Indian Navy conquers North Pole

After the cardiologist from Narayan Hrudayalaya who gave India its glorifying moment by performing Asia’s first artificial heart transplantation, here is another feat and this time by Indian Navy that conquered the North Pole on the night of April 09.

The team of ten officers of Navy led by Commander Satyabrata Dam achieved this unique endeavour after traversing seven day through the severe weather and hoisted Indian flag on the North Pole on Wednesday.

Earlier, the Navy has already made the distinguished record including ascent of Mt. Everest in 2004 and ski traverse to the geographic South Pole in 2006.

Also they became first ever Indian Team to have successfully ski traversed to both the geographic poles. After accomplishing the extraordinary feat, three of the ten members became the part of elite club for successfully completing the “Three Poles” Challenge.

The Three Poles Challenge includes the journey through the most difficult terrain of the world; the North Pole, South Pole, and Mt. Everest which is considered as third pole.

But among the three, the journey to North Pole is the most difficult one as one has to face the challenges of high winds, freezing temperatures, polar bears, water leads, pressure ridges and variable sea drift.

Cdr Satyabrata told media person during teleconference, “We have reached after a physically demanding and painstaking journey. Now it seems like some different planet where the sun is with us all the time and temperature hovers around 40 degree Celsius.”

The exuberant commander seems too high on the spirit when he said, “We are happy and proud after hoisting our national flag at the very top of the world.”

The team left on March 24 and commenced the first leg of their journey at Oslo, capital of Norway; from where they flew to Longyearbyen(northern most airport in the world) and then onwards to the Arctic Ice Cap.

The other feat includes:
• First Indian team to Ski Traverse to the Geographic North Pole
• First Indians to complete the Three Pole Challenge
• First Indian Everest Summiteers to the South and North Pole
• First organization in the world to complete the Three Poles

The ten member team includes Lt Cdr Avinash Khajuria, Surg Lt Cdr Ajay Sharma, MCERA Rajkumar, Petty Officer Medical Assitants Rakesh Kumar and Vikas Kumar, Brijendra Singh, SEA I PT II, LME Ramendra Pandey, Manoj Vats and Sonam Tamchos. Commander Satyabrata who led the team also led previous two successful expeditions to Mount Everest and South Pole also.