Basic Mountaineering Course

Institute: Directorate Of Mountaineering and Allied Sports, Manali( ABVIMAS)

Location: Manali-Beas kund glacier

Duration: 26 Days (June, 2011 to 26^th June, 2011.)

Eligibility: Open for All

check out photos at  http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=266920&id=752463104&l=5b9d508a56

Course Fee: Rs 6500/- (Subsidized by Government Of India)

(Includes Boarding, Lodging, Equipments, Food, Camping.)

Carried By: Ministry Of Tourism( Government of India)

Formalities:

1) Completed Form, Medical Certificate and Fee submission(Cash) by 5th April,2011.

2)Written Parents/Guardian's Consent (MUST).

On successful completion of the course you would be awarded a National Level Sports Certificate of Mountaineering under The India Mountaineering federation.

Course Structure:

Day 1 to Day 10

0530-0545  Morning tea

0600-0700  PT & accl.

0700-0730  Wash & change

0745-0830  Breakfast

0900-0940  Move to field ( Rock Climbing,Rappelling, Jumaring River crossing etc)

0945-1215  Rock climbing L/D/P

1300-1400  Lunch

1430-1515  Lectures ( Mountaineering, Techniques, Weather etc)

1600-1630  Evening tea

1630-1700  Knot practice/ Outdoor Games(Basketball, Tug of War etc)

1715-1830  Obstacles.

1900-2000  Video/ Film show

2000-2100  Dinner

2100-2145  Debriefing

2200       Lights Off

D-11 Trek to Solang/Lahaul Spiti

D-12 Acclimatization trek towards Patalsun & back. Lec on Mountain walking / Mountain Hazards.

D-13 Move to & establishment of base camp.

D-14, 15:

0830           Move to training area

0930-1230  Snow craft, walking on snow,step kicking, use of ice axe, 

1300-1400  Lunch

1430-1600  Lecture 

1600-1630  Evening Tea

1630-1730  Games

1730-1830  Debriefing & group discussions

1930-2100  Dinner

2100           Debriefing

D-16 As per previous day till breakfast. Move to field- Snow craft, Glissading, Self arrest 

D-17 As per previous day till breakfast. - Sequence climbing, anchor & belay on snow.

D-18 Move to Glacier-Ice craft, cramponing, ascending and descending, Lec.on glacier.

D-19 More with pack lunch-Ice craft , cramponing , Front pointing , Fix rope demo & rappelling.

D-20 Move to glacier with pack lunch, anchor and belay on ice, Crevasse rescue, glacier travel.

D-21& 22 Height gaining.

D-23 Trek to Solang/Spiti Lec. (Survival Night)

D-24 Trek to Manali. 

D-25 Admn. Day. 

D-26 Return of equipment, P.O.P. and collection of movement orders. 

 CLOTHING:

1) 2 pairs of convertible pants/shorts (pants that zipper to shorts) for hiking mountaineering – these are worn a lot on the trek and are very practical. 

2) 4 pairs of very good hiking socks

3) 1 bathing suit (for Kir Ganga or other times when jumping in a lake would be great!)

4) High quality long underwear tops and bottoms (ie: Patagonia’s Capilene brand – expensive but keeps you warm when needed, cool when needed and very breathable!)

5) A quick dry camping towel available at stores mentioned above

6) For women:  Bring loose, breathable long sleeve tops and pants.

7) A rain poncho and small travel umbrella for very wet days on trek – it’s monsoon season!

8) A waterproof hat that is also warm and covers you from the sun OR a waterproof hat, a hat for sun and also a hat for the cold mountain nights where it can get below freezing.

9) Gloves

10) Sport sandals are a must

11) Bandana

12) Good (well worn in before trek) hiking boots(Or Normal sports Shoes) that have been water sealed

15) Ski/down warm jacket(Just One as You would be provided Trekking Suits with Jackets and Lowers)

17) Extra pair of warm socks for nighttime – not for hiking

18) Several t-shirts for hiking, sleeping, etc. (easy, breathable, quick dry running or hiking t’s recommended)

TOILETRIES :

THINGS THAT WILL HELP WITH THE HIGH ALTITUDE/WIND/COLD WEATHER:

1) saline nasal spray

2) Tissues

3) Eyedrops

4) Aquaphor healing ointment (available at any drug store/pharmacy). Excellent for cracked, chafed, wind burned, sun burned skin and for the chapped lips you WILL have on the trek!

5) A high SPF and mosturizing lip balm

6) A very high sunscreen – 30 SPF or higher required!

OTHER NEEDED SUPPLIES:

7) Insect Repellent (get one with DEET in it as malaria is a problem in India – the higher the altitude the fewer the mosquitos but mosquitos are found in the Himalayas).

8) A 3 week supply of baby wipes is a must.

9) Face wipes are helpful as well if washing your face after a full day’s hike is not easily done.

10) Purell anti-bacterial hand gel is a definite must for pre-during and post trek travel in India!

11) A very good hand and body lotion. 

FOR WOMEN:

13) Leave-in hair conditioner as washing your hair with shampoo on a trek is a feat enough (esp. if you are a woman). 

18) Good moisturizer for day & night (can be sunscreen too) MEDICATIONS (Prescription & over-the counter – preventative and necessary in case you do get sick): For Stomach illness prevention or problems :

1) Acidophilus pills, Pepto-Bismol, Immodium, Anti-altitude sickness medication (DIAMOX), DMG, Ibuprofen or other over the counter pain killer SUPPLIES:

2)A large day pack that you will be carrying that can contain the following: your water bottle, camera(s), clothing for instant weather changes (ie: a rain poncho, your hat, gloves, warm jacket, extra pair of socks, umbrella if needed, some snack foods, your journal, your sunglasses, a cover for the day pack in case it is raining heavily, etc.)

3) A therma rest or other kind of pad for sleeping is not required as the trek provides pads but is recommended for added 

7) A head lamp/torch 

10) A couple of large size PLASTIC bags in case of rain, etc( As they are banned in Himachal.)

11) Small personal first aid kit

12) Locks for bags

15) Books Recommended: Lonely Planet India or Lonely Planet Northern India, Lonely Planet Hindi/Urdu Phrase Book,

18) waterproof bag for toiletries, journal or books, important documents

PREPARATION: THINGS TO DO/GET BEFORE LEAVING!

8) Most importantly as well – be sure to be in excellent physical condition for the trek. This includes (in my opinion) – doing as much hiking as possible before the trek, getting or staying in good cardiovascular condition and lifting weights. 

It is also helpful to remain flexible and practice something like yoga or other stretching exercises to prevent injury.

LINKS:

http://www.adventurehimalaya.org
http://www.adventurehimalaya.org/mountaineering.asp

Annual Schedule( 2011-2012)

1)     Basic Mountaineering Course

Location: Manali, Himachal Pradesh(Directorate of Mountaineering and Allied Sports, Manali)

Duration: 26 days

From 1^st June, 2011 to 26^th June, 2011.

Carried by: Ministry Of Tourism ( Government of India)

Directorate of Mountaineering and Allied Sports, Manali

*Eligibility: Open for all students.

2)      P1-P2 Paragliding Course

Location: Sanasar, J.K (110 Km’s from Jammu)

Duration: 7 days

From 1^st June, 2011 to 7^th June, 2011.

Carried by: Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering and Winter Sports, Sanasar(J.K)

Ministry Of Tourism, Government of India

*Eligibility: All students EXCEPT 1^st year.

3)      Hiking Trip

Location: Valley of Flowers, Uttarakhand.

Duration: 3 days

From 20^th August to 22^nd  August.(Janamshthami Holiday)

*Eligibility: Only BMC qualified students.

4)      Basic Skiing Course

Location: Auli, Uttarakhand.

Duration: 12 days

From 22^nd Dec, 2011 to 2^nd Jan,2012

Carried By: Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam, Uttarakhand.

Ministry of Tourism, Government of India

*Eligibility: Open for All

5)      Camel Safari

Location: Jaisalmer, Bikaner and 8 other villages in Rajasthan.

Duration: 7 days

From 21^st to 28^th Dec, 2011.

*Eligibility: Must have taken at least ONE of the above mentioned courses.

*Written parents consent is a MUST.

** All the events would be OUT of the Academic Year.

Report 2010

Adventure Course

This course was conducted at JIM&WS institute for Adventure Sports in India.(One of the five premier institutes for adventure sports run by the Government of India.) from 15th Dec to 25^th  Dec , 2010 under government subsidized rates. The course fee  charged by the institute included your boarding, lodging, food, equipment charges etc.

They got a National Level Certificate of Adventure Sports and represented the

institute at such an prestigious platform.

This course included the following techniques:

1)Rock Climbing
2)Bush Crafting
3)River Crossing
4)Height Gaining
5)Survival Nights
6)Introductory Paragliding

The students participation in the course were:

1.      Akshat  Jain 1^st Year

2.      AbhimanyuDogra 1^st Year

3.      Raj luthra 3^rd Year

4.      Harsh Garg 2^nd Year

5.      AnupamGarg 2^nd Year

6.      Siddarth Mittal 2^nd Year

7.      Gaganpreet Singh 2^nd Year

8.      Sandeep Singh 1^st Year

9.      Priyanka Jindal (G) 1^st Year

10.  Ritu Garg (G) 1^st Year

11.  Priyanka Jindal (G) 1^st Year

12.  SugandhaGoyal (G) 1^st Year

Abhimanyu & Akshat’s (Ist Year)  Experience:

I have always been a keen adventurer, as it helps me get a break from hectic and sometimes mundane life .So as soon as I heard from our seniors, Brighu Sharda and Shobhit Gupta ,the pioneering minds behind Thapar Adventure Club ,it took me not a second thought before I confirmed my registration for the course and what followed was some serious learning ,fun and adventure activities.

This happened to be my first such experience ,earlier, what I did was self planned treks but this one was a proper government funded course that not only focused on basic Adventure but also gave importance to theoretical learning and letting the students know each and every important basic aspect of professional mountaineering. The course was  conducted at JIM&WS institute for Adventure Sports in India.

(One of the five premier institutes for adventure sports run by the Government of India.) from 15th Dec to 25 Dec , 2010 under government subsidized rates. The whole course was thoroughly planned and we were made to follow a proper time-table kind of schedule which actually helped us to do a whole variety of activities that wouldn't have been possible without that kind of planning .In the short span of 10 days ,we were able to do Rock climbing ,Rappelling ,River crossing ,trekking ,boating ,night camping etc. The food, besides being healthy ,had home-like feeling to it .Medical care was impressive and effective .Almost every important equipment and clothing was provided to us by the institute itself . All of this was under the quite natural repose of Sanasar  at 2130 mts in really cold conditions. it was  one surreal experience for everyone of the 12 member contingent which included 4 female and 8 male members from Thapar University. Our instructor ,Mr Mehfooz Ilahi ,did a splendid job in handling the students with just the right balance of Strictness and Friendliness .Sanasar is a beautiful place with some spectacular view.

In short ,it was a unique experience with some pure learning and enjoyment at a very reasonable pricing. I am certain that further adventures courses like this would help me grow as an individual and I'd recommend it to all adventure-heads like me.

Skiing course

This course was conducted at Indian Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering, Gulmarg from 27^th Dec’10-9^th Jan’11, under Ministry of Tourism.

The following techniques were covered under the course:

1)Basics of ice skating

2) Snow Beating and side stepping

3) Downhill

4)Snow Ploughing and turn

5)Traversing

6)Herring back technique

7)Kick tyrn

8)Uphill swing

The following students successfully completed the course

1)      Sant Bux Singh 2^nd year (awarder best skier, 2^nd in salalom)

2)      Bhrigu Sharda 2^nd year ( 2^nd  best skier)

3)      Chirag monga 2^nd year

4)      Awinder 2^nd year

5)      Pushkal 2^nd year

6)      Thakur Gurjot si 2^nd year

7)      Ashish Paul singh 2^nd year

8)   Suheil Manocha 2^nd year

All the above are now qualified basic skiers and are eligible for Asian Winter Games.

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Shobhit Gupta

Bhrigu Sharda