Shalaka Kukade from Pune successfully climbs Mount Thelu; Giripremi Club Honors her Achievement
Shalaka Kukade from Pune successfully climbs Mt. Thelu
By: Pune Pulse
October 20, 2023
PUNE: Shalaka Kukade, a student at Abasaheb Garware College, was chosen to be a part of the All India NCC special expedition. She successfully climbed Mount Thelu, a 6002-meter-high snow peak in the Garhwal Himalayas, as a part of this expedition.
As per the information provided, the team consisted of 12 male and 12 female students from all over India who were selected through various physical tests, and Shalaka was the only student selected from Maharashtra state. In addition to this, Shalaka also participated in the Republic Day Parade in New Delhi on January 26, 2023. She has always had a keen interest in sports and athletics and plans to prioritize sports in the future.
As per the information received, Shalaka has also completed the Basic Mountaineering Course from the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute, Manali, during 2021–22. Before the expedition, the students underwent an 8-day refresher training at the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering in Uttarkashi, led by NIM’s former principal, Col. Amit Bisht. Shalaka’s exceptional performance in the expedition was appreciated by the Giripremi mountaineering club.
Jayant Tulpule, President of Giripremi, Vivek Shivade, Secretary, Anand Palande, Founder Member, Umesh Zirpe, Chhatrapati awardee and leader of the Giripremi’s 8000 expeditions, Ganesh More, Everesters, Krishna Dhokle, Bhushan Harshe, Kangchenjunga summitter Dr Sumit Mandale, and other mountaineers of the organization were present to congratulate her.
Speaking to Pune Pulse, ”The Mountaineering Expedition organized by DG NCC this year was held at Mt. Thelu, which stands at an impressive height of 19692 ft. The expedition was carried out in three stages, starting with the selection, physical training, and preparation of cadets at DG NCC, New Delhi, from August 10 to August 23, 2023. This was followed by an 8-day special refreshment course at the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) in Uttarkashi. The final stage involved acclimatization and climbing Mt. Thelu. On September 16 and 17, 2023, two teams comprising 16 cadets, 3 officers, 1 GCI, 2 JCOs, and 8 NCOs successfully summited the peak.”
Madhupriya Dhanwate
