Mountaineering Courses in India: All you need to know

If you are an outdoor enthusiast looking for mountaineering courses in India, this blog is for you. India is home to the highest mountain ranges of the world – The Himalayas. Himalayas are known for the highest and most treacherous peaks in the world. It attracts a lot of renowned climbers of National and International fame. Being a very technical sport India needed good mountaineering Schools to develop great mountaineers. Himalayan Mountaineering Institute was one of the first institutes of India.

Later came the Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF), which is the apex body which governs all climbing activities in India. It’s headquarter is in Delhi. All the mountaineering institutes are now affiliated to IMF. The seats of each institute is filled on a first come first serve basis and you might have to wait for a period of 1-2 years, as it is a government subsidized course and the seats are less. Anyone can apply for the course, you may check the detailed eligibility criteria in the website of the institute from where you want to complete your course.

There are 4 courses each of these institutes offers:

1. Basic Mountaineering Course

2. Advance Mountaineering Course

3. Search and Rescue Course

4. Method of Instruction

To lead an expedition it is mandatory to complete the Advance Mountaineering course with “Alpha Rating”. You can go for S&R and Method of instruction course if you want to be a mountaineering instructor and choose mountaineering as a full time career. All these are residential courses which takes around 28-32 days depending on the course and institute.

Here is a list of some of the Top Mountaineering Schools in India

1. Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM), Uttarkashi

It is rated as one of the best mountaineering institutes in India and also considered as the most prestigious mountaineering institute in Asia. The proposal to have a mountaineering Institute at Uttarkashi was mooted by the Ministry of Defence, Government of India and the Government of Uttar Pradesh in 1964. Uttarkashi is now in Uttarakhand.

Website:

https://www.nimindia.net/

2. Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling

The Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI) is one of the premier mountaineering institutes in the world. Founded on November 4th, 1954 by none other than Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, the institute is located in the picturesque hill station of Darjeeling.

Website:

https://hmidarjeeling.com/

3. National Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports (NIMAS), Dirang

It is the youngest institute formed after the Government of India passed the mandate in 2012 for an advanced sport training institute. It is spread over an area of 52 acres.

NIMAS is located in the West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh

Website:

http://nimasdirang.com/

4. Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering & Winter Sports, Pahalgam

The Institute was established in 1983 at Aru, near Pahalgam,J&K with a view to provide numerous adventurous activities at one place in close proximity of each other.

It is also known for skiing course.

Website:

https://www.jawaharinstitutepahalgam.com/

5. Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports, Manali

In 1961, The Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports,Manali (ABVIMAS) was founded at Manali. Over the years, the Institute grew and expanded, in doing so it diversified its activities that a change in name was in order.

Today this Institute is known as Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports, Manali (ABVIMAS), Manali

Website:

https://abvimas.org/

6. Pandit Nain Singh Surveyor Mountaineering Training Institute, Munsiyari

It is the newest institute established in Munsyari, Uttarakhand. The institute has started its skiing and adventure course. Soon it will be coming with mountaineering course as well. The institute is named after the great surveyor Pandit Nain Singh Rawat who played a major role in the Great Trigonometrical Survey (GTS) in mid-nineteenth century

Know More:

https://www.facebook.com/pnsmti/

There are 2 other institutes which are for armed forces only

1. High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS), Gulmarg, J&K

2. Sonam Gyatso Mountaineering Institute, Gangtok, Sikkim