Basic Mountaineering Course 2011
Mountaineering is an art and science and not merely a physical activity. It is one of the finest sports but to practice it without training and technique is deliberate suicide. That being one of the main reasons, The Adventure Club at Thapar University planned a group mountaineering course for the students of Thapar University. The special course was organised by Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports,Manali (ABVIMAS) one of the largest Adventure Sports training centre in the country today. adventurehimalayaadventurehimalya.org.org
To organise mountaineering courses, ABVIMAS is the most ideal location for mountaineering training in the Indian Himalayas. Natural rock faces are available adjacent to the Institute complex and the glacier is located at 12,000 feet altitude which is very low from Himalayan standards. The course was scheduled from 14 June till 10th July at the end of which each successful student earned a certificate for clearing the Basic Mountaineering level .The degree is given by the Government of Himachal Pradesh and is recognized as a benchmark in mountaineering internationally. The course was organized in collaboration with the students of IIT Bombay, which turned out to be one the best things about the course. Because besides the physical benefits of mountaineering, the sport offers other intrinsic benefits--for instance, setting a goal and reaching it. Also, it allows people to work with other people as part of a climbing team, and develop a sense of friendship and team spirit.In all we had a batch of 66 students which consisted of 12 students from Thapar University and rest being from other engineering institutes like IIT-B and Chitkara University.
The duration of the course was of 26 days. This period was divided into different phases as follows
● Theoretical, practical Rock Craft training in and around Manali- 10 days
● Trekking (approach to the Base Camp at about 12000ft)
with a stopover at Solangnala for acclimatization - 3 days
● Field Training ice craft and snow craft near base camp - 10 days
● Return to Manali - 2 days
● Administration and Graduation Ceremony - 1 day
Mountaineering is a pursuit that should never be undertaken without a good understanding of the many different aspects involved, ranging from map reading and navigation skills to rope work and understanding mountain weather and were we taught each and every one of them during the span of the course. In the first ten days we were taught all the technique related to rock climbing on actual rock faces near the institute. Physical training for mountaineering requires aerobic conditioning for strenuous climbing. We were made to carry weighted backpacks to train the body to get use to carrying heavy loads, especially for our 12 km trek to base camp which was almost 23 kms away from Manali.
At the end we realized that the whole experience had somewhat stimulated a spirit of adventure in each one of us. We were taught how to take calculated risks, some of us faced our worst fears and some crossed their limit of endurance. It teaches them to face new challenges and adopt a better outlook towards life by accepting responsibility with courage and confidence.
Achievements
· Best Team: Thapar University ( Among 8 other teams)
· Best Team Leader: Parambir Cheema ( Thapar University)
· 6 of 8 Team Leaders from Thapar University
I am looking forward to attending this course this year.
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