Pure Grit. Pure Adventure.
Bikat means difficult. But with us, that’s not a warning—it’s a promise. Of stories worth telling. Of adventures worth chasing.
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Pure Grit. Pure Adventure.
Bikat means difficult. But with us, that’s not a warning—it’s a promise. Of stories worth telling. Of adventures worth chasing.
The highest peaks may be located in Nepal but India has a larger portion of the Himalayas. It goes without saying that hundreds of semi-technical, technical and very technical peaks (that are borderline insanity!) are scattered throughout Northern India. A prepared mountaineer is spoilt for choice – with a multitude of tough-tougher-toughest peaks available in Kashmir, Leh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttrakhand, Sikkim as well as Arunachal Pradesh.
It doesn’t necessarily have to be an Indian, people come from all over the globe in their conquest to scale unique and daunting peaks. Europeans who have climbed enough in the Alps can be seen eyeing Himalayan peaks for their next challenge, hence India becomes an obvious attraction!
If you are wondering how to qualify for these treks and how to prepare yourself mentally & physically, then you get a cursory sense by reading our guide on preparing for Mt. Everest. The basic idea behind preparation remains the same for most mountains or regions.
If you feel that you have all the bases covered and you are prepared in all aspects, then the next step in the process is choosing a peak and start planning. Some Indians who have an advanced certification in mountaineering may prefer to organize their own expedition, but you will need to seek permission from the IMF regardless of whether you are going on your own or if you go through an adventure operator. Apart from the usual pros & cons of going with an operator, one difference in case of the procedure would be that if you go with an operator, they will act as a conduit between you and IMF (in some cases, the state government too) and get the permits for you.
IMF, New Delhi oversees all concerns regarding mountaineering on Indian peaks. The Indian Mountaineering Foundation is the national institution for mountaineering in the country. The apex body deals with regulating & promoting expeditions in the Indian Himalayas.
As one of its functions, IMF grants permits to expedition teams, Indian or otherwise. The permit fees, expedition rules and the procedure for application are slightly different for Indian and Foreign Teams, we’ll get to that in a bit.
The following eligibility criteria are applicable only for Indian expedition teams.
Leader of the Team: The leader of the expedition team needs to be an individual above 25 years who has an 'Advanced Mountaineering Course' certification from a recognized mountaineering institute. He/she should have participated in at least two expeditions to above 6,400m peaks and should have successfully summited at least one.
Composition of the Team: Including the Leader, at least half of the team should have an 'Advanced Mountaineering Course' certification from a recognized mountaineering institute along with some expedition experience. A maximum of two members without any mountaineering certification will be permitted in a team (the should be experienced in high altitude trekking and rock-climbing. The balance number of team members may be individuals who have a 'Basic Mountaineering Course' certification from a recognized mountaineering institute.
For Indian Expedition teams, the total payment required by the IMF is INR 3000 for the entire team. The charges are for the purpose of booking the peak. To get a permit from the IMF, foreigners have to pay handling charges that vary according to the altitude of the peak and the size of the team.
Although the handling charges are quite substantial, there’s some respite for now. In a move to boost the number of foreigners who climb in India, the handling charges have been slashed by 50% by the IMF. However, the rebate is available only for the 2020 climbing season.
To check out the open peaks given in Appendix “A”, “B” & “C”, click here.
Apart from the permit/handling charges by the IMF, there are additional government charges levied by the Uttrakhand & Sikkim Govt. on domestic as well as foreign expedition teams.
Offline Application Process
Too many details to keep track of? Refer to this summary and see what is applicable to your team.
Guess you’re all set now to climb new heights this year! Not sure which peak suits your needs?
Head to this blog to find out our best mountaineering expeditions!
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