Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 17 Sep: Governor Lt General Gurmit Singh (Retd) on Thursday flagged off the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) All-Women Mount Shrikanta Expedition-2026 from Lok Bhavan, Dehradun.
A total of 10 members are part of the expedition, comprising seven women mountaineers certified in Basic and Advanced Mountaineering Courses and three experienced support mountaineers from the SSB’s Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School (CI&JW), Gwaldam. The expedition commenced on September 17 and the mountaineering team is scheduled to undertake the summit attempt between October 3 and 6, 2026.
Wishing the women mountaineers success, the Governor said that Mount Shrikanta, standing at an altitude of 6,133 metres, is a highly challenging peak. He said that an expedition led entirely by women mountaineers to take on such a demanding challenge sends an inspiring message of women’s empowerment and the strength of women.
The Governor noted that the day was also special as it marks the birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said that, with the vision, energy and determination associated with a New India, the expedition also carries forward the spirit of courage, discipline, women’s empowerment and national service. He extended his heartfelt birthday wishes to the Prime Minister.
The Governor said that meeting the women mountaineers of the expedition team filled him with a sense of pride. He remarked that Indian women are capable of facing every challenge. He said that the team had undergone specialized training at various levels and that preparations for the expedition had been carried out in a systematic and professional manner. He congratulated the Director General of SSB, officers, trainers and the entire team for undertaking this innovative initiative.
Highlighting the challenges posed by Mount Shrikanta, the Governor said that extreme altitude, changing weather conditions and difficult terrain make the climb particularly demanding. In such circumstances, training, discipline, team spirit and the ability to make sound decisions will play a crucial role in the expedition. He emphasized that while reaching the summit is an achievement in mountaineering, returning safely with the entire team is an even greater success.
He advised the expedition members to respect the mountain and the prevailing conditions and to give the highest priority to safety throughout the expedition.
SSB Director General Sanjay Singhal, Director General, Police, Deepam Seth, Garhwal Commissioner Anand Swarup, Inspector General (Training) Sanjeev Sharma, along with senior SSB officers, trainers and members of the expedition team, were present on the occasion.
