ITBP expedition flagged off

Twenty-eight ITBP personnel, especially trained and including a woman skier, set off on an expedition to the mountain peaks of Mt Kamet and Abi Gamin in the Himalayas on Friday to attempt a record by skiing down after climbing them.

Twenty-eight ITBP personnel, especially trained and including a woman skier, set off on an expedition to the mountain peaks of Mt Kamet and Abi Gamin in the Himalayas on Friday to attempt a record by skiing down after climbing them.

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They were flagged off from the national capital by Union Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta and would climb the two peaks having heights of 25,447 feet and 24,130 feet respectively and then film the ski down.

To record the approximate 14 minute ski down the peaks, the team will use sophisticated helmet mounted micro-cameras in a maiden such effort.

"Such expedition missions are very important for our men who protect our borders at the Himalayan frontiers. I wish the team good luck," Gupta said.

The team will have its first base camp at Joshimath in Uttarakhand on May 3 and aims to set the record on June 3 after winning the summit.

The centre of attraction in the team is 38-year-old Bhanita Timungpi, a woman Inspector who is a veteran of 15 similar expeditions.

"Its an exhilarating experience as the twin climb would make the ascent and descent adventurous. I would also attempt to ski down," Timungpi said.