Siachen Base Camp, 12,000 feet above sea level at Partapur, is a

base camp Mountaineering, mountain climbing, or alpinism is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas that have become sp ...

of 102 Infantry Brigade (Siachen brigade) of XIV Corps of

Indian Army The Indian Army (IA) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Land warfare, land-based branch and largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head ...

which protects 110 km long

Actual Ground Position Line The Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL) divides current positions of Indian and Pakistani military posts and troops along the entire long frontline in the disputed region of Siachen Glacier. AGPL generally runs along the Saltoro Mountains ran ...

(AGPL) with at least 108 forward military outposts and artillery observation posts in the disputed region of

Siachen Glacier The Siachen Glacier is a glacier located in the eastern Karakoram range of the Himalayas, just northeast of the point NJ9842 where the Line of Control between India and Pakistan ends in northeastern Kashmir. At long, it is the longest glaci ...

Ladakh Ladakh () is a region administered by India as a union territory and constitutes an eastern portion of the larger Kashmir region that has been the subject of a Kashmir#Kashmir dispute, dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947 and India an ...

Union Territory of

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. It is approximately 6 hours drive north from the town of

Leh Leh () is a city in Indian-administered Ladakh in the Kashmir#Kashmir_dispute, disputed Kashmir region. The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute is supported by the WP:TE ...

via one of the highest vehicle-accessible passes in the world,

Khardung La Khardung La () or Khardung Pass is a mountain pass in the Leh district of the Indian union territory of Ladakh. The pass is on the Ladakh Range, north of Leh, and connects the Indus river valley and the Shyok river valley. It also forms th ...

at 17,582 feet.

Bana Top Operation Rajiv was the codename for an Indian Army operation that aimed to capture a high point along the Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL) on the Siachen Glacier in June 1987. Prior to this operation, the area had been under the control of ...

(20,500 ft) is the highest post in the region, which requires 80 km and 20 day trek for troops. ''Pahalwan Post'' (about 20,000 ft) and posts near

Indira Col __NOTOC__ Indira Col West () is a mountain pass at altitude on the Indira Ridge of Siachen Muztagh in Karakoram Range. It is on the border between Indian-controlled Siachen Glacier and the Chinese-controlled Trans-Karakoram Tract (both in the d ...

(about 19,000 ft) are other high posts. ''Kumar Post'' or ''Kumar Base'', named after the Colonel Narendra "Bull" Kumar, serves as the battalion head quarter located 60 km from the Siachen base towards Indira Col. The ''Siachen Brigade'' consists of five to eight battalions of

Ladakh Scouts The Ladakh Scouts is a mountain infantry regiment of the Indian Army, nicknamed as the "Snow Warriors" or "Snow Leopards". The regiment specializes in cold-weather warfare and mountain warfare, long-range penetration, maneuver warfare, raiding w ...

supported by artillery, air defence, engineer and other logistic units. Pakistan has not been able to scale the crest of the Saltoro Range occupied by India. The temperature goes down to minus 86 °C during winters with icy 300 kmph

blizzard A blizzard is a severe Winter storm, snowstorm characterized by strong sustained winds and low visibility, lasting for a prolonged period of time—typically at least three or four hours. A ground blizzard is a weather condition where snow th ...

s.Haryanvi Meghdoot who defended the most challenging post in Siachen
The Tribune, 9 Nov 2019. The average temperature is between minus 25 °C during day and minus 55 °C during the night.Everyday is a story: Army officers recall their time at Siachen Glacier
Indian Express, 14 Feb 2016. ''Siachen Base Camp'', which serves the northern and middle Siachen sectors, is one of the 2 bases for the Siachen region, and other base being just west of

Thoise Thoise or Thoise Air Force Station is a military airfield and small village in Nubra region of Ladakh, India, occupying the only large piece of flat land in the area. The airstrip is a critical facility enabling a quick inflow of men and materia ...

Air Base which serves the southern Siachen sector. ''Siachen Base Camp'' has ''Siachen Battle School'' for pre-induction training, orientation and acclimatisation for fresh troops and it is also a launchpad for deployment of the acclimatised troops who are usually deployed on a 2 to 3 month stint on the forward post. The base has helipads, a memorial for martyrs, medical unit etc and it is connected by a motorable road. 12 Wing of Chandigarh AFSB of

Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force (IAF) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the air force, air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during armed conflicts. It was officially established on 8 Octob ...

(IAF) provides helicopter support to the forward posts for the logistics supplies and casualty evacuation by helicopter from air bases at Leh, Thoise and Srinagar, which in turn are supplied by the large transport planes such as C-17 and

C-130 The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed Corporation, Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 w ...

.30 years of the world's coldest war
The Tribune, 13 April 1984. Each post has an artillery officer who are deployed in the rotation of 45 days. India has significant tactical advantage as it occupies most of the higher peaks on the Saltoro Mountain Range in the western sector of Siachen and

Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army (, ), commonly known as the Pak Army (), is the Land warfare, land service branch and the largest component of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The president of Pakistan is the Commander-in-chief, supreme commander of the army. The ...

hold posts only at lower heights of western slopes of the spurs of the Saltoro ridge. For the military operation, to ferry two people and their supplies, a minimum of 2–4 helicopter trips are required. Each helicopter trip cost 35,000 (year 2012). For example, it took 20 days and 200 helicopter trips for the assault team to gather at

Bilafond La Bilafond La (meaning "Pass of the Butterflies" in Balti language), also known as the Saltoro Pass, is a mountain pass situated on Saltoro Ridge, sitting immediately west of the vast Siachen Glacier, some directly north of map point NJ 98042 ...

for the Operation Rajiv in 1987. For every soldier on the combat post, 20 soldiers are needed at the base for replacement training, logistics and support.Siachen Glacier: Battling on the roof of the world
Indian Defence Review, 18 Dec 2018. Until 2013, 26 decorations have been awarded to the Indian soldiers in this sectors, including 1 Paramvir Chakra (PVC), 5

Mahavir Chakra The Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) () is the second highest military Medal, decoration in India, after the Param Vir Chakra, and is awarded for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy, whether on land, at sea or in the air. It replaced ...

and 20

Vir Chakra The Vir Chakra (pronunciation: ʋ iː ɾ a tʃ a kɾa, ) is an Indian wartime military bravery award presented for acts of gallantry on the battlefield, on land or in the air or at sea. It is third in precedence in wartime gallantry awards and ...

to 11 officers and 15 OR of which 9 are posthumous. Additionally, many more

Kirti Chakra The Kirti Chakra () is an Indian military decoration awarded for valour, courageous action or self-sacrifice away from the field of battle. It may be awarded to civilians as well as military personnel, including posthumous awards. It is the ...

Shaurya Chakra The Shaurya Chakra () is an Indian military decoration awarded for valour, courageous action or self-sacrifice while not engaged in direct action with the enemy. It may be awarded to civilians as well as military personnel, sometimes posthum ...

Sena Medal The Sena Medal () is awarded to members of the Indian army, of all ranks, "for such individual acts of exceptional devotion to duty or courage as have special significance for the Army." Awards may be made posthumously and a bar is authorized for ...

and

Vayu Sena Medal The Vayu Sena Medal () is a military decoration, usually awarded in peacetime for a job well done in the Indian Air Force. However, it has been granted during times of conflict for acts of gallantry in the face of enemy, though not in the same n ...

have been awarded in this sectors.

History

Colonel Narendra Bull Kumar took expeditions to the Siachen area in 1978, 1982, 1983 and 1984 to scale

Sia Kangri Sia Kangri (7,422 m, 24,350 ft) is a mountain in the Baltoro Muztagh in the Karakoram. Its summit lies on the border of Pakistan and China. About a kilometer southeast of the Sia Kangri summit is the tri point where territories controlled ...

(24,350 feet) and

and

Saltoro Kangri Saltoro Kangri, previously known as Peak 36, stands as the highest peak within the Saltoro Mountains subrange, which is part of the larger Karakoram range. This subrange is also referred to as the Saltoro Range and is situated within the Karakor ...

-I (25,400 feet), and skied to

Sia La Sia La is a mountain pass situated on Saltoro Ridge, in Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan some north-northwest of map point NJ9842 which defined the end of the 1972 Line of Control between India and Pakistan as part of the Simla Agreement. Sia L ...

and Turkistan La. This area was captured by India in 1984 in Operation Meghdoot to preempt Pakistan's Operation Ababeel. In 1987, Operation Rajiv was launched to successfully capture Quaid Post from Pakistan which was renamed to Bana Post by India. The Quaid Post was manned by soldiers of the Shaheen Company (3rd commando battalion), a part of Pakistan's Special Services Group. It was commanded by

Subedar Subedar ( ) is a military rank in the militaries of South Asia roughly equivalent to that of a warrant officer. Historically classed in the British Indian Army as a Viceroy's commissioned officer, the rank was retained in the Indian Army an ...

Ataullah Mohammed.

Tourism

India allows several tourist and civilian activities in Siachen area. To exploit the potential for tourism, the government is making ongoing efforts to improve connectivity.Siachen, world's highest battlefield, now open for tourists
Economic Times, 21 Oct 2019. It is part of the Bharat Ranbhoomi Darshan initiative of the Indian Military which will boost border tourism, patriotism, local infrastructure and economy while reversing civilian outward migration from these remote locations, it entails 77 battleground war memorials in border area including the '' Longewala War Memorial, Sadhewala War Memorial,The Story Of Tanot Mata, The Deity Who Protected Our Soldiers From Pakistani Bombs In 1971 War
India Times, 16 Dec 2020. Siachen base camp,

Kargil Kargil or Kargyil is a City in Indian-administered Ladakh in the disputed Kashmir region. The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute is supported by the WP:TERTIARY, tert ...

, Galwan,

Pangong Tso Pangong Tso or Pangong Lake (; zh, s=班公错, p=Bān gōng cuò; ) is an endorheic lake spanning eastern Ladakh and Ngari Prefecture, West Tibet situated at an elevation of . It is long and divided into five sublakes, called ''Pangong Tso' ...

Rezang La Rezang La iarchive:dli.pahar.3148/page/n1413, Note given by the Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi, to the Embassy of China in India, 26 July 1963. "The location of Rezang La (E 78° 51' 10" N 33° 25' 30" []) is well known... " is a moun ...

, Doklam, Bum La, Cho_La_(Sikkim_and_Tibet), Cho La, Kibithu, etc.Add Galwan, Siachen to holiday plan. India is opening battle tourism bunker
India Today, 15 Jan 2025. There is a recurring planned annual civilian expedition from Siachen Base Camp to Indira Ridge, Indira Col and other features. India has opened up the entire area from ''Siachen Base Camp'' at 12,000 ft to Kumar Post at 15,000 ft for the regular tourism for the civilians. Bana Post at 20,500 ft will remain off limit to tourists. Temperatures drop to below minus 60 degrees celsius during the winter. Until 2010, civilian tourists were permitted only in the

Nubra Valley Nubra, also called Dumra, is a historical region of Ladakh, India that is currently administered as a subdivision and a tehsil in the Leh district. Its inhabited areas form a tri-armed valley cut by the Nubra and Shyok rivers. Its Tibetan nam ...

up to Panamik. Since 2010 tourist have been permitted in the Shyok Valley up to

Turtuk Turtuk is a village and the headquarters of an eponymous Community development block in India, community development block in the Indian union territory of Ladakh. It is a small village sandwiched between the Karakoram, Karakorum Range and the ...

and beyond to Tyakshi near the LOC and further to Thang; these three villages and Chulunkha were captured from Pakistan by India in Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. From 2019, medically fit civilians below the age of 45 are allowed up to Kumar Base (15,000 ft) on a 30-day trek organised by Army Adventure Cell in August–September, during which tourists go through the highly altitude conditioning at Leh Base, Siachen Base and forward staging posts, at the end of which they undertake a 9-day return trek from Siachen Base to Kumar Base 60 km away.Siachen Glacier open to tourists! Everything you must know before visiting world's highest battlefield
Financial Express, 26 October 2019.

References

{{reflist

External links

* http://realitycheck.wordpress.com/2007/07/30/media-whining-will-demoralize-our-forces/ * http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/india-news/us-army-chief-to-visit-siachen-base-camp_100107682.html * http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/Army/Galleries/main.php?g2_itemId=1272 * https://web.archive.org/web/20111008183632/http://www.siachenglacier.com/ * http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/india/document/papers/pm_June05.htm * http://www.indianexpress.com/news/at-siachen-casualties-come-to-all-time-low/371756/ * http://www.team-avalanche.com/forum/index.php?topic=36.0 Indian Army bases Siachen conflict

History

Tourism

See also

References

External links