3 min readShimlaMar 7, 2025 08:09 AM IST
First published on: Mar 7, 2025 at 08:08 AM IST
Authorities on Thursday suspended the rescue operation launched on February 28 to trace a 28-year-old Panchkula resident who went for trekking in Himachal Pradesh, due to adverse weather conditions. The joint rescue operation, carried out by the SDRF and mountaineers from the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports (ABVIMAS), Manali, was initiated by the Sirmaur district administration.
Accompanied by a friend from Panchkula, Akshay 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. While his friend Vikram Singh reached the temple, Sahani lost his way.
“We suspended the rescue operation following the advice of experts and mountaineers involved. Continuing the operation in the current weather conditions would be risky for the rescue team. The operation will resume once the weather becomes favourable. Sahani’s family has been informed of the decision. His mother, a widow, had traveled to Nohradhar, the starting point of the Churdhar trek, with her relatives,” said Sangrah SDM Sunil Kaith, who was overseeing the rescue efforts.
The two friends had arrived in Nohradhar separately on their motorbikes on February 25 and began their trek at around 4:30 am on Mahashivratri.
Mountaineering instructor Som Dutt, who led the rescue operation, told The Indian Express that both the Panchkula had trekked the Churdhar route once or twice before, but separately. According to Vikram, he connected with Akshay through social media, as the latter was looking for a companion for the Mahashivratri trek. “Confident from their previous experiences, both were certain they could reach Churdhar despite the heavy snow, but this overconfidence proved fatal for Akshay. Vikram said he briefly returned to search for Akshay but was unable to locate him due to dense fog and heavy snowfall. Given the worsening conditions, he chose to move forward and reported Akshay’s disappearance upon reaching the temple,” Dutt added.
The instructor said Vikram accompanied the rescue team throughout the search operation.
Meanwhile, despite the adverse weather, trekkers — especially youths — continue to risk their lives attempting to reach the Churdhar peak. On Wednesday, the rescue team stopped and turned back a group of five solo trekkers from neighbouring Solan district at Tishri.
“People, especially youngsters, are still risking their lives to reach the peak in these conditions. Trekking remains suspended from December 1 to March 31 due to harsh weather,” Dutt said.
A forest officer explained that the Churdhar trek falls under the jurisdiction of both Sirmaur and Shimla districts. The giant statue of Lord Shiva at the highest point is in Shimla district, while the temple of the local deity, Shri Sirgul Maharaj (Chureshwar Maharaj), is in Sirmaur district. The two main routes to Churdhar are from Nohradhar (18 km) in Sirmaur and Sarain (8 km) in Shimla. “Most people prefer the Nohradhar route because it’s moderate, but the risk of getting lost is higher due to multiple trails and dense forests. The Sarain route, on the other hand, is steeper and more challenging, with minimal chances of getting lost. While the Shimla administration was requested to assist in the rescue operation, they advised against it, citing the current weather conditions being too risky for search efforts,” the officer added.
Akshay Sahani began the trek on February 26. (Express Photo)
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