It was a civilian expedition to the Siachen Glacier after 30 years. CNN-IBN's Rasika Tyagi was part of it and, in the process, became the first woman journalist to reach 16,000 feet.
Rasika shared the experience of her 23-day adventure with IBNLive readers in a live chat on Tuesday. Here we reproduce the full transcript of the chat:-
Natasha Jha: Hi Rasika, hats off to u, for being the first woman journalist to climb the heights of Siachen. How does it feel and also how great an idea it is to open Siachen for expeditions now? Should we feel that the threat time is over, and Siachen soon will end up becoming the favourite tourist destination? And it would also give us a reason to be happy, when we save crores of rupees, which we spent to guard this border.
Rasika Tyagi: Thanks, Natasha. I do believe it is a good idea to open Siachen to a select bunch of people every year. We need to know what is at stake, what those 300 soldiers are fighting for. However, I don't think it will ever become a major tourist destination since the logistics will be just too expensive
Shre: Hi, what are the challenges of the trip and what to expect from it?
Rasika Tyagi: I think the biggest challenge is mental more than physical. You have to survive at sub-zero temperatures without another living thing around for miles. Even fungus does not grow on the glacier. Very often, the troops who come down from there after their three-month stint need psychological treatment. For shorter treks – like the one I went for – they trained us for 15 days to climb slopes with very little oxygen content in the body. Once you decide to do it – you can and will.
Shitin: How difficult was it and what is the difference in oxygen level at 14,000 ft and 16,000 ft. I, with my children - one 10 years and the other 7 years old, had been to Chandratal this year. We felt that the oxygen was low; would the difference be much more at 16000 ft? Please reply.
Rasika Tyagi: Hi Shitin. The oxygen at sea level is about 21% while at 11,000 feet it is 13%. So, the difference is quite a bit. It gets thinner as you go up, especially in Siachen since there is no vegetation. But as long as you acclimatize, slowly there is no problem. Though your kids are too small to try anything like this for years, yet!
Muralidharan: First of all congratulations on being the first woman journalist to reach the Siachen glacier. It would be great if you could let me know who does one need to contact to be a part of the trek. I am keen on taking a trek to Siachen.
Rasika Tyagi: The people who took part in this trek were basically students from various military schools and some mountaineers affiliated to the Indian mountaineering Federation. They would be good people to contact, as would be the Army Head Quarters in New Delhi.
Rashmi: Just give a message to people who speak like "ladies are for cooking and kid-making.
Rasika Tyagi: Cooking, cleaning, bearing children, working, climbing the Everest, swimming across the English Channel, fighting wards and now, walking the Siachen Glacier. Take care.
Srinivas: It feels great to be on Siachen right? Do you have any snaps for people who could not go there?
Rasika Tyagi: We are putting up a slide show of pictures on the website. Should be up in the next one hour. You can also catch my one hour documentary on the trip - this Friday at 9:30 pm
Himalayan: Hi, what was the total expenditure involved in the whole program?
Rasika Tyagi: Our trip was paid for by the army. But it is a very expensive proposition. The clothes and the equipment itself are above one lakh. On top of that, the supplies that have to be carried up and all the other logistics involved. In all, if you had to self finance this trip (which is not an option right now) I would reckon it would cost about 3.5 lakhs per person.
Sandeep: Hi Rasika, I am a student at Wanganui UCol, NZ. Your achievement just makes us extra proud of being an Indian. My question is: How would you sum up your journey, in short?
Rasika Tyagi: An experience of a lifetime. Also, the crossing of the bridge of human endurance.
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Kishore: Did u have to undergo tests to be there?
Rasika Tyagi: Yes, I did. Medical tests like blood pressure. Also, physical tests to see whether I could cope. Seven members of the trekking party were rejected on medical grounds.
Ankur: Hi Rasika, how was it up at Siachen? It must have taken a while to get acclimatised. What were your halt areas to Siachen, and how much time does it really need to have an expedition of such kind?
Rasika Tyagi: : This expedition lasted 23 days in all. We left Delhi on the 19th of September and spent 6 days in Leh getting acclimatised. Post that, it was 4 more days at the Siachen Base camp for training. We left for the trek on 1st October and finished on the 8th. Also, managed to squeeze in some sight-seeing so visited Tso Moriri - a lovely lake near Leh.
Pankaj Kumar: Does it feel unreal at that height? Did you ever feel that you were a mere human bowed to the vastness of the majestic nature?
Rasika Tyagi: Actually, like Ayn Rand said, I was proud that as humans we can scale all heights and conquer all depths. Believe me, after this trip I actually think we can do whatever we set our minds to. Without any physical fitness if I could make it, anyone can.
Ankur Gupta: Did you have any prior expertise in mountaineering?
Rasika Tyagi: None, whatsoever. I have never even climbed an ant hill before this. Starting at the glacier was a daunting task especially since I was the oldest person on the trek. All the others were 17 year olds.
Pavan: How are you feeling after reaching 16,000 ft. and what do you think about the soldiers who are guarding India over there?
Rasika Tyagi: I am in awe of all the soldiers who serve there. I met so many of them and they were full of josh. Siachen is a voluntary posting and the waiting list runs into miles. Everyone in the army wants to serve on the world's highest battle field.
Somireddy: Which place you are at now and what is the height of it?
Rasika Tyagi: I am back in New Delhi. Not sure of the height!
Sirisha: When is the army planning the next trek?
Rasika Tyagi: Not till the summer. The winter on the glacier is too treacherous for any expedition. Exact details can be got from the Army Head Quarters in New Delhi.
Neeraj Jain: Hi Rasika, did you face food scarcity at Siachen? How did you manage your food, water, and clothes?
Rasika Tyagi: No food scarcity - just monotonous food. We had dal-chawal every day. It is essential to drink at least 15 glasses of water there every day. So a lot of snow was melted and given to us. The arrangements were made by the army and were first rate actually.
Somireddy: What are the main threats posed while trekking into the snowy hills, in Siachen?
Rasika Tyagi: During the summer the mail threat is of crevasses (which is when the ice splits open) and avalanches. But we walked on a safe route, which is used very often so we were never in any danger.
Aaron Bhadra: How should one be prepared when going on a trip like you have done to the Siachen Glacier?
Rasika Tyagi: Since I got only 6 hours notice, I had no time to prepare. But it would be a good idea to get physically fit. Also, if you smoke I would advice cutting down. Your lungs will need all their capacity to store oxygen up there.
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Prakash Sharma: Didn’t you feel you were virtually in heaven and remembering childhood stories?
Rasika Tyagi: It did feel like heaven – all white and everyone looking like angels dressed in white, too. Trekking gives you a lot of time to think, and I made full use of it. Wrote the script for my documentary in my head. Had conversations with myself. I have never been so cold in my childhood, though, so no stories came back from that time
Neeraj Jain: Hi Rasika, did you find any vegetation or animals at Siachen? Did you also exercise a lot before embarking on the trek?
Rasika Tyagi: Siachen ironically means the land of roses, but I saw no vegetation or animals at all. Not a single shrub or tree. Did not exercise at all since I got only 6 hours notice to go on the trek. That’s TV news for you!
Abcc: How difficult was it to cope with up the climatic condition there?
Rasika Tyagi: Very difficult! Some mornings I had to walk for one hour just to be able to feel my fingers and toes. This despite the fact that we were all wearing two pairs of socks and gloves. I have promised never to crib about the harsh Delhi summer ever again.
Dilip: Hi Rasika. Congratulations! :)
Rasika Tyagi: Thanks a lot
Bala: Want to know how you to register for this expedition. I've been to Ladakh and we were allowed only till Panamik / Hunder.
Rasika Tyagi: There is no registration open as yet. But sending a letter to the Army Head Quarters and the Indian Mountaineering Federation might be a good idea
Skalyat: Hi Rasika. Did you have any moments before you when you actually regretted going for this mission?
Rasika Tyagi: On the third day of the trek, I was tired and twisted my ankle slightly. I felt depressed and totally alone. For that half an hour I really did not want to be on the glacier. Instead, I wanted to be in my own home – with a bed and a loo. But other than that, I enjoyed every moment of the experience.
Neeraj Jain: Hi Rasika. How do soldiers in Siachen keep themselves warm? What about disposal of wastes? Is there a central pit for waste disposal?
Rasika Tyagi: All soldiers are given arctic clothes. There are also kerosene heaters to keep them warm. Garbage disposal is, however, a huge worry. It costs the army lakhs to take up supplies. Leaving the empty cans up is cheaper. But it is turning the glacier into another Everest (the world's highest waste dump). So, the army has now started bringing back garbage down. They have three decades to make up for, so it will take some time.
Rahul: Hello, how does it feel to scale such heights?
Rasika Tyagi: It feels great especially since I have no past experience. I can see why people like Messner have climbed for the last 40 years and still can't get enough of the mountains.
Sujith: How long does a soldier server there in Siachen?
Rasika Tyagi: For three months. But this does not include the time it takes them to reach their posts. Some have to walk for as much as 23 days to get to their posts and then another 23 days to get back down. So that makes it 5 months
Preeti: How does your body react after facing such situation?
Rasika Tyagi: Actually pretty good. I have lost 3-4 Kg, which is great since I feel much fitter. It took me a week to get back to normal. I rested a lot and slept even more.
Skalyat: I am based in Switzerland. I made a trip up the Jungfrau (well, in a train). What I found out there is that you get tired very fast. A small walk can take your breath away. How do the soldiers there manage to stay for such a long time? Do they serve there only for a few weeks at a time?
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Rasika Tyagi: These men play volleyball at those heights! It’s a matter of getting acclimatised properly after which you can pretty much do anything. They serve there for three months - but not before they get extensive training for over a month.
Saurabh: Hi Rasika. Congratulations to you for the effort you have made! What next?
Rasika Tyagi: For now I am editing my documentary. Let’s see what is thrown my way in the future.
Pradeep: How is the life of Indian soldiers there? What do they eat? How do they defeat the cold? What is their daily routine?
Rasika Tyagi: Now that there is a ceasefire, one, the soldiers have a lot more time to take care of themselves and prevent stuff like frostbite etc. Every four hours they do something called the foot parade where they slide their feet into hot water to improve circulation and make sure they don't get chill burns which could lead to frost bite. The rest of the time is spent in patrolling, cooking food (rice takes four hours to boil at those temperatures) and trying to keep warm.
Vinay Tyagi: Hi. It feels great to hear about your feat.
Rasika Tyagi: Thanks, it feels great to have done it.
Sulekh: That sounds like fun.
Rasika Tyagi: It was, Sulekh. Try it for sure, if you get the chance
Vivek: A very warm welcome beck and congratulations on being one of the first ones to achieve the feat.
Rasika Tyagi: Thanks, Vivek. Anyone could have managed it. I just got lucky to get the opportunity.
Sujith: Does Siachen also have any medical camp for the soldiers? Do they have any AMC personnel serving with them?
Rasika Tyagi: There are medical personnel posted in the bigger camps. In the smaller ones, however, evacuation by helicopter is the faster way to get medical treatment. This is done quite often since the entire glacier is supported entirely by air power.
Praveen Yadav: Hi Rasika. Do they wear a special kind of dress to get some warmth? What is it called?
Rasika Tyagi: There are several layers that you wear. The innermost is a thick-ish thermal inner. On top of that you wear a wind-cheater. On top of that, a down jacket made of goose feathers. You also wear two pairs of socks and gloves and a woollen hat. There is also a face-mask to protect you from the wind. There are also two pairs of shoes that weigh 3 kg.
Saurabh: All the best to you. Wish to be a part of your next project.
Rasika Tyagi: Sure, and do watch the slide show on the website and my documentary on Friday at 9:30 pm.
Himalayan: When you say that self-financing is not an option, what is the other option then? How did they choose you to go with them for the trek? How many civilians were there with you? How can I go next summer? Would they pay for me, too? a lot of Qs hehe...very eager to go there...
Rasika Tyagi: : Can't really answer most, unfortunately, since things have not been worked out by the army in such detail, as yet. I went as part of the media team. There were 22 people in all, most chosen from the military schools across the country. Keep bombarding the PRO of the army who sits at the Army Head Quarters in New Delhi and hopefully you will be a part of the second trek. Best of luck!
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