Columnists

Reach For The Top

Reported by NEHA SINGH GOHIL

Mountaineer and explorer Mandip Singh Soin, who is also the Founder & President of one of India's oldest adventure and eco-tourism companies, Ibex Expeditions, climbed three alpine summits in the Swiss Alps, during the last week of June 2007. He was accompanied by a number of his colleagues.

Their first climb of Rifflehorn South face at 2927m commemorated the 150^th anniversary of the Alpine Club of U.K., which is the oldest climbing club in the world. The gathering was at Zermatt, under the shadows of the Matterhorn, and Mandip was the only Indian member of the Alpine Club to be present.

Keeping with tradition, they did a demanding route via the South face, involving a combination of the route Via Charly to start with, and Thermometer Egg to finish with, consisting of steep rock climbing to a high grade of 5c. This and the other climbs were made with their friend, UIAGM guide Roger Payne, formerly of the UIAA and the British Mountaineering Council.

They then went to the Val de Moiry and made the ascent of Pigne De La Le at 3396 m via the North ridge, and then traversed the mountaintop to descend from the Southwest face.

This was to commemorate the 125 years of St. Stephen's College, New Delhi, which the school celebrated last year. Mandip, a former student of the renowned institution, was a member of the Hiking Club during his college days. Accordingly, he flew the college pennant on the peak.

Finally, they went to the Saas Fee Valley and made the ascent of Mt. Allalain at 4027 m via the West ridge, in snowy and bad weather conditions. This was to commemorate 75 years of the Himalayan Club, the sub-continent's oldest mountaineering club, where Mandip is a life member.

It was also to commemorate Mandip's 50^th birthday, as well as the 25^th anniversary of his business venture, Ibex Expeditions.

How do you beat a birthday celebration atop an Alpine summit?

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