Heroic Ascent
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) completed its spring expedition to Mount Makalu, while the parallel attempt on Mount Annapurna had to be called off due to severe weather conditions. The expedition was organized by a dedicated team, with Deputy Commandant Anoop Kumar leading the ITBP climbers. On April 19, five out of six ITBP climbers successfully reached the summit of Makalu. The successful summiters included Bahadur Chand, Pradeep Panwar, Sanjay Kumar, Sonam Stobdan, and Vimal Kumar.
Summit Drama
They were supported by a team of experienced Sherpa guides: Pem Nurbu Sherpa, Ang Demba Sherpa, Mingma Dorchi Sherpa, Furtemba Sherpa, Dawa Sashi Sherpa, Pemtashi Sherpa, and Dawa Sherpa, all of whom also reached the summit.
Meanwhile, the ITBP team attempting Annapurna faced extreme challenges. An avalanche destroyed the route between Camp 2 and Camp 3, wiping out fixed ropes, which had to be reinstalled. Despite these efforts, a severe whiteout and blizzard just 150 meters below the summit forced the team to abort the climb. All further attempts on Annapurna were subsequently canceled due to unsafe conditions.
