The tragedy at the Mountain

On 04.10.2022, Tuesday, I received the shocking news of tragedy striking the Advance Mountaineering Course Sr. No. 172 of Nehru Institute of Mountaineering. The whole batch of the course was hit by a ferocious avalanche as the batch was returning to Base camp after successfully summiting Mount Draupadi ka Danda-2. The event was the rarest of the rare accident hardly ever seen on that mountain.

28 trainees of the course got stuck under the massive load of avalanche debris. 10 were declared dead in the initial rescue operations and the others were un-traceable till the end of the day. The news was devastating. I was myself a student of the Basic Mountaineering Course 6 months back and had planned to join this very course serial number 172 in NIM. I could hardly digest the tragedy. How could this happen to a course that prepares you for mountaineering? As soon as I heard the news I felt as if my Basic mountaineering Course has been lost in the tragedy. This could have happened to anyone of us. I could have been a part of this particular course had I not got transferred to my current posting.

The tragedy has shaken me to the core. The love for mountains is ridden with extreme risks. The passion may take your life away in a flash. My heart goes out to the families who have lost their loved ones. They would have scars for the rest of their lives for no fault of theirs.

Such is the character of the ruthless sport of mountaineering. The avalanche took away a thousand aspirations in a flash and then rested purposelessly on the bottom of the mountain. Such incidents question your desire to pursue this dangerous sport. Although the incident was an exception that led to the loss of so many lives, the occurrence of natural disasters such as avalanches, glacier block movements, rockfalls, and crevasses keep taking the lives of mountaineers.

I would still climb mountains despite knowing the inherent risks. It is a selfish endeavor but the regret of not pursuing something close to my heart may haunt me in my old age. I have obligations towards my family, but I suppose they respect my choice. Even if death knocks my doors in the mountains, for reasons out of my control I would be a happy soul to leave this world. Mankind cannot progress if the adventurists choose to sit back home and scoff at the risks of going out into the unknown. The test of human character and grit would be meaningless unless one pushes oneself into the uncertainty. It is one life that we get. It is better to see your grandkids play than die for sure on mountains but the one who professes it should live through the joys of being on a mountain first and then question the passions of mountaineers."

For all the noble souls who passed away in this tragedy, Rest in Peace!

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