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The Hindu
The Hindu
National
Dinakar Peri

Trekking the highest battlefield in the world

Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Virendra Kumar with the expedition members in New Delhi on August 15, 2021. Photo: Special Arrangement

Where there’s a will there’s a way. A team of people with disabilities on Independence Day embarked upon a journey to trek the Siachen Glacier. They will attempt a world record for the largest group of people with disabilities to scale the highest battlefield in the world.

Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Virendra Kumar flagged off the expedition, which is being executed by ‘Team CLAW’, a group of armed forces veterans working towards empowering people with disabilities.

“The team will drive via Manali to Leh and will prepare for the Siachen Glacier world record expedition,” said Major Arun Prakash Ambathy (retd.) of CLAW Global. “It shall subsequently undergo three stages of acclimatisation, training and medical screening before being inducted into the Siachen Base Camp for the final expedition,” he said.

15,632 feet

The final leg of the expedition from Siachen Base Camp to Kumar Post, at an altitude of 15,632 feet, will commence on September 1, 2021, Major Ambathy added.

This is the land world record expedition part of ‘Operation Blue Freedom Triple World Records’ being undertaken, CLAW Global said. Those selected will undergo all the three stages of acclimatisation and training at Leh (Stage 1), Siachen base camp (Stage 2) and North Pullu (Stage 3) after which the final expedition team would be selected.

CLAW Global was set up in January 2019 by Major Vivek Jacob, a retired Para Special Forces officer, with the aim of teaching life skills to adventurers and people with disabilities.

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