Kullu, May 22
The National Cadet Corps (NCC) has commenced intensive selection trials at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports in Solang Valley for two major Himalayan expeditions scheduled later this year — the Mt Deo Tibba Expedition and the all-girls Parang La Trek.
Nearly 200 participants, including 175 cadets from the Army, Navy, and Air Force wings, along with Associate NCC Officers, Girl Cadet Instructors, and Permanent Instructor staff, have assembled after successfully clearing preliminary screening camps conducted by their respective NCC Directorates.
The Mt Deo Tibba Expedition, aimed at scaling the 6,001-meter peak in Himachal Pradesh, will test cadets’ glacier movement, snowcraft, rope techniques, and high-altitude survival skills. Officials said this year’s expedition is expected to be particularly challenging due to unusually heavy pre-monsoon snowfall, increasing both technical and logistical difficulties.
Meanwhile, the Parang La Trek will mark NCC’s first interstate high-altitude crossover expedition. Covering nearly 180 kilometers, the trek will traverse rugged Himalayan terrain from Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh to Tso Moriri Lake in Ladakh via the 5,578-meter Parang La Pass. The expedition will include the Baba Pass Trek as a preparatory phase.
The Parang La expedition will be undertaken entirely by girl cadets and Lady Officers from the tri-services, underlining NCC’s emphasis on promoting women’s leadership, endurance, and participation in adventure activities.
As part of the rigorous selection process, candidates undergo endurance runs, push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, acclimatization drills, and load-bearing route marches to assess physical stamina, teamwork, and mental resilience in challenging mountain conditions.
Cadets will also attend a motivational lecture by Dicky Dolma, the youngest Indian woman to scale Mount Everest at age 19.
Addressing the cadets during the opening session, Expedition Leader Wing Commander Kunal Sharma stressed the importance of discipline, teamwork, mental resilience, and thorough preparation for success in Himalayan expeditions.
The initiative is being conducted under the HQ Directorate General NCC Pre-Monsoon Mountaineering Expedition–2026 Programme under the guidance of Lieutenant General Virendra Vats and reflects NCC’s broader mission of building character, leadership, and national integration through adventure training.
