Sonam Gyatso Mountaineering Institute Explained

Sonam Gyatso Mountaineering Institute
Address:	Upper Sicheygaon, Sungava
Country:	India
Founded:	25 September 1963
Coordinates:	27.3444°N 88.6172°W

Sonam Gyatso Mountaineering Institute (SGMI) is a paramilitary mountaineering school, located in Gangtok, India.^{[1] [2]}

History

In 1963, the Mountaineering Institute was established in Gangtok by Indian mountaineer Sonam Gyatso.^{[3] [4]} After the demise of Gyatso in 1968, the institute was renamed Sonam Gyatso Mountaineering Institute. It is currently headed by former Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer Sonam Wangyal as its principal.^[5]

The institute is known for imparting high-altitude mountaineering training to Indian Army, IB, other paramilitary forces such as Indo-Tibetan Border Police and Assam Rifles.^{[6] [7]} Also, it runs short-term courses for civilians.^{[8] [9]}

List of expeditions

• 1979 Siniolchu expedition - 20 members from the institute climbed the peak.^[10]
• 1984 Mount Everest expedition - Institute's lead instructor Phu Dorjee became the first Indian to climb Everest without supplemental oxygen.^{[11] [12]}
• 1991 Sanglaphu expedition - 11 members team from the institute made the first ascent.^[13]

Notable faculty

• Sonam Gyatso
• Harish Chandra Singh Rawat^[14]
• Phu Dorjee
• Sonam Wangyal

Rankings

• In 2016, Redbull included the institute in its list of top 10 mountaineering schools in India.^[15]

See also

• Himalayan Mountaineering Institute
• Mountaineering in India

Notes and References

1. Web site: PGD27-Mountaineering and Adventure Sports. 3 September 2021. Bureau of Indian Standards, Government of India.
2. News: Kashyap. Aishwarya Raghu. 2016-05-22. Seven off-beat courses at Indian colleges. en-IN. The Hindu. 2021-09-03. 0971-751X.
3. Book: Dalal, Roshen. India at 70: snapshots since Independenc. 2017-08-23. Penguin Random House India Private Limited. 978-93-86815-37-8. en.
4. Web site: 2013-09-25. Mountaineering institute completes 50 yrs, golden jubilee celebrations held. 2021-09-03. The Statesman. en-US.
5. Web site: 2020-05-20. Among first Indians to summit Mount Everest, Sonam Wangyal recounts fabled 1965 expedition on its anniversary. 2021-09-03. Firstpost.
6. Web site: Sonam Wangyal: From Surviving a Chinese Ambush to Standing on Mt. Everest. 2021-09-03. The Wire.
7. Web site: 2020-06-01. By 23, This Ladakhi Had Climbed the Everest, Won Padma Shri & Battled The Chinese. 2021-09-03. The Better India. en.
8. Web site: Student learn adventure skills at adventure tourism fest. 2021-09-03. scstsenvis.nic.in.
9. News: Dam. Satyabrata. Want to become a mountaineer?. 2021-09-03. The Times of India.
10. Book: Club. American Alpine. 1995 American Alpine Journal. Carter. H. Adams. The Mountaineers Books. 978-1-933056-42-5. en.
11. Web site: Service. Tribune News. How can I forget Phu Dorje. 2021-09-03. Tribuneindia News Service. en.
12. Book: Kohli, M. S.. Mountaineering in India. 1989. Vikas Publishing House. en.
13. Web site: The HJ/48/21 EXPEDITIONS AND NOTES. 2021-12-08. The HJ/48/21 EXPEDITIONS AND NOTES. en.
14. Verma. K. C. . K. C. Verma. 4 September 2021. Intelligence Bureau. The Indian Police Journal. LIX. 4. 24. 0537-2429.
15. Web site: The best mountaineering institutes in India. 2021-09-03. Red Bull. 8 November 2016 . en.