Chaukhamba. A 38-man team from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police was led by Assistant Commandant Vinod K. Dandona. Despite very deep snow, they established Base Camp at 4725 meters on the Bhagirath Kharak Glacier on May 22. Camp II was set up on May 27. On the 29th, Base Camp was flattened by a rolling snow mass. That same day, the first summit attempt was led by Company Commander Nafe Singh. When they were only 400 feet from the summit, two climbers fell into a crevasse but were held by a third. That attempt was given up. The summit (7138 meters, 23,410 feet) was finally gained by six members and two Bhotia dogs on May 31. The climbers were Sub-Inspectors Dawa Renzing, Neema Dorjee and Kanhaiya Lal, Havildars Thondup Sherpa and Agar Singh, and Constable Bachan Singh. Five of them skied down from the summit, but it took the sixth member three days to reach Base Camp.

Kamal K. Guha, Editor, Himavanta, India