Gurdial Singh (mountaineer)


Gurdial Singh is an Indian mountaineer who led India's first mountaineering expedition to Trisul in 1951, and led the team that made the first ascent of Mrigthuni in 1958.
In 1965, he was a member of the first successful Indian expedition team to climb Mount Everest.

Life and career

Gurdial Singh joined The Doon School in 1945 and it was here that he was influenced by Englishmen such as John Martyn, R.L. Holdsworth and Jack Gibson to take up mountaineering. The first headmaster of Doon Arthur Foot was a member of the Alpine Club. Together, they scaled many peaks including Bandarpunch, Trisul, Kamet, Abi Gamin and Nanda Devi. He was the first Indian member of the famed Alpine Club, which was "a club of English gentlemen devoted to mountaineering". In 1965, Singh climbed Mount Everest as a member of the first successful Indian expedition, led by Mohan Singh Kohli.

Awards

Apart from being the first Indian to be included in the Alpine Club, Singh was given the Arjuna Award in 1965 for his contributions towards Indian mountaineering. In 1967, Singh was awarded Padma Shri., the fourth highest civilian award in India. In 2007, Gurdial Singh was given a Lifetime Achievement Award and the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award for his contributions towards Indian mountaineering.