To the top of the world and back

Subedar CN Bodh has become the only Indian to have climbed six of the 14 highest peaks in the world. A few days after conquering Mount Dhaulagiri, the brave soldier reveals why he can't resist a climb

"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 CN 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. After that the ace mountaineer went on to conquer all the peaks in India, Tibet and Nepal. "Mountains are beautiful and I feel at home among them," he said.

Tough training

On May 8 this year, 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 a great deal of fitness, expertise as well as training to climb. We trained for almost an year in Siachen to prepare for this feat," said the team leader of the expedition, Lieutenant Colonel MS Chauhan.

Lt Col Chauhan has already climbed Kanchenjunga and Annapurna Devi peaks.

"We have to stay fit. We run for five to 10 kilometres regularly and while climbing mountains, we cover 25-30 km with our backpacks on every day," said Lt Col Chauhan, who is also an expert in trekking, parasailing and rafting.

The climb

The Army team faced several adverse situations on its way to the Dhaulagiri peak but nothing could deter a successful summit. "Just when we reached the base camp in Nepal, we got news that a Polish team leader from a group had died. The incident saddened the entire mountaineering community but we face such challenges every day," said Lt Col Chauhan.

He also praised Subedar Bodh's mountaineering skills by calling him the best in the entire team. "He has been instrumental in all such summits. He is the best and we are sure he will bring more glories to the country and the Indian Army," he said.

Climber's tale

But what inspired Subedar 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.

Today, the team will be flagged in by Defence Minister AK Antony in the presence of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Deepak Kapoor.