaineer from Leh, who had previously scaled two 8000m peaks without supplementary oxygen. Meghlal is the first tribal man from Jharkhand who climbed Mt Everest in 2012 and currently promoting sports amongst rural youths.
Randeb Singh (TSAF Cook), Govind Singh (TSAF Instructor) and Payo Murmu (Climbed till 8000m in Mt Everest’ 2017 expedition) form the core support team. The expedition has been launched in line with the celebrations of “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav” with the candidates all set to hoist the Indian National Flag on top of these grand peaks around Independence Day.
Dzo Jongo, at an elevation of 6240m and Kang Yatse II at 6270m are collectively known as the Twin Peaks due to the similarity in their altitudes. Located in the incredibly beautiful Markha Valley of the Leh – Ladakh region, these prominent mountain massifs are generally climbed in August and early September. A part of the bucket list of most high-altitude trekkers and hikers, every member of the team has worked hard on gaining the appropriate fitness for this climb.
Acclimatization and practise play an important role while climbing higher peaks. The team members would walk almost 15km every day with a weight of around 12-15 kgs to prepare the body. They were advised to practise yoga and breathing exercises to cope with the lower oxygen level at that elevation.
The team will trek through the picturesque landscape of the rocky mountains to reach the base camp while getting acclimatized to the terrain and climate. The challenges of summiting a 6000m peak are many but with a strong determination and high morale, the expedition team has set out on the journey of a lifetime. The team, comprised of candidates of all age groups with the youngest member being 20 and the eldest reaching 55 years. The team consists of Tata Steel employees, rural youth and ironman athlete (Usha Hegde from Mysore).
The halting camps are placed beautifully amongst the barley fields with mountains in the background to end the day in a serene mode rejuvenating for the longer trek.
