Siachen Glacier, the world’s 2nd longest glacier has come to represent the resilience and fortitude of the Indian Army.
It all started in April 1981 when the Indian Army made history by traversing the uncharted Siachen, also known as the Third Pole. On the occasion of the 35th anniversary of this daring expedition, Eros Now announced today a ground breaking initiative, Salute Siachen, India’s first-ever celebrity expedition to the Siachen Glacier.
The unique expedition will see nine celebrity adventurers from different walks of life, retrace and relive that journey. The 20-day expedition flags off this Independence Day (August 15) from Leh, and will culminate at Kumar Post, named after Colonel Narinder ‘Bull’ Kumar. Bull Kumar planted the India flag on the Siachen Glacier in 1981 and became the first person to scale the uncharted Siachen from its freezing snout to its icy source.
India’s much-loved celebrities have come together to take this arduous journey to salute the courage of our soldiers who man the posts there in conditions of extreme adversity. Bollywood actors Arjun Rampal, Arunoday Singh, sports personalities — cricketer Rudra Pratap Singh and hockey player Yuvraj Walmiki, TV heartthrob Rannvijay Singha along with Namrata Gujaran, Hasan Zaidi and Sonnalli Seygall are in this select squad.
The celebrity participants have undergone rigorous training and prepping for the expedition which will begin with a five-day acclimatisation trek to Stok Kangri base camp near Leh. Once geared to face the journey ahead, they will proceed to Siachen Base Camp for the expedition to Kumar Post. They take with them the goodwill and gratitude of an entire nation as we join them in saluting Siachen.
When asked about this expedition, Col. Kumar said, “Of all my exploits in the mountains, this was the most pivotal one for me. For the first time, I was leading an expedition as a soldier of the Indian Army, not just as a mountaineer. I wasn’t just doing this for myself or my team, this was for the entire nation. Thirty-five years later, I am very happy that civilians from all walks of life are going to Siachen to see for themselves the hardships our soldiers are undergoing there, and to show them that their efforts are being appreciated by a grateful nation.”
