Mountaineers scale unchartered peak in Arunachal, name it after 6th Dalai Lama

Guwahati: A team of Indian mountaineers recently scaled an unchartered peak situated atop 20,942 feet near Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh and named it after Tibetan spiritual leader 6th Dalai Lama.

The 15-member team led by Colonel Ranveer Singh Jamwal from the National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports (NIMAS) scaled the hitherto peak at Gorichen range near Tawang in West Kameng district on September 21. The expedition began on September 7 from NIMAS base at Dirang in Arunachal Pradesh.

"The peak was one of the most technically challenging and unexplored summits in the region. After overcoming immense challenges including sheer ice walls, treacherous crevasses, and a 2-kilometer-long glacier, the team immortalised the momentous feat by naming the peak Tsangyang Gyatso Peak in honor of His Holiness the 6th Dalai Lama Rigzen Tsangyang Gyatso," said a statement issued by Indian Army on Wednesday.

"By naming this peak after His Holiness Dalai Lama, NIMAS aims to pay tribute to his timeless wisdom and his profound contributions to the Monpa community and beyond," said the statement.

Tawang theatre 

The naming of the newly conquered peak after the 6th Dalai Lama is significant as he was born at Urgelling Monastery in Tawang in present-day Arunachal Pradesh in 1683. He was the only Dalai Lama who was born in Arunachal Pradesh and was a Monpa by ethnicity. The 14th and incumbent Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, had entered India through Tawang in March 1959, following China's occupation of Tibet. Tawang was one of the major theatres of the China-India War of 1962.

The move may anger China as it still claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of its South Tibet region. But India has repeatedly rejected China's claims. The Dalai Lama along with thousands of Tibetans continue to take refuge in India.

NIMAS, which has been at the forefront of adventure and mountaineering in India, has informed the Indian Mountaineering Foundation about the ascent and the decision to name the peak. The necessary formalities for naming the peak are being completed to ensure that "Tsangyang Gyatso Peak" is recognised on the official map, said the army statement.

This historic climb not only celebrates Arunachal Pradesh's rich cultural heritage but also positions the region as a key destination for mountaineering and adventure sports, attracting explorers and adventure enthusiasts from around the globe, it further said.