Day 2: Jumping from planes 038; altitude sickness

One has flown low over the Siachen glacier so often that he knows it like the back of his hand and the other is more used to descending down to earth by jumping off aeroplanes and helicopters. Both form the 8216;air force component8217; of the Siachen glacial trek being organised by the army to promote adventure tourism on the highest battlefield in the world.

The second expedition to the Siachen glacier is largely a civilian affair 8211; consisting of school students, mountaineers and media persons 8211; but the trek has a small number of defence personnel as well. The idea being to showcase the hardships faced by soldiers on the glacier to the other sister services.

For Wing Commander Prakash, a Mi 17 pilot with 4,000 flying hours under his belt who is currently based at the Thoise airbase, flying to the Siachen glacier is like a daily jog in the morning.

The strapping pilot has made innumerable flights over Siachen since his posting in Siachen two years but the icy heights of the glacier and the Saltoro ridge have always remained a fascination for the aviator. His only regret being that he has never landed on the glacier.

So, when news of the Siachen expedition came to the Thoise airbase 8211; located at a height of 10,000 feet between Leh and the Siachen base camp 8211; the officer was first off the mark to put his name on the list of participants.

Also from the Thoise airbase 8211; mainly used as a transit point for soldiers 8211; is a rather unusual participant for a trek on the glacier. Corporal Bhupendra Singh Negi is a professional paratrooper 8211; also a member of the IAF8217;s Air Devils skydiving team 8211; and is more used to jumping off aircraft at heights of 18,000 feet rather than climbing up peaks that high.

However, the young skydiver insisted on climbing up the glacier to get a feel of what his friends in the army are up to. The self confessed adventure sports buff has made more than 135 jumps in the past three years but just can8217;t get enough of the adrenaline rush.

Last month, he took part in a para jump over the Thoise airbase. The unique point being that the jump was performed from a Mi 26 helicopter 8211; one of the largest transport helicopters in the world.

So, the only two people who were exempt from the daily morning medical tests were Wing Commander Prakash and Corporal Negi. For the other participants, the tests went out without much of a hitch 8211; largely due to the fact that the test results were not shared by the army doctors. The reason, an officer said, was not to cause anxiety about disqualification from the trek.

On a different note, signs of altitude sickness may have begun to creep in amongst participants. One symptom, doctors said, was forgetfulness and behavioral changes. The second day saw a few incidents of abnormal behavior8217;.

A young female member of the expedition scared everyone by shouting out loud during a short bus journey to the lunch place. Her cry of angst was for having forgotten the pair of sun glasses she has bought in Delhi at the hospital. The lady cooled down only after being informed that the sun glasses in question were, in fact, very much perched on her ears and nose. These symptoms, doctors assure, will pass off in a few days.