Hopes are fading for the safe return of Akshay Sahani, a 28-year-old resident of Sector 15, Panchkula, in Haryana, who went missing during a trek to the Churdhar Peak eight days ago, with officials saying fresh heavy snowfall and adverse weather conditions have made the rescue operation extremely challenging.
On Wednesday, the rescue team struggled to move beyond certain points due to snow depths ranging from 7 to 9 feet at Churdhar Peak in Sirmaur district, where trekking remains suspended from December 1 to March 31 due to harsh weather.
On Tuesday, a team of expert mountaineers from the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering & Allied Sports (ABVIMAS), Manali, joined the rescue efforts after the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) failed to make progress.
Trekking to the Churdhar Peak was prohibited from December 1 to March 31 due to the harsh weather conditions.
Accompanied by two friends, Sahani, a blogger, had embarked on the Churdhar peak trek from Nohradhar to visit the temple of the local deity Sri Sirgul Maharaj on Mahashivratri, February 26. His friends reached the temple, but Akshay lost his way.
Officials said Vikram, one of Akshya’s friends, accompanied the ABVIMAS team to the last spot where Akshya was seen, but the team was forced to halt their search due to the severe weather conditions.
The 18 km-long trek is divided into three segments — Paheli, Dosari and Tesari. The rescue team set up a safety camp at Tesari.
Vikram said Akshay went missing after leaving Tesari for the main Churdhar peak. Vikram, also a resident of Panchkula, reached the temple and reported Akshya’s disappearance to authorities on February 28.
Sangrah SDM Sunil Kaith, who is overseeing the rescue operation, said, “It appears the victim could be trapped in a trench or may have slipped into a deep valley. Given the current weather conditions, we may have to wait until the snow melts. A detailed report will be submitted to the Deputy Commissioner, who will decide whether to continue or call off the search and rescue operation. The chance of locating the missing man in these conditions is minimal.”
“Despite these challenges, one of the search teams advanced an additional kilometre along the trek, hoping to find Akshya’s whereabouts. However, their efforts were thwarted by the overwhelming snow, which was not only deep but also powdery, making further progress impossible. As the weather worsened, both teams were compelled to reassess their strategy and return to the base,” another official said.
A member of the rescue team said, “We even deployed a drone to survey the area, because the aerial approach provides real-time insights into the terrain, helping us assess the remaining sections of the trek. Unfortunately, the heavy snowfall and poor weather severely hampered the operation, making ground exploration dangerous and impractical.”
ABVIMAS Director Avinash Negi told The Indian Express, “Although we recommended an aerial search deploying a chopper, the local administration insisted on continuing the ground search. We have deployed a five-member team, but they could not move past a certain point due to the heavy and powdery snow. Fresh snow takes time to solidify, and walking on it is extremely risky. We are in constant touch with the rescue team. As of now, the missing man has not been found.”
Standing at 3,647 m (11,965 feet), Churdhar is the highest peak in Sirmaur district and the outer Himalayas. The peak holds religious significance for the people living in Sirmaur, Shimla, Chaupal, and Solan in Himachal Pradesh and Dehradun in Uttarakhand. It is considered a sacred site associated with Shri Shirgul Maharaj (Chureshwar Maharaj), a deity in the region. The primary routes to Churdhar are from Nohradhar (18 km) and Sarain (8 km).
On May 11, 2024, two NRIs from the US, Richa Sonawale and Sonia Rattan, were airlifted by Cheetah helicopters from the Churdhar peak in a joint operation carried out by the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Himachal government. The women were rescued after one of them had suffered a spinal injury during the trek, according to an IAF post on X.
On November 24, 2019, Dr Saugata Choudhary, a senior resident at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh, died during a trek to the Churdhar Peak.
The rescue team struggled to move beyond certain points due to snow depths ranging from 7 to 9 feet at Churdhar Peak in Sirmaur district, where trekking remains suspended from December 1 to March 31 due to harsh weather. (Right) Akshay Sahani. (Express Photo) 
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