Pune’s Giripremi mountaineers scale Mt Manda 1

Overall Pune’s Giripremi team came second to conquer Mt Manda-1 after Japanese mountaineers completed the expedition in 1984

PUNE The Pune city-based Giripremi mountaineers added one more feather in their cap as they became the first team from India to claim Mt Manda 1, a 6,510-metre mountain which is located at Kedar Ganga Valley in Indian Himalaya on September 18.

Pune city-based Giripremi mountaineers at atop Mt Manda 1. (HT PHOTO)

Overall Giripremi team came second to conquer Mt Manda-1 after Japanese mountaineers completed the expedition in 1984.

Giripremi teams had tried climbing the mountain in 1989 and 1991 but couldn’t reach the summit.

The Pune-based mountaineer group took the third attempt after 32 years and made it successful.

The expedition was completed via the North Ridge route and it was led by Anand Mali and mentored by Umesh Zirpe. Other team members were Sumeet Mandale, Vivek Shivade and Pawan Hadole along with Sherpa Mingam and Nim Dorje.

The team reached base camp on September 11, however, a difficult climatic condition did not allow them to move ahead till September 15.

“On September 17 we started summit push from camp 2 and the next day we conquered the peak. It was a very challenging peak technically. From base to camp 1 it was more challenging than from camp 1 to 2 it was a little easy. Summit push was challenging (last 1,000 metres) as it has one vertical wall, rock climbing and Ice climbing and a steep climb of 70 to 80 degrees,” said Shivade.

The climbers also did route opening and rope fixing along with Sherpas.

“Handling the tough weather conditions was the biggest challenge. Before Mt Manda-1, I had climbed three mountains but this was the toughest,” said Hadole

Zirpe, was a part of two unsuccessful attempts on Mt. Manda-1 in 1989 and 1991.

“We had to abandon our attempt due to a shortage of equipment in 1991. Proper management of not only equipment but also of all the resources for the expedition with excess adequate quantity and implementation of our plan with all safety is very important,” said Zirpe, a veteran mountaineer.