MUMBAI, Dec 29: A clerk in the sales tax department is set to lead the first civilian expedition `Tata Everest India '98' to unfurl the tri-colour on the world's highest peak Mount Everest in the spring of 1998. The Akhil Maharashtra Giryarohan Sangh, which will spearhead the expedition sponsored by Tata Sons, announced the 12-member core group on Monday. The members except for one naval personnel comprised workers from private and central government agencies including two women climbers.The expedition leader Hrishikesh Yadav is an experienced mountaineer and had led a team of visually handicapped persons to Shitidhar ranges in Himachal Pradesh. The group will have a back-up team comprising three doctors, five people in-charge of logistics and 20 sherpas hired for transport purpose. Speaking to newsmen Yadav said, ``It's going to be a daunting task, given the hostile weather conditions with the temperature in the icy ranges plunging to minus 40 degree Celsius.''
The expedition will be flagged off from
Delhi in the second week of February either by the president or the prime minister, Yadav announced. Arun Samant, the senior-most climber, informed that the team will set up a base camp at an altitude of 18,000 ft before proceeding further into the icy peaks and there would be additional camps as they go higher. From here the 12-member core team will unfurl the Indian flag on the summit around third week of May, 1998.
At the inaugural function of the expedition, Tata Sons director Sabavala said that his company was privileged to be the sponsor. ``Our participation also has historical association. The first Indian women climber to the Mt Everest Bachindra Pal was our employee,'' he said.
Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
