Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday flagged off a joint mountaineering expedition to Mount Aconcagua in Argentina from South Block, New Delhi. Rising to 6,961 metres, Mount Aconcagua is the highest peak in South America and the tallest mountain outside the Asian continent.
The expedition is being jointly undertaken by the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM), Uttarkashi, and the Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering and Winter Sports (JIM&WS), Pahalgam. The mission aims to enhance high-altitude mountaineering expertise and strengthen India’s presence in global adventure and mountain exploration.
Addressing the team, the Defence Minister commended both institutes for preparing mountaineers to face extreme challenges with courage, grit and determination. He said that scaling Mount Aconcagua is not only a test of physical endurance but also an examination of leadership, teamwork and mental resilience—qualities that define India’s finest mountaineers.
Expressing confidence in the team’s abilities, Singh said he was certain the expedition members would successfully summit the peak and bring pride to the nation.
The six-member expedition team comprises trained instructors Col Hem Chandra Singh, Capt G. Santhosh Kumar, Deep Bahadur Sahi, Vinod Gusain, Naib Subedar Bhupinder Singh and Havildar Ramesh Kumar. The team will begin its journey on February 6, 2026, and the expedition is expected to conclude by the end of the month.
The Defence Ministry said the experience and technical knowledge gained from the Aconcagua expedition will contribute to safer and more effective training of youth, armed forces personnel and adventure enthusiasts in India. The mission also reflects India’s growing engagement in international mountaineering and adventure sports.
