Arvind Raturi is the youngest mountaineer of Uttarakhand to scale Mount Everest at the age of 20 years 11 months. As a member of the NCCMt Everest Expedition 2013, Arvind summited the world’s highest peak on 19 May 2013 at 0730 hours. Arvind is a resident of Rindol village of Pratapnagar Tehsil in Tehri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand, India.
NCC Pre-Everest Expeditions and training
To select the team for Mt Everest Expedition, 108 NCC boy cadets were shortlisted from across the country and trained at Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Uttarkashi. Thereafter, 40 cadets were selected for the next stage i.e. Mt Deo Tibba Expedition. Deo Tibba is a peak of moderate height with medium to high difficulty of climbing. The peak is located in District Kullu of Himachal Pradesh with treacherous snow and ice slopes of gradient between 50-75 degrees. After successful expedition to Mt Deo Tibba in June 2012, 15 cadets were selected for the next Pre-Everest Expedition to Mt Kamet. Mt Kamet at 7,756 m/ 25,446 ft is the third highest peak in India located in Garhwal region of Uttarakhand and is the highest peak which is permitted to be climbed in India. Nine cadets were finally selected and sent for Winter Acclimatization training to Siachen Glacier exposing them to extreme cold conditions where minimum temperatures fell to minus 50 degrees Celsius.
NCC Mt Everest Expedition 2013
The NCC Mt Everest Expedition Team 2013 was led by Col S.C. Sharma, a renowned mountaineer, with 18 members: nine cadets from the NCC and nine Indian Army personnel. The team of 18 members consisted of 14 climbing members and four support staff. Eight NCC cadets and four Army personnel scaled Mount Everest in two teams on 19 and 20 May 2013. The NCC cadets who scaled the peak were Cadets Khimi Ram, Ashwani Kumar, Rajat and Karma Dawa of Himachal Pradesh, Cadets Bidya Chand Singh and Chirom Shangkar Singh from Manipur, Cadet Sandeep Rai from West Bengal and Cadet Arvind Raturi from Uttarakhand. The Army personnel who scaled the peak were Subedar Jagat Singh Negi of Dogra Scouts, Havildar Rafiq Ahmed Malik of JAK LI, Havildar Raghuveer Chand of Garhwal Rifles and Rifleman Ramesh Bahadur Thapa of 3rd Gorkha Rifles. Arvind was part of the first team that left Base Camp on16 May 2013 occupying Camp II, Camp III and Camp IV and summitted on 19 May 2013 at 0730 hrs.
Recognition and awards
The NCC Mt Everest Expedition Team 2013 was welcomed by Director General of NCC Lt Gen P.S. Bhalla who remarked that history was created by this young team to be the "First pure NCC Expedition to summit the pinnacle of glory "The Mount Everest". "Climbing Everest is one thing but climbing it in real mountaineering style is what the NCC team achieved" said Col. Sharma, leader of the NCC Everest Expedition 2013. The team was congratulated by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh at the NCC Rally 2014 in New Delhi who was quoted as saying "I wish to take this opportunity to compliment the NCC Boy Cadets for scaling the world’s highest peak in their first-ever Mount Everest Expedition. It is a tribute to their teamwork, planning, stamina and skill. The nation is proud of their achievements". The nine cadets forming part of NCC Everest Expedition Team 2013 were conferred the Raksha Mantri Padak by Defence Minister A.K. Antony at the NCC Republic Day Camp 2014 in New Delhi. The Raksha Mantri Padak was instituted in 1989 and since then, is awarded to the most deserving cadets every year for bravery or exceptional service of highest order.
Other interests
Arvind is professionally trained in aquatic adventure sports including kayaking, canoeing, water skiing and surfing. He operates water sports activities at Tehri lake in Uttarakhand and also conducts water sports training programs from time to time.
Community service
Arvind is trained in mountain rescue from Nehru Institute of Mountaineering Uttarkashi. He was actively involved in the rescue operations during 2013 flash floods in the Kedarnath valley in Uttarakhand. "I am trained in carrying out rescue and relief operations in mountains. I would like to be of help to my people." he was quoted as saying.
