19 teams, 78 days, 3 mountaineering expeditions (the highest being at 7,642 m), 7 treks of more than 750 km traversing at 16,500 ft, 6 cycling expeditions over 1,000 km on non-existent roads around 6 valleys, rafting over 3 rivers.
That’s Eastern Command Trans Theatre Adventure Activities (ECTTAA) 2022 in a nutshell. For the first time, civilian-military cooperation activities are happening at such a scale to increase awareness about the beauty and potential of adventure tourism in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
The activities start from Jongsong Peak in the western extremities to Jelep La in the easternmost part, all along the northern borders in the area under the purview of the Army’s Eastern Command.
The event was graced by Sikkim chief minister Prem Singh Tamang and governor Ganga Prasad Chaurasia, general officer commanding 33 corps Lt General Tarun Kumar Aich, Major General Khalid Kazi, as well as brigadiers and colonels of the Eastern Command.
Among the lucky civilian participants were Rajeev Kumar Mondal, Tiyash Mukhopadhyay, Dr Varuna Raina, Mahua Biswas, and renowned mountaineer Satyarup Siddhanta.
“I was chosen to be a team member along with Army mountaineers comprising many officers and soldiers from various units and a few instructors from the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling, under the leadership of HMI principal Group Captain Jai Kishan. We all trained together as a team at HMI Darjeeling from August 16 and the first team is moving to Chaten tomorrow. I will join the team moving second on the 30th of this month,” said Siddhanta.
The most positive outcome of such an expedition would be to showcase the whole-of-nation approach in the Eastern Command area of responsibility and help in increasing awareness about the beauty and potential of adventure tourism in the Northeast, say officials.
These expeditions along the trails of the Himalayas are being done under unique civil-military cooperation. Most of these routes have never been explored by civilians, due to the inaccessibility of these areas.
The civilian participants will be able to visit these places and face challenges that are the stuff of dreams for adventure enthusiasts. While showcasing the importance of civil-military synergy, these will also help highlight the landscape, flora, fauna, culture, and traditions of these remote untouched border areas, and boost tourism here. Approximately fifteen female members will also be part of these activities.
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