LAND ACTIVITIES

Mountaineering   The lure of mountains beckons the weather-beaten adventurers time and again. Mountaineering is the most popular adventure activity in the Army. After the first successful ascent of Mt Everest (8848m) in 2001 under the leadership of Brig K Kumar, AVSM, the Indian Army mountaineers have blazed a trail of kaleidoscopic achievements in this field. Our mountaineers summitted Annapurna-I (8091m) in 2002, both Everest & Lhotse (8516m) in 2003, Kanchenjunga (8586m) in 2004,an exclusive Army Women Expedition to Everest in 2005, Mt Cho Oyu in 2006, Dhaulagiri in 2009, Manaslu in 2010 and several other peaks in India. The Basic & Advanced mountaineering courses are conducted at Army Mountaineering Institute at the Siachen Base Camp. The Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) Uttarkashi and the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI) Darjeeling are two institutes which function directly under the aegis of MoD and offer vacancies to the Army in the Basic and Advanced Courses conducted by them every year. Trekking (including High Altitude Trek)   Curiosity - thy name is mankind. Exploring nooks and corners, fathoming the unfathomable, going deep in the caves, ravines and dense undergrowth, nearly always conjures up something challenging further endeavors. Besides providing thrills of exploring unknown areas, these activities also help in gaining valuable information on terrain. An hither-to-fore restricted place like siachen glacier has been opened for all citizens to explore in the form of annual civilian siachen trek. This trek is organized in the month of September every year since 2007. Motor Sports Cycles, motorcycles, four wheelers; name the vehicle and you will find rallyists from the Army in the forefront. A number of endurance feats mark their achievements. After being a regular participant in Himalayan Car Rallies, Army team had stopped taking part in car rallies. However, with Raid-de-Himalaya 2004, Indian Army has made a notable comeback in the field of Motorsports by winning overall trophy in both categories of four wheelers, many times over. Mountain Terrain Biking   MTB is a sport which translates the normal activity of cycling into the realms of adventure and takes the individual into the far reaches of the mountains. This sport involves extreme levels of alertness and expertise in handling of the bicycle, which in this case is a ruggedized model of the simple bicycle that we see on the streets. MTB Node at Raiwala is co-located with WWR Node where Army MTB Team is trained for various competition. Each Command HQ holds MTBs for enabling units under their jurisdiction to undertake this adventure activity. Currently, the Army teams hold the unique distinction of having won both Himachal and Kanchenjunga MTB championships, the two most prestigious events of repute. Land Yachting   Land Yachting is a fast evolving popular sport the world over. It involves the use of sails put on a 3 - wheeled craft to maneuver over flat stretches of ground. As a Pioneering step forward to introduce this sport in India the Army Adventure Wing has set up a Land Yachting node at Bhuj, Gujrat. Sport Climbing   The art of climbing natural rock faces has always attracted the enthusiastic trekker and the mountaineer. Over the years, to satiate the urge of climbers, artificial Rock climbing walls have been designed. These are specialized structures which offer varying levels of difficulty for the climbing sport. Distinct from rock climbing, this adventure sport is called ‘Sport Climbing’. Army Adventure Wing has a nodal centre for Sport Climbing at Wellington, being managed by the Madras Regimental Centre which conducts the Basic and Advanced courses.

AQUA ACTIVITIES

White Water Rafting   Down a roller-coaster the deafening roar of a milling gallons of water matched only by the fury of your heartbeat crashing across rapids with only a raft makes White Water Rafting one of the most thrilling sports. There are several White Water Rafting training nodal centres in the Army namely AANC’s Raiwala, Burdong, Aalong, Nimmu (Leh) and Belgaum. Besides conducting several WWR expeditions Army rafters have won national championships and represented India in World Cup Rafting championships. Scuba Diving   Deep blue waters away from humanity in alien surroundings in the depths of the oceans are a whole new world of marine and submarine life. Scuba diving is another adventure sport which has kindled the spirits of many enthusiasts in the Army. Special Forces Training School at Nahan has been running the nodal center wherein they conduct a six weeks course with training being carried out at Port Blair, Andamans. Diving is enjoyed by all kinds of people all over the world. It is a challenging activity that requires a high degree of physical fitness and ability to withstand change of pressure. Wind Surfing   Wind surfing has been described as a medley of sailing-ballet-gymnastics and self-expression more reminiscent of acrobatics than water sports. Army Adventure Nodes at Kota and Army Air Defence College, Gopalpur have been providing a yeoman service in introducing Army personnel to this sport. Blue Water Sailing   Blue Water Sailing has always been luring the adventurers from times immemorial. Gliding across the water with the breeze blissful in its serenity, it gives a feeling of exhilaration and freedom. ‘Trishna - Around the World Cruise’ made waves in 1987. Corps of Engineers and EME have been at the forefront in undertaking challenging trans-oceanic expeditions on a regular basis. A Blue Water Sailing Node is functional at Marve, Mumbai and is managed by CME, Pune.

AERO ACTIVITIES

Sky Diving   Another visage of the indomitable spirit of mankind is the free fall sky divers.They make breathtaking vignettes against the backdrop of the azure skies. The 50 Independent Parachute Brigade at Agra manages the AANC (Sky Diving) and conducts skydiving demonstrations all over the country. A new Skydiving Node has been opened at Jorhat (Assam) where First Army Adventure Course was conducted in March 2012. Training courses in basic Skydiving are envisioned in the near future, once the instructors in this daredevil sport are ready. Presently, the Node conducts refresher Sky diving courses as and when the air effort for the same is managed by AAW. These courses are for those Army personnel who are trained in sky diving with sport canopies. Para Sailing   Parasailing offers the thrill of being in air. Army Adventure Nodal Centre (Parasailing) at AOC Center, Secundrabad has been established for imparting ‘Method of Instruction Training’ to Army personnel to enable them to conduct this activity in the Command Nodes safely. The joys of doing parasailing for a novice are immense and it provides immediate experience to aerial activity and is extremely thrilling for someone who has never been up in the air. Parasailing has been now decentralized to Command level keeping in view its popularity. Para Gliding   Paragliding in true essence is flying like a bird. It is one of the most thrilling and satisfying adventure sport. India has abundance of natural sites for conduct of paragliding. Army has established four training Nodes - one each at Shillong, Ahmednagar, Pithoragarh and Alhilal. Army paragliding pilots have been regularly participating in the National and international events. Paramotor Flying   Paramotors provide the experience of powered paragliding, whereas in paragliding one needs a height to launch. To take off with the help of paramotors one can do so even from level ground itself in the gentle breeze. Army paramotor pilots have conducted a historic ‘Kashmir to Kanyakunari - Paramotor Expedition’ which has established several national records. Army has two nodes for Paramotor flying training i.e. AANC (Paramotor), 50 (I) Parachute Brigade, at Agra and AANC (Paramotor), Parachute Regimental Training Centre, Bangalore. Hang Gliding   The deep blue skies, the azure orbit above, not a speck in the sky and not a care in the world. One witnesses the awe-inspiring spectacle of Hang gliding on landscapes of Deccan Plateau. The AANC (Hang Gliding) located at School of Artillery, Deolali, Maharashtra, conducts Basic and Intermediate courses of four weeks duration in Hang Gliding. A very popular activity, it draws volunteers from all ranks. Current advancements in the field of aero sports has witnessed new techniques being incorporated in Hang Gliding by way of ‘powered harness’ which reduces the dependence on wind. Microlight Flying & Powered Hang Gliding    The dream and capability to fly like a bird is not only restricted to only a few people and Air Force, as is evident from the huge numbers of volunteers from all ranks who seek participation. Dare-devils flying the juggernauts pit skills against thrills. Training nodes for these activities are at Military College of Telecommunication Engineering (MCTE), Mhow, M.P and Officers Training Academy, Gaya, Bihar. These Nodes not only train the Army pilots but plan, coordinate and conduct various expeditions across the country. Hot Air Ballooning (HAB)   A feeling of ethereal peace, enchantment and the thrill of floating through the skies is what ballooning symbolizes. Indian Army has brought ballooning to the forefront of Indian adventure. Presently most of the Indian records are held by the Army HAB Team. 3 EME Centre at Bhopal and Jammu and Kashmir Rifles, Regimental Centre (JAK RRC), Jabalpur have the responsibility of training Army pilots in Hot Air Ballooning.The most visible of the adventure activities, HAB has progressed by leaps and bounds. The pilots now have the capability to fly during the night, in HAA and continuously. A number of expeditions have been undertaken by the balloonists in the trans-Indian peninsula.