A six-member team from the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM), Uttarkashi, and the Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering and Winter Sports (JIM&WS), Pahalgam, successfully reached the summit of Mount Aconcagua, the highest peak in South America and the second-highest peak in the world outside Asia, on 22 February 2026 at 14:10 hours. The expedition marked a significant milestone for Indian mountaineering and reflected the institutes' world-class training standards. The party was led by Colonel Hem Chandra Singh, who serves as principal of both institutes.

The team was ceremonially flagged off by the Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh on 5 February 2026 and departed for Argentina on 8 February 2026 to begin acclimatisation and route preparation. Prior to the Aconcagua ascent, the climbers secured Bonete Peak at 5,050 metres to aid acclimatisation. This preparatory climb was instrumental in enabling the team to cope with high altitude stresses.

Team members included Captain G Santhosh Kumar, Deep Bahadur Sahi, Vinod Gusai, Naib Subedar Bhupinder Singh and Havildar Ramesh Kumar, who formed a cohesive unit throughout the expedition. The climbers encountered fierce winds and temperatures ranging from minus 20 degrees Celsius to minus 30 degrees Celsius during summit attempts. The ascent tested technical skills and endurance across exposed ridges and glaciated terrain. The successful summit was attributed to disciplined planning, teamwork and professional conduct.

This success underscored India's rising stature in international mountaineering and highlighted the value of institutional training at NIM and JIM&WS. The institutes will integrate lessons from the expedition into future training syllabuses and operational planning. Officials indicated that the achievement would inspire wider participation in high altitude mountaineering among Indian aspirants. The mission was completed without serious injury and the team was scheduled to return to India following debriefing and recovery.