Leading Cadet Sagar Kumbhare of the 4 Maharashtra Naval Unit of the National Cadet Corps (NCC), Nagpur, climbed Mt Black Peak at 20,955 feet (6387 metres) despite temperatures dropping to -20 degrees Celsius.
He began climbing on September 9 and finished on September 14. Six days of sheer determination were required to put Sagar Kumbhare’s physical and mental endurance to the ultimate test. This expedition included five mountaineers.
“As part of my fitness and training schedule, I had been working out with 20-25 kg weights in my rucksack for the last three months,” said NCC cadet Sagar Kumbhare. To gain experience, I climbed Mt Abu in 2017 and Mt Patalsu Peak at around 14,500 feet in Solang valley in Himachal Pradesh on December 25 last year.”
Controlling breathing was difficult for the mountaineers due to the rarified atmosphere. Though there were many physical and mental stresses prior to the climb, all of that vanished once they reached the summit and their adrenalin levels peaked. During the expedition, we ate dry fruits, cookies, and chocolates.
The descent was equally important as maximum accidents hap pen during this phase and we could not afford to lose our guard,” added Kumbhare. The expedition was organised by Adventhrill company. Vijay Pratap Singh led the expedition and it was the first ‘Alpine Style’ expedition conducted by them, stated a press release.