New Delhi, Jan 3: The National Cadet Corps (NCC) is set to embark on an expedition to Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world, later this year. Currently, a team is in preparation at Siachen Battle School, as revealed by the organization’s top official on Friday.
“We have assembled 16 cadets, comprised of eight boys and eight girls, who will be narrowed down to select the summiters,” NCC Director General Lt Gen Gurbirpal Singh informed PTI during a press briefing at the ongoing NCC Republic Day Camp in Delhi Cantonment.
During the briefing, the NCC chief presented a series of PowerPoint slides highlighting the Corps’ achievements over the past year, including past mountaineering expeditions undertaken by cadets, such as climbs to “Mount Kang Yatse II (6,250m) with a team of 24 cadets” and “Mount Abi Gamin (7,335m) with a team of 34 cadets.”
The DG further noted that the NCC had previously conducted an expedition to Mount Everest (8,848m). “We have been preparing for the past year. Our team is currently at Siachen Battle School, and from the group of 16, we will select those who will attempt the summit,” he stated.
Mount Everest was first scaled by New Zealander Edmund Hillary and his Sherpa companion Tenzing Norgay in 1953, and the peak has continued to captivate climbers ever since.
In October 2024, Lt Gen Singh welcomed a mountaineering expedition team back to Delhi following their successful climb of Mount Abi Gamin, as noted by the defense ministry. The ascent of this peak, located in the Garhwal Himalayas at an elevation of 7,355m, is deemed an essential preparatory step for the upcoming Everest mission in 2025.
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