A team of mountaineers from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has successfully scaled Mount Makalu, the world’s fifth-highest peak at 8,485 metres, located in Nepal. The achievement marks the first successful ascent of Makalu by any Central Armed Police Force in India.

The summit was reached on April 19 as part of a twin expedition to Mount Makalu and Mount Annapurna. The 12-member team, led by Deputy Commandant Anoop Kumar Negi, had departed from Delhi on March 21. Five climbers reached the Makalu summit, registering an 83 per cent success rate.

The parallel attempt on Mount Annapurna faced extreme weather, including blizzards and whiteout conditions. Despite this, the team pushed up to 7,940 metres before making a safe and responsible retreat the same day.

ITBP stated that both peaks were being attempted by its climbers for the first time. "The expedition stood out as a milestone in ITBP's mountaineering legacy, showcasing courage, discipline and unmatched expertise in the harshest of conditions," it said.

The mountaineers also collected 150 kilograms of non-biodegradable waste from high camps and brought it down for proper disposal, reinforcing ITBP's focus on environmentally responsible expeditions.

With these climbs, ITBP has now conquered 229 peaks, including Mount Everest, Kanchenjunga, Dhaulagiri, Lhotse and Manaslu. The mountain-warfare trained force, which guards the 3,488-km-long India-China Line of Actual Control, is known for its high-altitude operations and also handles internal security duties.

ITBP operates under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, alongside other central armed police forces such as CRPF, BSF, CISF and SSB.

BI Bureau