On top of the world six times

Subedar C N Bodh is the only Indian to have climbed six of the highest peaks in the world

On top of the world six times

Subedar C N Bodh is the only Indian to have climbed six of the highest peaks in the world

"Ask a mountaineer to climb a peak and he will never ask for anything else. People often ask me what I am planning to do after conquering six of the highest mountains in the world.

And my reply is the same always climb another one," said Subedar C N Bodh of the Indian Army, who has become the only Indian to have climbed six of the 14 highest peaks in the world.

Subedar Bodh started climbing way back in 1993, but his claim to fame was the successful summit of Mount Everest in 2001.

Tough training

On May 8, an Indian Army mountaineering team unfurled the Tricolour atop Mount Dhaulagiri the seventh highest peak in the world.

"Any peak above 8,000 metres is considered a challenge and requires great fitness, expertise as well as training to climb.

We trained for almost a year in Siachen to prepare for this feat," said the team leader of the expedition, Lieutenant Colonel M S Chauhan.

"We run for five to 10 kilometres regularly and while climbing mountains, we cover 25-30 km with our backpacksu00a0 every day," added Chauhan.

He called Bodh the best in the entire team. "He will bring more glories to the country and the Indian Army," he said.

But what inspired Bodh to take up this unique hobby? "I was born in the Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh and grew up among mountains.

As a child, stories of mountaineers fascinated me. Later, my seniors in the Army encouraged me to follow my heart.

Now, I feel I was born to do only this," said Bodh. Yesterday, the team wasu00a0 flagged in by Defence Minister A K Antony in the presence of the Chief of Army Staff General Deepak Kapoor.

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