The mantle falls on Nasim Akhtar
Kashmiri to lead Everest expedition
Srinagar: Nesim Akhtar, an experienced mountaineer from Kashmir would lead an expedition in 2011 from Northeast to Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak.
Akhtar, who is also a member of the Governing Council of the Indian Mountaineering Federation for the past 10 years would lead the Everest expedition, sources said. Noted mountaineer Colonel Neeraj Rana and senior journalist and experienced mountaineer Pranay Bordoloi will be the deputy leaders.
Kashmir for its mountain peaks like Zabarwan, Harmuk, Kolai and Tratakuti is known as mountaineers’ paradise.
As part of the first pre-Everest expedition, a 30-member team will attempt to scale Kolahai peak in Kashmir after undergoing a training session at the Indian Army-run Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering in Pahalgam.
The final team of 15 members for the main expedition to scale Everest would be chosen from among these participants at the three pre-Everest summits of which two would be undertaken this year and the third in 2010.
The first of the three pre-Everest expeditions will be undertaken by the North East Adventure Foundation ahead of the first Everest expedition from the Northeast in 2011.
Of the 25 participants for the three pre-Everest expeditions, 13 are from Assam and 12 are from other northeastern states.
The team includes 14 young women from the region.