Hisar’s professor scales 6,387m Black Peak

Prof Manoj Kumar, assistant professor in the Geography Department at Government College, Hisar, has hoisted the Tricolour on Black Peak (Kala Nag), which rises 6,387 metres in the Garhwal Himalayas, Uttarakhand.

The expedition, undertaken from September 17 to 30, saw him brave extreme conditions of –20°C temperatures, strong icy winds, low oxygen levels and treacherous crevasses to successfully reach the summit. He said this was the first successful ascent of the season, with no other team making the climb during the same period.

The mission was a joint expedition of Guru Jambheshwar University, Hisar, and Government College, Hisar. Prof Manoj represented his college, while Dr Sanjeev Aseem and Rajesh Kumar represented the university.

A trained international mountaineer, Prof Manoj has completed both basic and advanced mountaineering courses from the Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering and Winter Sports. He has previously hoisted the national flag on the highest peaks of Africa and Europe, as well as on numerous Indian summits.

He now aspires to scale the highest peaks of all seven continents. Prof Manoj expressed gratitude to Guru Jambheshwar University Vice-Chancellor Dr Narsi Ram Bishnoi and Government College Principal Dr Vivek Kumar Saini, among others, for their encouragement and support.