(From left to right) Mihir Jadhav, Vivek Shivade, expedition leader Umesh Zirpe, Akhil Katkar, and Nikunj Shah left Pune on April 2 and spent nearly eight weeks in the Everest region as part of an acclimatisation process.
For 61-year-old Umesh Zirpe, a veteran mountaineer who led a successful expedition to Mount Everest, it was never just about scaling the summit. When his team stood atop the world’s highest peak in the early hours of May 21, it marked the fruition of his desire to inspire a new generation in line with the Centre’s Fit India Movement initiative.
“This year’s weather window on Everest was much smaller than usual because of continuous jet stream activity over the mountain. Navigating this narrow summit window safely was a major challenge, which the team managed successfully. Good weather helped during the final push, but ultimately it was the team’s discipline, patience, mental resilience, and teamwork that made this success possible,” Zirpe, a member of mountaineering club Giripremi, said.
“This marks Giripremi’s third successful Everest expedition after its landmark climbs in 2012 and 2013,” the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award winner, who has trained 18 mountaineers who successfully climbed Mount Everest, told The Indian Express.
The final summit push began on May 17, with the team moving steadily through the higher camps. The climbers had to endure over 10 hours of relentless climbing in the ‘Death Zone’.
In 2012, eight mountaineers scaled Mt Everest, while three reached the summit in 2013 as part of the Giripremi expedition. Over the years, several others have climbed individually, and this year the landmark ascent was achieved by a group of men in their 20s and early 30s. The summit team comprised Vivek Shivade, Mihir Jadhav, and Akhil Katkar, along with Sherpa climbers Lakpa Sherpa, Urgen Sherpa, and Lakpa Tenji Sherpa.
“We felt that the youth should be encouraged to take up such expeditions,” Zirpe said, adding, “The climbers summited via the traditional South Col route from Nepal.”
The team left Pune on April 2 and spent nearly eight weeks in the Everest region as part of a systematic acclimatisation process, which included the ascent of Lobuche East Peak and acclimatisation rotations up to Camp 2 on Everest.
Relentless climbing in the ‘Death Zone’
The final summit push began on May 17, with the team moving steadily through the higher camps. “Despite favourable weather conditions this season, the climbers had to endure over 10 hours of relentless climbing in the ‘Death Zone’, the area above 8,000 metres where oxygen levels are critically low, and survival becomes extremely difficult for the human body,” Zirpe said. Due to health concerns, team member Nikunj Shah decided to return from just below Camp 4. “The entire expedition team deeply respects his courage, determination, and team spirit,” Zirpe said, speaking from Everest Base Camp.
The expedition also supported the Centre’s ‘Fit India’ movement, promoting physical fitness, mental resilience, and an active lifestyle. Alongside the climb, the team also spread awareness about responsible mountaineering, glacier conservation, and climate change. It also acknowledged the valuable support extended by Nepal-based Peak Promotion Agency, whose coordination and logistical assistance helped the successful execution of the expedition.
This July-August, an all-woman expedition to Leh-Ladakh
There are 14 peaks in the Himalayas, and so far, 50 climbers have scaled all of them. While no Indian has achieved this feat yet, Zirpe said that Giripremi team members have climbed eight peaks. “That is our international record. This year, in July-August, an all‑women expedition has been organised to Mentok Kangri, a stunning 6,250‑metre climb in Ladakh’s Rupshu plateau, towering above the spectacular Tso Moriri lake,” Zirpe added.
