Despite Pakistan protest, Army plans civilian trek to Siachen

N.C. Bipindra

New Delhi, Jun 17 (PTI) Notwithstanding Pakistan's
vociferous protests, Indian Army will organise a civilian
mountaineering and trekking expedition to the forbidding
Siachen Glacier for the second year in a row in
October-November this year.

Even before the planned Siachen trekking kicks off, the
Indian Army will take out its own expedition to the glacial
heights of Khatling on the Indo-Tibetan border in Uttarakhand
later this month.

"The Siachen trekking expedition this year is in its
planning stage and we are determined to take civilian
mountaineers to the Glacier this year. Khatling expedition by
the Army's 15 Mechanised Infantry Regiment will take place
from June 25 to July 7," an Army headquarter source told PTI.

Both the expeditions are meant to show to the
international audience that Indian troops hold both the
Siachen and Khatling glacial heights and neither Pakistan nor
China were anywhere near the two Glaciers.

Amidst reports of frequent intrusions by China's Peoples
Liberation Army (PLA) into the Indian territory along the
Indo-Tibetan border, the Khatling expedition would leave
imprints of the Army team's visit to the Glacier.

"The imprints could be anything from an Indian-made shoe
or a copy of an Indian newspaper adequately sealed in a
plastic folder to ensure it does not get wet or damaged in the
snowy terrain. This would enable India to assert Khatling
Glacier is its territory and counter any future threat of a
Chinese claim," a source said.

The civilian Siachen expedition last September had run
into a controversy after Pakistan lodged a strong protest,
calling it "incongruous" to ongoing peace efforts between the
two countries.

Though the Army halted the trip immediately after the
protest, it went ahead with the trekking expedition after a
go-ahead was given by the United Progressive Alliance
government.

Despite protests from Pakistan, India maintains that it
does not need Pakistan's approval to send trekkers to the
78 km-long Siachen, which is essentially an Indian territory.

The Khatling expedition team will comprise two officers
and an equal number of Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs),
apart from eight Other Ranks (ORs), all volunteers from the
Regiment.

Inducted 10 days prior to the expedition, the team would
also have an eight-member support team comprising a JCO and
seven ORs.

The volunteers would undertake graduated acclimatisation
and endurance exercises in coordination with 2 Rajput
Regiment, apart from liaising with the Nehru Institute of
Mountaineering at Uttarkasi for experience on trekking and
survival skills in high altitude.

The Khatling expedition would involve a 12-day trekking
from Malla to Gaurikund, covering a distance of 165 km of icy
heights, ultimately touching the Glacier at 4717m altitude.

The Khatling team would also send in Daily Situation
Reports to the Army headquarters all along its trek to the
Glacier.

Beginning the ascent from Sila at 2085m altitude, the
Army team would go up the Glacier, touching Kush Kalyani,
Kyarki, Parital, Sahasra Tal, Kalyani, Gowki and reach
Khatling Glacier on the eighth day. It would move to Mashar
Tal, Vasuki Tal, Kedarnath and Gaurikhund in the second leg of
its trek, sources said.