It was the turn of a six-member para athletes team, under the guidance of Aditya Mehta Foundation (AMF) and Border Security Force, to scale one of the most challenging peaks, Mt. Bhagirathi (21,365 ft), in pursuit of their attempt to set a world record by scaling Mt. Everest in 2020.
The para athletes with different levels of disability, who went through intensive training, were flagged off on August 10 from Gangotri and four of them scaled Mt. Bhagirathi on August 24. The team completed their training by climbing Mt. Bhagirathi II up to 18,000 ft as there was heavy snowfall beyond, in association with AMF and the BSF Institute of Adventure and Advance Training for Para Mountaineering. “We intend to scout 12 para athletes to scale Mt. Everest by 2020. That is our ultimate target,” says Mr. Aditya Mehta of AMF. The team was headed by 2 IC Manoj Painuli and Deputy Commandant B.S. Rawat was the deputy of this expedition. The six-member team essentially comprised two from the AMF — Arshad and 17-year-old Aryavardhan, both above knee amputees from Telangana.
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“It’s a very difficult task for an above-knee amputee to walk on uneven surfaces without buckling. It is amazing what these spirited athletes have done with the rest of the team members,” says Aditya, who is himself an above-knee amputee. Aryavardhan, who lost his father at a very young age and his mother fought back from cancer, is the youngest above-knee amputee in the world to scale Mt. Bhagirathi. The other four BSF para athletes were Malay Haldar and Athuno Lotha with gun shot legs, Amar Kumar Santra, who is visually impaired and Additional CT Ajay, who has right thigh muscle loss. “I have never walked more than 3 km in my life. With this expedition I could conquer 16 km non-stop of stiff uphill terrain with my prosthetic limb. I feel great!” says Arshad on his return home. “The BSF team was amazing. They helped us at every point in arriving at the divine place on Mt. Bhagirathi 2 at 18000ft. I never expected to see such places in my life,” he said
“Now, I am mentally prepared to scale Mt. Everest.” says Aryavardhan.
“Both Arshad and Aryavardhan were very enthusiastic and forthcoming in their effort to climb despite being first-timers. Initially, they did 9 km and then later they did up to 16 km on a single day in snow and ice. They have a very bright future in para-mountaineering and can surely summit Mt. Everest by 2020 with training,” says Deputy Commandant B.S. Rawat.
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