"I have never taken part in a mountaineering expedition before. But am a regular table tennis player and assumed would be fit enough for the expedition," Kartikeyan, who represents DRDO in table tennis tournaments, says.

The only thing that scares him, and most members of the expedition, is the daily morning medical checkup. The "elimination round", as some members have termed it, has become the focus point of many lives.

The scientist seems fit – his blood oxygen levels ad blood pressure is more or less normal – but another member has not been so lucky. The first elimination, called by some as "Big Boss ke ghar se pehele bahr", took place on Saturday.

A senior member of the expedition – 51 year old JS Dhaliwal from the MoD ceremonial department – will have to go back home after his pulse rate and blood pressure just refused to go below the danger level.

On a lighter note, signs of altitude sickness are reducing but stray incidents still come to light. A media person on the trek has suddenly got a new disease – hysterical laughing. Even a mundane observation like "Look, the trees are green" suddenly sends her in splits, much to the amusement of other members. Doctors say these symptoms would go away once the cold Siachen breeze shivers her bones.