Mountaineers experience freezing cold of Siachen glacier first-hand

02 February, 2012

World highest battlefield, Siachen glacier has witnessed many bloody fights between Indian and Pakistani soldiers. More than the fights, bone-chilling cold takes a toll on the lives of soldiers posted there. A group of mountaineering enthusiasts visit the place every year and witness first-hand, the hardships faced by the Indian soldiers.

A GROUP of civilian mountaineers returned from Siachen to their places across India, not before reading a message from soldiers posted there. The message inscribed on a war memorial read: “When you go home tell them, for your tomorrow we are here today.”

Sachin Kolarkar, a bank official from Nagpur also got opportunity to observe the life of our soldiers at the highest battle point in the world. “From last four years I am trying to get this opportunity and finally this time I have experienced the “White Hell” of Siachen,” expressed Kolarkar to The Hitavada. “Indian Army organises this Siachen expedition every year and civilians from DRDO, Army Schools etc get a chance to participate in this expedition,” he added.

This regular mountaineer of Nagpur feels this expedition as a biggest achievement in his life. When asked if a commoner from any part of country can visit Siachen, he replied that if the person, who wishes to, at least he or she must be from any defence organisations. He explained that the life in Siachen is so tough and this ‘we experienced in our 25 days tour.’

But the soldiers, who are guarding the boundaries, live there for three long months with strong will power. “During the expedition, the Indian Army availed everything for us, which we needed for mountaineering and they took proper care about our safety. It is a good initiative by our army that they are giving chance to civilians to understand how they captured Siachen from Pakistan and how they battle every day with bone chilling cold at a temperature of -40 degree Celsius,” Kolarkar said.

A strong faith of life

O P Baba (Om Prakash Baba) an Indian soldier’s death is a mystery and while living, he had given various supernatural experiences to the soldiers, posted in Siachen. They have a strong faith that OP Baba’s blessing is always with them at the battlefield and even they have so many experiences about this power. Kolarkar said that before starting their expedition and during that they have visited many temples of this power.