Indian mountaineers successfully summit Mt. Aconcagua in Argentina

A six-member joint mountaineering expedition to *Mt. Aconcagua (6961m)*, the highest peak in South America and the second highest peak outside Asia, was successfully completed by the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) Uttarkashi and Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering & Winter Sports (JIM&WS) Pehalgam. The expedition was led by Col Hem Chandra Singh, Principal JIM&WS, Pahalgam and Principal NIM, Uttarkashi. The expedition was ceremonially flagged off by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on 5 February 2026. The team departed for Argentina and reached on 8 February 2026 to commence their ambitious international mission.The team consisted of the following members :
1. Col Hem Chandra Singh, Leader 
2. Capt G Santhosh Kumar, Dy Ldr
3. Shri Deep Bahadur Sahi, Member 
4. Shri Vinod Gusai, Member 
5. Nb Sub Bhupinder Singh, VSM, Member 
6. Hav Ramesh Kumar,VSM, Member
Undeterred by the adverse conditions, the team made their final summit push and successfully reached the top of Mt. Aconcagua (6961m) on  Sunday 22 February 2026 at 1410 hours. The achievement marks a significant milestone in India’s mountaineering endeavours and highlights the high standards of training and professionalism maintained by both premier institutes. The successful ascent not only showcases the spirit of adventure and national pride but also reinforces India’s growing footprint in international mountaineering expeditions.