This month BCS mountaineering team successfully summited Mount Yunam 6111m (20,000 feet) at 0810hrs on Thursday 4th August 2022.
After months of training and anticipation for the climb, the eight boys from the BCS team reached the summit with their Expedition Leader Mr Amod Talwalkar, ahead of schedule. They were accompanied by four mountaineering instructors.
The nine BCS senior boys aged from 16 to 18 years old took three days to acclimatize to the altitude levels, walking at height during the day and sleeping low in the base camps at night. Only one boy wasn’t able to reach the summit after feeling the strong effects of the mountain’s harsh oxygen-less environment. As a precaution, he was taken down the mountain to see doctors in Manali where he recovered quickly.
On the morning of the trek, setting off at 0400hrs, the group made steady progress with torches across the challenging rocky terrain despite the rarefied air. The eight resilient Cottonians and their teacher reached the top of the mountain safely just four hours later.
Part of the training was ensuring that everybody did everything in slow motion – walking slowly, chewing food slowly, sipping and swallowing water slowly and helping each other, as a team, combat the effects of fatigue induced at that elevation.
Mr Amod Talwalkar, BCS Expedition Leader said; “By God’s grace, we all made it down the mountain safely. It was a big responsibility for me but I know this batch really well and they all remained cheerful and calm throughout the climb and we came down without a scratch or a blister between us. We were completely cut off from the world for four days but the fact these boys are boarders and living in Shimla has given them a head start to cope with the conquest of the mountain. I’m really proud of them all.”
Congratulations to the whole team from the BCS community and especially to our hardworking staff who joined the team Mr Amod Talwalkar (who went right to the top) and Captain Satnam Singh who accompanied the boys on the trip to base camp.
Part of the training was ensuring that everybody did everything in slow motion – chewing and eating slowly, sipping and swallowing water slowly and helping each other as a team due to the feeling exhausted all the time.
Mr Amod Talwalker the BCS Mountaineering Instructor said; “By God’s grace it was really incredible that nobody got injured and we all made it down the mountain safely. It was a big responsibility for me but I know this batch really well they all remained cheerful, calm and happy throughout the climb and we came down without a scratch or a blister between us. We were completely cut off from the world for four days but the fact these boys are boarders and living in Shimla has given them a head start to cope with the conquest of the mountain. I’m really proud of them all.”
Congratulations to the whole team including our staff who joined the team Mr Amod Talwalker (who went right to the top) and Captain Satnam Singh who accompanied the boys on the trip. Sadly only one boy felt the strong effects of the altitude and had to turn back to base camp after feeling unwell as he went higher, he was taken to doctors in Manali where he recovered quickly.
Extract from Sridhan Tulsyan climbing diary:
“Our alarms woke us at 3:45 am, we paid no heed if we slept properly for the time had come to face the final challenge. Water bottles filled, body covered, a small bag packed, everything checked, the nine of us (including Mr. Amod) started marching towards the summit at 4:30 am, the altitude sparing with us every now and then with none of us backing off, we kept marching higher and higher, step by step, left, right, left, till there was no more.
After a long fight, we summited (6113m recorded on instructor’s altimeter) at 8:10 am, everyone had a blazing smile of satisfaction and happiness on their face. It was just one moment which felt like everything.
We descended to our initial base camp by 1:40 pm, had our lunch and left for Manali, we reached here at 7:00 pm. We will soon have dinner and sleep as it was an exhausting day. Good night.”
Sridhan Tulsyan
