Chockstone Forum

      Sponsored By
      ROCK
   HARDWARE

Chockstone Photography

Australian Landscape Prints

Chockstone Forum - Trip Reports

Tells Us About Your Latest Trip!

Topic Date User

Climbing with the Indian Army at the HMI 23-Oct-2007 At 4:37:45 PM jackb

Message

Climbing with the Indian Army at the HMI

This is over due but I thought I would take the time away from my studies to procrastinate a little more. I did this about a year and a half ago.

I took part in the Basic course at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI) in Darjeeling. The Institute was founded by Tenzing Norgay Sherpa back in the 50’s after his and Hillary’s ascent of Everest. Every year the institute runs a number of mountaineering courses to train locals, army men and the odd foreigner like me.

Most of the participants in my course were army men. About 55 were male soldiers, 10 were higher ranked captains, 10 or so were civilians and 2 were foreigners (myself and a British girl). Most of the civilians were local Nepali boys and were a lot of fun. Most of the soldiers spoke little or no English and were friendly but very annoying.

The course consists of a week of physical training (at 6.30 am), lectures, practice rock climbing on tensing rock and other subjects on rope school.

The physical training was torture as the army men defied orders every morning and used it to prove themselves. Naturally they thought there was something wrong with me when I wouldn’t race them. “Jack verrrryyyy week”,”Jack, you sick?”

The lectures were meant to be in English but were in Hindi.

The rock climbing was way to dangerous and chaotic for me to enjoy. An army guy took the figure 8 off my harness whilst I was belaying someone when he saw me locking it off to my side and not up in front of me.

After a week in Darjeeling we headed into the hills. The HMI base camp is located under Khangchendzonga (number 3) in Sikkim and it’s a 4 day walk in. It started to snow heavily. We stayed in an abandoned house overlooking the valley the first night. Tin shacks the next night. Me being last I got stuck next to the door that didn’t close. Snow drifting in onto me all night.

Someone stole my water bottle and so I stole some one else’s. I was filling my drink bottle up and then one of the soldiers came down from his poo in the stream up stream from where everyone’s water was collected. I went nuts at him.

Then we got to the base camp. We were crammed into a few tin huts. Not enough room to lay on your back so we all spooned. I got the runs. Worst place in the world to get the runs. The toilets weren’t designed for a western build and I didn’t quite fit into the cubicle long drop.

We practiced ice climbing on a very very dangerous setup. I had a work to the instructor (well he didn’t speak any English). He had fixed all the lines to a single point and made me climb way out to the left. Falling would have resulted in hitting the deck. He said “nooooo you swing”. As he said it an army guy slipped, fell four meters and hit the deck.

I was in charge of a group of soldiers and a Nepalese boy. The soldiers were the most frustrating people I have met but the Nepalese boy was great fun.

A dog followed us everywhere we went. We named him Rhotung after one of the peaks”.

We practiced a multitude of techniques but due to the large snow fall we couldn’t climb a peak.

Then we headed back to Darjeeling to be awoken at 5.30 for chai and no other purpose. To sit round. Tie knots. Climb the indoor wall in hiking boots and sneak off into the city to have a hot shower in a hotel (the institute has no hot water, mind you all the army men happily showered in their jocks in sub zero temperatures).

I graduated and even though I didn’t learn much about climbing I didn’t already know I came away with a great cultural experience and a lot of friends. I visited amazing places and learned to love Dhal Baht (lunch and dinner every day for 28 days).

I still keep in touch with my Indian friends. One of the captains send me an email after every expedition he goes on (hes been on about 5 in the past 2 year). I am always asking him when there will be a joint Indian army, Australian civilian expedition.

If any one is thinking of doing it I would highly recommend it. It only cost US$600 for a month all expenses.

I have pictures but don’t know how to add them.