Tourism Deptt keen to promote Adventure Tourism, Mountaineering

Excelsior Sports Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Sept 17: With an objective to promote Adventure Tourism and Mountaineering in the Valley, the Department of Tourism provided logistic support and other facilities to a group of mountaineers for scaling Gulap Kangri (5900 Mtrs) and Stok Kangri (6150 Mtrs) peaks.
The mountaineering team comprising of 10 climbers from the State submitted both the peaks successfully.
Another team of mountaineers also submitted Matho Kangri (6250 Mtrs) peak, which was climbed after a gap of three decades by the local mountaineers in the greater Himalayas in Leh.
Pertinent to mention that Tourism Department had also provided support to 10 mountaineers from the state in completing Climbathon in Nun-Kun, in which 35 climbers from across the country had also participated.
The participation of local mountaineers in Climbathon, which was held in State for the first time since its inception, provided unique exposure to them in mountain craft.
The Tourism Department and J&K Mountaineering & Hiking Club have joined hands for providing support to the mountaineers for scaling new summits.
The department has also sponsored 10 local mountaineers to Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering for Basic Mountaineering Course this year. The department has made plans to conduct district level course in Kargil for promotion of adventure and development of skilled manpower. In this behalf, the matter is actively pursued with Indian Mountaineering Foundation.
The department has also taken various new steps for promoting adventure tourism by printing dedicated trekking maps for trekking hubs in Kashmir, Kargil, Leh and Kishtwar. A series of maps are available at different destination and all offices of Tourism Department across the country.