IAF women officers to scale Mt Everest in 2011

NEW DELHI: A team of IAF's women officers will make an attempt to conquer the Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, in 2011.

"An all-woman IAF mountaineering team of 20 officers will endeavour to scale the 8,848-metre high Mount Everest in 2011," IAF officials said here.

The team is currently undertaking several expeditions in other ranges in the Himalayas to prepare them to endure the physical and mental challenges that have to be addressed first before undertaking the ultimate mission, they said.

With seven of the women officers on the team having scaled the 6,123-metre high Mount Stok Kangri in Leh this August 11, the group, led by Wing Commander Bhavana Mehra will now attempt to climb the 6,512-metre high Mount Bhagirathi-II in the Garhwal hills of Uttarakhand.

IAF Director General (Administration) Air Marshal Naresh Verma had on last Friday flagged off the team on their expedition to Mount Bhagirathi.

The team would also take up a few other expeditions in the next few months. It will scale 7,075-metre high Mount Satopanth in the pre-monsoon climbing season of 2010 and 7,757-metre high Mount Kamet in the post-monsoon season that year.

"This team will also be exposed to further higher altitudes in 2011 before setting course for Mount Everest," they added.

TOI