Mountaineering team returns from arduous Bara Bhangal trek

MC Thakur

Manali, September 6

The Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports (ABVIMAS), Manali, has been promoting adventure tourism among the youth of Bara Bhangal, remote village of Himachal Pradesh.

A 20-member team of the institute has returned from 12-day trek to Bara Bhangal from Manali. The purpose of the expedition was to carry out reconnaissance of the trek route, study flora and fauna, impact of global warming on glaciers and meet the people of Bara Bhangal. The team interacted with the villagers and apprised them of the adventure training programmes organised by the institute.

Captain Randhir Singh Salhuria, Director of the ABVIMAS, said free scholarships were awarded to boys and girls of the village who would visit the institute to start their mountaineering courses. He said the courses would help the youth in generating self-employment and they would also be able to carry out search and rescue operations in the area.

The institute is popularising this trek route internationally. A promotion film on the trek will be released shortly. Salhuria added that they had identified some spots where helicopter could land in an emergency situation. This trek route is becoming popular among the trekkers and mountaineering courses will be beneficial for the youth of the village. As many trekkers need to be rescued after meeting accidents or going missing in the area, the trained local youth would be able to carry out all kinds of relief operations in future.

Salhuria said the trek started from Manali and ended at Bara Bhangal covering Lamadugh, Rialithach, Kalihani pass, Devi ki Marhi, Gadi Thach and Lamba Padav and they returned to Manali via Udag, Thamsar pass, Panahartu, Rajgundha and Bir Billing.