By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 16 Sept: Tourism Minister, Satpal Maharaj, flagged off the mountaineering expedition organized in collaboration with Uttarakhand Tourism Development Council and Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF). The team of 12 mountaineers will climb Baljuri Mountain(5922 meters)in Pindar valley of Kumaon for the next few days.
The Tourism Minister also honored the team which returned after successfully climbing Shrikanth mountain in Garhwal Himalayas.
The program was organised on Friday in the premises of Uttarakhand Tourism Development Council (UTDB) located at Garhi Cantt. The purpose of this mountaineering campaign is to plant trees, avoid use of polythene, protect the environment and make youth aware of employment opportunities.
Satpal Maharaj remembered Radha Mohan Sikdar Shrikanth and said that Uttarakhand has immense potential for adventure sports. Surely the mountaineering expedition team will motivate the youth interested in this field. He also assured all possible help from the government for such a campaign. In addition to promoting winter tourism in the state, mountaineering expeditions would also be organised on other such mountains about which there is less public awareness.
Secretary Tourism Sachin Kurve informed that for the first time mountaineering expedition is being organized by UTDB, in association with Indian Mountaineering Foundation. Its main objective is to bring utmost proficiency among the youth working in mountaineering sector and provide them opportunities to work at international level.
Col Ashwini Pundir, Additional Chief Executive Officer (Adventure Wing) of UTDB informed that 11-member mountaineering team after covering a distance of 75 kms from Uttarkashi by vehicle completed three days trek and reached the base camp of Shrikanth Parvat.
IMF President Harshwanti Bisht also congratulated the successful mountaineering team.
On this occasion Chief Executive Officer Pooja Gabryal, Tourism Additional Director Vivek Singh Chauhan, ground sports expert Ranveer Singh Negi and other officers of the department were present.
