Military mountaineers representing India and Argentina have marked a major operational milestone in the rugged terrain of the Garhwal Himalayas. The joint team concluded their demanding high-altitude mission by scaling two major peaks during late September. Following the mission's successful execution, Chief of the Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth formally welcomed the returning mountaineers and presided over the official flag-in ceremony in New Delhi on October 6.
Summits Scaled Across the High Garhwal Range
The multinational team reached their initial objective on September 17 by ascending the 7,355-metre-high summit of Mount Abi Gamin. Maintaining operational momentum, the climbers tackled the 7,756-metre-high summit of Mount Kamet on September 21, 2026. Situated within the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, Mount Kamet holds immense geographical prominence as the third-tallest peak located on Indian soil, ranking behind only Kanchenjunga and Nanda Devi.
Team Framework and Extreme Weather Hardships
The expedition comprised an overall contingent of 35 personnel operating under the leadership of Lieutenant Colonel Chirag Chatterjee. Within the group, 25 members belonged to the Indian Army, while 10 climbers represented the armed forces of Argentina. The team initially set out on their demanding journey after being flagged off from the Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi on August 21, 2026.
Reaching the crests required negotiating some of the planet's most formidable alpine environments. The troops confronted sub-zero temperatures, unrelenting blizzards, precarious crevasses, sheer rocky faces, and oxygen-depleted terrain. Negotiating these harsh conditions underscored the rigorous technical climbing proficiency, physical resilience, and collective coordination shared between both armed forces.
Deepening Bilateral Defence and Mountain Warfare Ties
This initiative represents the third joint high-altitude expedition carried out between the ground forces of India and Argentina. Their operational partnership commenced in January 2025, when soldiers climbed the 6,962-metre Mount Aconcagua located in Mendoza, Argentina. Later that year, in August 2025, the two forces united again to climb the 7,077-metre Mount Kun, situated in Ladakh's Suru Valley.
Successive missions have significantly enriched the high-altitude operational expertise of both armies. The collaborative exercises have reinforced mutual trust, streamlined interoperability, and fostered closer professional cohesion in demanding mountainous environments.
