The National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports (NIMAS), based in Dirang in Arunachal Pradesh’s West Kameng district, has set a new world record by successfully completing the first recorded ascents of 20 previously unclimbed peaks above 6,000 metres in Ladakh within just 23 days.
The expedition team was flagged in by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday. Congratulating NIMAS, its Director Colonel Ranveer Singh Jamwal, and the entire team, Singh praised the institution’s dedication to exploration and excellence in adventure sports and mountaineering.
According to NIMAS, the recognition from the Defence Minister is significant as it highlights not only the world record but also the institute’s technical expertise, meticulous planning, operational capability, and team effort that made the achievement possible.
Before the expedition commenced, the unclimbed status of all identified peaks was verified through the Indian Mountaineering Foundation. The team operated in some of Ladakh’s most remote and challenging high-altitude regions, where extreme weather, rugged terrain, high elevations, and logistical challenges demanded exceptional endurance, technical skill, and teamwork.
NIMAS stated that the accomplishment marks its third consecutive world record in the past three years, reflecting the institute’s growing capabilities in expedition planning, high-altitude mountaineering, exploration, and adventure sports.
The institute noted that it has consistently expanded the scale and scope of its activities, from undertaking major Himalayan expeditions to exploring previously uncharted and unclimbed terrain. The latest achievement further demonstrates its ability to conceptualise, plan, and execute complex expeditions in some of the country’s most demanding environments.
The expedition was led by Colonel Ranveer Singh Jamwal, a veteran mountaineer with more than two decades of experience in high-altitude expeditions. He has summited Mount Everest three times, completed the prestigious Seven Summits challenge, and is the only mountaineer in the world to have conquered both the highest peaks on all seven continents and the highest points of all 28 Indian states.
Colonel Jamwal is also the only Indian recipient of all three major adventure honours: the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award, the Indian Mountaineering Foundation Gold Medal, and the MacGregor Memorial Medal.
Over the years, he has led numerous expeditions into remote, unexplored, and technically demanding mountain regions, playing a key role in establishing NIMAS as a leading institution capable of undertaking large-scale adventure and mountaineering missions.
NIMAS is a premier government institution dedicated to promoting adventure sports, outdoor leadership, exploration, and high-altitude skills. The institute conducts training and expeditions across land, air, and water disciplines, including mountaineering, sport climbing, mountain biking, white-water rafting, kayaking, scuba diving, paragliding, paramotoring, and paramotor trike operations.
