Union minister of state for youth affairs and sports Kiren Rijiju on Saturday flagged off the Everest Massif Expedition 2021 from New Delhi.
The Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF) team will be conducting this unique two-month long expedition during which the expedition team will scale four peaks – Mount Nuptse (7,861 metres), Mount Pumori (7,161 metres) and Mount Lhotse (8,516 metres) and Mount Everest (8,848 metres) in Nepal
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The team comprises 12 mountaineers, six men and six women, which also happens to be the smallest team in the history of Indian mountaineering to scale all fours peaks during one expedition.
During the occasion, Rijiju asked the expedition team to “make Indian proud and return safely.”
The union minister also urged the youths to take up adventurous activities as they will help in developing leadership quality and make them physically and mentally fit.
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“Extremely excited to flag off the #EverestMassifExpedition 2021,a first Indian expedition in which the team will summit four world famous peaks: Nuptse (7861m), Lhotse (8516m), Pumori (7161m) and Everest (8848m) from the same base camp. My best wishes to the team!,” Kiren Rijiju tweeted.
Extremely excited to flag off the #EverestMassifExpedition 2021,
a first Indian expedition in which the team will summit four world famous peaks: Nuptse (7861m), Lhotse (8516m), Pumori (7161m) and Everest (8848m) from the same base camp. My best wishes to the team! pic.twitter.com/kjv11GYlyt— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) March 27, 2021
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During the mountaineering expedition, the team will also assist in cleaning the Upper Khumbu Glacier and the Western Cwm that are located near the Everest, Lhotse and Nuptse mountain peaks.
The mountaineers include Manita Pradhan, Manish Kashniyal, Skalzang Rigzin, Nawab M Khan, Shanti Rai, Stanzen Youthog, Savita Kanswal, Hem Raj, Stanzin Norboo, Gunbala Sharma, Baljeet Kaur and Stanzen Desal.
They will be accompanied by Chetna Joshi, a doctor and senior mountaineer and IMF member Brig Krishan Kumar (retd).