Meghalaya climber aces basic mountaineering course

Shillong, Nov 25: Balawanhabor Rynjah won first place in a rock climbing competition and scaled Mt Renok (16,500 feet) during the Basic Mountaineering Course at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling, the Meghalaya Sport Climbing & Mountaineering Association informed said in a statement on Monday.
A student of Sankardev College, Balawanhabor will be awarded Grade A, which is the highest grade, for his performance in the training course, which featured 51 trainees, including four international students from the USA, France and Bhutan.
This training course was held from October 21 to November 17 and Balawanhabor’s participation was sponsored by MeSCMA through the Meghalaya government’s Directorate of Sports & Youth Affairs.
“The rigorous and transformative course equipped trainees with essential skills in mountaineering, including physical training, yoga, rock climbing, ice climbing, jumar climbing, trekking, ice craft, crevasse rescue, map reading, rope techniques and rappelling,” MeSCMA President Malviancy Shabong said in the releases. “This comprehensive training was designed to prepare participants for the challenges of high altitude expeditions.”