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DS Bajaj

Brilliance in Adventure

Rimcollians have carved a niche for themselves in the field of Adventure as well. Adventure training is encouraged at the blossoming phase at the RIMC. The sprawling campus meshed with state of the art infrastructure merged into the curriculum kindles the spirit of adventure. For cadets, the first taste of adventure starts with hiking to Mussoorie for first snowfall there. The first termers followed up that with their staple Mussoorie hike and back after trekking Lal Tibba, Gun Hill and Hathi Paon. As terms flow by, there are more challenging hikes spanning longer routes and even the tryst with highest peaks of the Himalayas with end of term adventure hikes to NIM, Uttarkashi, HMI Darjeeling or HAWS, Gulmarg. These hikes provide the greatest memories for a cadet for whom they experience the first feelings of true bonding as they shared loads and cooked together while wandering the most beautiful locales across the highest mountains of the world. The lucky few get the experience of sailing across seas when such opportunities are thrown up by the Rimcollians in the Navy. The end result of these exposures is that the boys who enter the hallowed portals of Rajwara Camp transform themselves into mature men who would then go on to lead the finest soldiers in the world with elan. Those you pursue these arduous pursuits have gone on to bring laurels to the alma mater in the field of adventure. There are many who have scaled the highest peaks, circumnavigated the globe on small yachts, and played the highest level of sports in the country thereby being beacons for the nation’s budding youth. In effect, RIMC has been the lighthouse for the aspiring adventurists of the nation.



Mountaineers

Those who have harnessed this talent and take it to a new high include, Brig Darshan Kumar Khullar, AVSM, Padma Shri, Arjuna Awardee (Ranjit: 1953-57), Everest (Leader) Bachendri Pal expedition 1984; Brig MP Yadav, VSM, Tenzing Norgay Award (Pratap 1967-70); Col Prem Prakash, SM (Ranjit 1974 -78), Everest- 1984; Cdr Abhishek Kankan, NM (Chandragupta,1982-87), Everest -2003; Col Sarfaraz Singh, (Shivaji 1991-95), Everest 2018; Lt Cdr Anant Kukrety, (Chandragupta 2004-08), Everest 2017; Lt Cdr Yogesh Tiwari, (Shivaji- 2003-08). Brig MP Yadav & Col Prem Prakash have also been instrumental in training and leading cadets for scaling various peaks.


Sailing

Lt Gen KS Rao, SC, SM, Arjuna Awardee (Pratap 1959-63) and Maj AK Singh, SC, SM(Chandragupta1966-69) the two stalwart and ardent sailors from the Corps of Engineers made their monumental voyage to circumnavigate the world on a 11.1 Meter yatch Trishna,when they set sail Westward from Mumbai on 28 September 1985 and completed a 30000 nautical miles sailing saga in over 15 months sailing across the mighty oceans of the world to return on 10 Jan 1987. The crowning glory of the saga was that the expedition was skippered by a Rimcollian General KS Rao ably supported by a physically handicapped but another indomitable Rimcollian, Maj AK Singh.


Ultra Marathons

Capt JS Kairon, (Shivaji 1979-84), an enthusiast adventurist is a member of 4 Deserts Club (Sahara Desert,Egypt; The Atacama, Chile; Gobi Desert, China Mongolia and Antarctica) when in 2014, he finished the 250 Kms Ultra Marathon in Antartica. Jagdeep Kairon is now venturing to take the RIMC Banner to the South Pole as part of the Centenary Celebrations.

Lt Cdr Yogesh Tiwari, (Shivaji 2003-2008) climbed Mt Bhagirathi II (6512 m) at the tender age of 13.5 years way back 2005, which earned him honour by then President Dr APJ Kalam. He later scaled the Mount Everest in 2017. He has been a mountaineer, mountain cyclist, skier sand an ultra-marathoner with enviable achievements. He holds the Limca Book of Records for crossing maximum number of mountain passes by nonstop cycling over 11 mountains passes including 5 highest motorable passes of the world.


Sky to Ocean Expedition

Group Captain Deepak Ahluwalia, Vishisht Seva Medal (Ranjit 1981-85), did numerous expeditions with special reference to climbing Gulab and Stok Kangri Peaks in Ladakh Ranges, rafting in river Shyok, car rally till Varanasi, rowing till Ganga Sagar, micro-light, and wind surfing at Indira Point. Being an avid mountaineer he has led IAF Expedition Team to climb Sandakfu Peak, Pindari Glacier, Kugti Pass and Jalsu Pass in one go. He further took on to car rallying and went on to do the Sadbhavana Car Rally covering distance of 17000 Kms, lead the Tri Services – Sky to Ocean Car Rally Khardungla to Ganga Sagar and participated in various rallies across the globe.


Multi-Discipline Adventure Sports

Col Sarfaraz Singh (Shivaji 1991-95) has not been restricted to just mountaineering. He has been on a High-Altitude Mountain Terrain Biking expedition in Arunachal in 2018 and also led India’s first Five Nation MTB expedition from India to Singapore via Myanmar - Thailand Malaysia in 2019-20. He also led India’s first International Rafting expedition on Kameng River in Jan 2018.


Mountaineering

The whole mountaineering saga got a fillip from the Expedition to Mt Kedar Dome (22415 ft) that was launched as a prelude to the Platinum Jubilee Celebrations. Led by then Lt Col MP Yadav, it managed to put three Rimcollians namely Lt Col MP Yadav, Maj YS Meitei and Capt Sandeep Singh and four cadets namely Cadets Gaurav Hamal, Saurabh Batta, Soubhagya Nayak and Gaurav Saini atop the imposing summit after a gruelling 13 hour non-stop climb. Since then, the Rimcos have scaled Mt Black Peak (6387M), in 2000, Mt Jagin-III (6116 M) in 2002, Mt Gangotri-I (6672M) in 2003, Mt Bhagirati-II (6512M) in 2005, Mt Deo Tibba (6001) in 2007 and Mt Banderpunch (6200M) in 2009.

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