Army team scales Mt Kokthang in West Sikkim

GANGTOK, 19 Oct: With the view to renew the spirit of adventure following last year’s earthquake, the Black Cat Division planned to summit Mt Kokthang, a 6147m high peak in West Sikkim.
As per a press release, a select team of mountaineers of the Black Cat Division under the leadership of Major Gaurav Negi was flagged off by the General Officer Commanding of Black Cat Division on 27 September. The peak has fascinated mountaineers in the past and has been scaled thrice.
“Motivated with the spirit of ‘creating and not repeating history’ the team decided to scale Summit ‘Charlie’ of the peak, a feat never attempted before”, the release informs.
On 08 October, the sunrise on Mt Kokthang was witnessed by seven summiteers who broke the shibboleth of Summit ‘Charlie’ and hoisted the flags of Army’s Trishakti Corps and Black Cat Division on the summit. Major Gaurav Negi gave complete credit of the success to the camaraderie and never-say-die attitude of the team and his deputy Capt PK Rai, the release adds.
The scaling of the peak will provide the necessary impetus to adventure tourism in the state while the synergy between the actions of the Army’s Black Cat Division and the state has again come to the fore, the release further mentions. The expedition team safely returned to Gangtok on 14 October.