New Delhi: An IAF women expedition was
on Wednesday flagged-off here to summit the world`s highest peak the
Mount Everest, a first for the Air Force.
"It is the first time in the history of IAF that
`women in Blue` have embarked on an expedition to scale the
highest peak on earth," the IAF said in a release here.
The idea of scaling the Everest was conceived in
early 2009 and after that there have been consistent efforts
in this direction, it added.
To prepare for scaling the Everest, the team underwent
a rigorous training schedule including Basic Mountaineering
Course and Winter Training Camps at Siachen in 2010 and 2011.
"They went on to scale progressively higher and
tougher Himalayan peaks in the past two year starting with
Mount Stok Kangri (6121 metres) in Leh, Mount Bhagirathi II
(6512 metres) in Uttarkhand, Mount Kamet (7757M) in Garhwal
and Mount Saser Kangri I (7672M) in Ladhakh," it said.
The team consisting 11 women officers will be
accompanied by one doctor and eight other male air warriors,
who are qualified mountaineers.
The team will be following the southeast ridge route
to the peak which was used by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing
Norgay in the first successful expedition to the Everest in
1953.
PTI
