Three ace mountaineers of Mountaineering Association of J&K namely Stanzin Youthog, Manik Slathia and Ambreen Fatima left from Delhi for Uttrakhand to participate in a Pre Everest Expedition to Trishul-1 peak (7120m). The J&K mountaineers are among the 60 climbers selected out of 120 mountaineers in the first phase of selection by Indian Mountaineering Foundation, New Delhi, the apex body for adventure sports in the country, for final selection for Everest Massif Expedition. Based on the performance of the participants in this expedition, final team will be selected by Indian Mountaineering Foundation for a major expedition to scale four prominent peaks in the Everest massif region from Everest base camp. The peaksare Mount Everest, the highest peak on the Earth, Lhotse (8516m), the 4th highest peak in the world, Nuptse (7861m) and Pumori(7161m). The selected mountaineers will also undergo winter training during December2019-February, 2020 before undertaking the expedition to the peaks. Pertinent to mention that Stanzin Youthog, a constable in J&K Police is an experienced mountaineer of J&K having the distinction of being the first Indian girl along with two other to scale Shivling peak, technically a very difficult peak. She has also scaled and participated in many other expeditions to formidable peaks. Similarly, Manik Slathia, a college student, is also an accomplished mountaineer who has successfully completed all the mountaineering courses and has scaled Matho Kangri (6230m),Stok Kangri,Kolhai peak in J&K and Dharamsura (6420m) in Himachal Pradesh during an Alpine camp organized by Indian Mountaineering Foundation. Earlier in February this year he was among the four mountaineers selected by IMF for an expedition to Everest but unfortunately that expedition did not mature. Ambreen Fatima of Kargil, a student of Govt. College for Women, Gandhi Nagar, Jammu is a fast upcoming mountaineer of J&K who has completed the necessary mountaineering courses and has also summited Matho Kangri (6230m) in Ladakh during an expedition organized by Mountaineering Association of J&K and Deo Tibba (6001m) in Himachal Pradesh in an expedition organized by NCC
