An Indian Army climbing team from the Eastern Command has made the historic first recorded ascent of Mount Kangto, Arunachal Pradesh’s highest peak at 7,042 metres, marking a watershed moment in Indian mountaineering history, according to a defense spokesperson. Approaching from the exceedingly difficult southern route, the team successfully scaled the previously unconquered mountain, long regarded as an invincible sentinel of the Kameng Himalayas, according to Defence Spokesperson Lt Col Athul Sreedharan.
Lt Gen R C Tiwari, Army Commander of Eastern Command, formally ‘flagged in’ the squad and praised the mountaineers for their outstanding courage, endurance, and professionalism. According to the statement, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Gajraj Corps flagged off the 18-member expedition from a forward base on November 3 last year. The team embarked on a physically demanding expedition over harsh and inhospitable Himalayan terrain, encountering rarefied air, extreme sub-zero temperatures, perilous icy ridgelines, deep crevasses, and near-vertical ice walls.
Their performance exemplifies the Indian Army’s core characteristics of grit, discipline, teamwork, and unwavering spirit, according to the statement. The successful ascent not only honors the magnificence of the Eastern Himalayas, but also demonstrates the Army’s dedication to pushing the boundaries of human endurance and operational competence. “Nothing is impossible for the Indian Army,” the statement read.
