Trekkers begin Siachen ascent

Despite strong opposition from the Pakistani Government and militant groups in Kashmir, the Army in Srinagar on Wednesday confirmed that a trekking team had started its ascent of the 6,300-metre high glacier in Siachen.

8220;Trekking started on Tuesday. The team has 42 members including cadets from the Indian Military Academy, Military School and Rashtriya Indian Military College,8221; said Defence spokesperson Anil Mathur. Mathur said the team had already left the Siachen base camp. 8220;The team will take around 22 days to complete the journey,8221; he said. Mathur said the team underwent acclimatisation on the glacier for a week before starting the trip. In these 22 days, the team will trek to a height of 16,000 feet.

Last Tuesday, Indian Deputy High Commissioner Manpreet Vohra was summoned by the Pakistani Foreign Office and was handed over a demarche stating that Siachen is a disputed region and that Pakistan was opposed to the Indian Army8217;s plan to start any tourist activity in the area. On Thursday, militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen criticised the Army for opening the glacier to tourists.