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| JIM & WS creates history: First-ever summit & paragliding descent from Mt Chamser Kangri | | |  Early Times Report
LEH, July 25: In a landmark achievement for Indian Mountaineering and Adventure Sports, the Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering & Winter Sports (JIM & WS), Pahalgam, successfully executed a historic Mountaineering-cum-Paragliding Expedition to Mt Chamser Kangri (6,622 m) in the Tso Moriri-Karzok region of Ladakh. The 23-member team, led by Col Hem Chandra Singh, Principal, JIM & WS, has etched its name in the annals of Indian adventure history.
The expedition was ceremonially flagged off by Col Hem Chandra Singh, Team Leader, on 15 July 2026 from JIM & WS, Sub Training Center Sonamarg. The expedition team comprised the following members:
1. Col Hem Chandra Singh - Team Leader
2. Lt Col Vikas Dhuria (Retd) - Member
3. Capt Anupam Singh - Medical Officer
4. Mr Mahfooz Ilahi Hajam - Team Manager
5. Sub Arjun Thapa-Member and 18 other members from various parts of the country.
After undertaking a meticulously planned two-day acclimatization schedule in the Ladakh region, the team established its Road Head Camp at Tso Moriri (Karzok) on 17 July 2026. Despite adverse weather forecasts and an initially planned summit attempt on 21 July 2026, the team advanced its schedule. The team departed from Road Head Camp at 0700 hrs on 19 July 2026, established Base Camp, and after a brief rest of a few hours, commenced the final summit push at 0001hrs, 20 July 26 . Displaying exceptional grit and tactical acumen under the inspiring leadership of Col Hem Chandra Singh, the team summited Mt Chamser Kangri at 0650 hrs on 20 July 2026, completing the ascent in just 23 hours and 50 minutes. Unlike earlier times the route was extremely difficult with slopes varying upto 60 degrees and complete area being fully covered with snow.
In a feat unprecedented in Indian adventure sports history, Col Hem Chandra Singh and Lt Col Vikas Dhuria (Retd) launched the historic first-ever paragliding descent from the summit of Mt Chamser Kangri in extreme weather conditions and landed safely at the Road Head Camp - completing a direct summit-to-base aerial descent. The other climbers battling extreme conditions including heavy snowfall and sub-zero temperatures, successfully reached directly from the summit to road head camp.
This twin triumph - summiting a formidable 6,622m peak and pioneering a paragliding descent from its summit directly to Base Camp at an altitude of 4700 M. Such kind of expedition is first of its kind; stands as a testament to the unparalleled professionalism, courage, and skill fostered at JIM & WS. In addition another climber Mr Nikhil Reddy from TN did successful launch from Summit Camp at an altitude of 6000 M and successfully landed at Road Head Camp. It marks a watershed moment for India's high-altitude adventure capabilities and firmly places the nation on the global map of extreme mountain and aerial sports.
The successful expedition not only embodies the spirit of adventure and national pride but also reinforces India's strategic and sporting footprint across the challenging and largely unexplored ranges of Eastern Ladakh. Moreover opens new vistas of adventure sports in the country especially in the field of Mountaineering and Paragliding. It successfully tests the complementarity of Mountaineering and Paragliding.
Heartfelt congratulations to the entire team for this extraordinary and historic accomplishment, which will inspire generations of mountaineers and Paragliding Pilots across the country. |
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