Indian Army mountaineering expedition scales Mount Kun in Ladakh

An Indian Army mountaineering team scaled the challenging Mount Kun peak in the Ladakh region on August 16 and returned to Leh last week.

Flagged off from Leh on July 30 this year, the 22-member team comprised 14 officers including 10 women, one junior commissioned officer and seven other ranks.

"They had to brave inclement weather and the treacherous slopes of the massive Kun peak before successfully reaching the summit. The team returned to Leh on August 23," an official release said on Tuesday, adding the team is on its way to Delhi for a formal flagging-in ceremony.

Situated at an elevation of 7,077 meters (23,219 ft), Mount Kun is the second highest peak of the Nun-Kun mountain massif in the Eastern Himalayan Range near the Suru Valley.

Mount Kun is a technically challenging peak, requiring a high level of expertise in mountaineering.

Lieutenant General YK Joshi, who had flagged off the expedition from Leh, congratulated the team members and said they made the Indian Army and the nation proud.

He also applauded the 10 women officers who were part of the team and said they have emerged as role models for women across the country.

Undertaken under the aegis of the Army Adventure Wing, the expedition was led by Colonel Mohit Thapa and was supported logistically by the Fire and Fury Corps.

( With inputs from ANI )