Rongbuk Monastery also known as Dzarongpu or Dzarong is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Nyingma, Basum, Tibet. It is an important pilgrimage site of the sherpas which can be accessed in a few days travel across the Himalaya through the Nangpa La. Rongbuk monastery lies near the base of the north side of Mount Everest at 4,980 metres (16,340 ft) above sea level, at the end of the Dzakar Chu valley. The monastery was also regularly visited by the early expeditions to Mount Everest in the 1920s and 1930s after a five weeks journey from Darjeeling in the Indian foothills of the Himalaya. Most past and current expeditions attempting Mount Everst from the north Tibetan side do establish their Base Camp near the tongue of the Rongbuk Glacier about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) south of the Monastery.

Nowadays, the monastery is accessible by road in a two to three hour drive from the Friendship Highway from either Shelkar (New Tingri) or Old Tingri. From Rongbuk monastery, there are dramatic views on the north face of Mount Everest, and one of the first British explorers to see it, John Noel, described it: "Some colossal architect, who built with peaks and valleys, seemed here to have wrought a dramatic prodigy—a hall of grandeur that led to the mountain."

The climatic conditions in the Sagarmatha region change without prior signs. The team gears up for the summit attempts as the weather clears up and the men set out for the top. There is no time to waste, it's a now or never situation as the teams climbing permit expires by the end of the month may 2001.

Indian Army added another feather to its cap in May 2001, when its mountaineers successfully scaled Mount Everest and put a record eight members and seven Sherpas on the summit. This is the largest number of summiteers on Mount Everest in an Indian expedition.

The mighty mountain ranges of the Himalayas have, over the centuries, inspired not only man's imagination and spiritual quest, but also his spirit of adventure. Mount Everest, the tallest of the peaks of the Himalayas as also the whole world, stood in its unattainable isolation for thousands of years, till Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary conquered it in 1953. Since then, at least a thousand climbers have set foot on it. That at least 200 have lost their lives while trying to scale the peak speaks of the infinite dangers involved in the task.

The Indian Army Mount Everest Expedition was flagged off by the Chief of the Army Staff on 1st March 2001 at New Delhi. It was led by Col. Krishan Kumar. After flagging off, the team moved to Nepal and after a long trek from Jiri, reached Base Camp of Everest on 3rd April 2001.

The stocking and establishment of various camps was completed by 10th May 2001 and summit attempts were planned for 14-15 May. However, bad weather forced the team to return to Base Camp from Camp-II. Weather remained bad for a few days. Finally on 19th May the team started from the Base Camp for their final attempt to reach the summit. On 20th May the first summit team reached Camp-HI and the next day they reached South Col around 1300 hours. The same night the summit attempt started. After making their way through severe winds and subfreezing conditions, the first party consisting of seven members and three Sherpas finally reached the summit of Everest on 23rd May between 0720 hours and 0845 hours. The second team comprising one member and four Sherpas left Camp-Ill around 0630 hours on 23rd May and reached the summit of Mount Everest around 0545 hours on 24th May 2001.

Smooth de-induction to the Base Camp was subsequently carried out wherein all the camps were closed. In keeping with the Indian Army's care and concern for the protection of the environment, all waste was brought down from the mountain.

Source: www.indiapicks.com

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