Trekking expedition to the Himalayas flagged off

As many as 69 young adventure enthusiasts from South India will undertake a trekking expedition in the Himalayas from May 7 to 11. The expedition is being taken up for the seventh year by the International Academy of Mountaineering and Allied Sports (IAMAS) and Tiger Adventure Foundation.

Even though the earthquake in Nepal had raised concerns regarding the expedition, organisers say that it will continue as planned. The part of Himalayas, where the expedition has been taken up, has remained unaffected by the quake and its aftershocks, said Deepak Solanki of IAMAS.

The participants are from various parts of South India, such as Mysuru, Tumakuru, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kochi and Hyderabad. The team consists of 35 boys and 34 girls and will climb to a height of 14,000 meters on the Himalayan mountains.

With the expedition set to test the physical and mental strength of the enthusiasts, the participants have been training in the city since one month.

According to the organisers, the participants were taken on brisk walks around Kukkarahalli Lake in the morning and evening. Besides, trekking expeditions to Chamundi Hill, Kunti Hill and others were also organised. More recently, as a test of endurance, participants had cycled from Mysuru to KRS backwaters.

Schedule

The expedition, which was symbolically flagged off on Sunday, will leave the city on May 1. The team will reach Delhi by air and will visit Hardwar and Hrishikesh on May 2. They will participate in white water rafting on May 3.

The team will leave Dehradun on May 4 and reach Manali on May 5. On May 6, rock climbing event has been organised. Trekking will start on May 7, with the team expected to reach Rumptu Top, located at a height of 14,000 feet above sea level on May 10. The team will return to the base camp on May 11 and will be back to Bengaluru by May 14.

Experienced mountaineers such as Deepak Solanki and Anil Kumar will be part of the team. Deputy Director of the Karnataka Police Academy Dharanidevi Malagatthi flagged off the expedition.