Vijay Goel Flagged Off four Clean Himalaya Expeditions

Minister of Sports, Vijay Goel flagged off four Clean Himalaya expeditions and a Medical Mountaineering expedition to Mt Satopanth (7075 Mtrs) on 9 May 2017 at the Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF)in Delhi.

Speaking on the occasion, Goel said that such initiatives by the IMF will not only help in ensuring safe practices during the conduct of adventure activities but will also add to the skill levels of the youth, enhancing their employability, discipline and courage.

The Minister while interacting with the team members also stressed upon the need to address environmental concerns while promoting adventure tourism.  He further added that adventure tourism holds great potential in boosting the country’s economic growth.

Key Highlights

• IMF has launched four Himalaya Cleaning expeditions to popular destinations in Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand & Arunachal.

• The expedition is an effort to extend Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan to the Himalayas.

• It has been sponsored by ONGC as a part of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme.

• The Medical Mountaineering Expedition is a Certification course on Expedition Medicine for Mountaineers & Trekkers.

• The course has received approval from the Medical Commission of the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation (UIAA).

• The team led by experienced mountaineer and Professor Anil Gurtoo will comprise25 non-medical mountaineers and 25 trekkers.

• The total duration of the expedition would be from 8 May 2017 to 10 June 2017.

Besides this, the expedition will also include lectures by specialists from leading medical colleges in Delhi on various medical issues faced by mountaineers at high altitudes.

Objective

The main objective of the mission is to create an expanding pool of capable Mountain Leaders, who will be trained to provide integrated basic health care, life support and rescue logistics to expeditions and communities living in remote mountainous areas until the arrival of definitive medical care.