Laparoscopy Lancers

MT Everest has always been a dream peak for any mountaineer but it was never in my farthest of the thoughts that a petty mortal like me would ever scale this mighty a mountain.
I am an Alumnus of Our Lady of the snows high school, passed 10th standard in 1992. Completed my MBBS degree from IGMC Shimla.

I was commissioned in the Indian Navy on 21 Jan 2002 as Surgeon Lieutenant and subsequently became a member of the Mt Everest expedition team the very next year. It all began when I volunteered for basic mountaineering course which I completed with exceptional performance from DMAS Manali (Mountaineering Institute). I was chosen to be expedition doctor in the pre-everest expeditions in the Siachin Mountains and Garhwal Himalayas. The Expedition was named “Sagar Se Sagarmatha” as we were a team that originated from the sea soldiers and in Nepal Mt Everest is respectfully called Sagarmatha. In the preparation of the expedition we climbed Mt Kamet & Abhigamin and Mt Saser Kangri IV and did two winter training in the Siachen glacier. The season for our endeavor was chosen in the first opening of the year 2004 ie May-June as during these months the Mighty Everest is a bit calm and human friendly. The route of ascent was decided to climb from the North Col that is via Tibet. It is pertinent to mention here that the Mt Everest lies in the border of Nepal and Tibet and the Northen route is supposed to be the most difficult route of ascent. This is so as here the climb is mainly on rock and Ice which makes it difficult to climb using crampons (metal spiked shoe grip).

The expedition was flagged off from a Submarine at 150 meters sea depth somewhere in the Arabian Sea by the then Hon”able Defence Minister Mr George Fernandez. The Journey started from a submarine off Goa to Nepal via Delhi. From Nepal we drove to the Tibet borders after the official clearances. It was a 4 halt journey to the Everest base camp by road – now that’s not a good Idea to reach an altitude of 17,500 feet in a land rover as you will not acclimatize in this rapid ascent. From the Nepalese side it is a 10-12 days acclimatized walk to the southern base camp that acclimatizes you well. On 17th April we reached the base camp after doing height gaining on every previous break in the road journey (height gaining means climbing upto 1000-1500 feet with load of 20-22 kg on your back every alternate day). And lo there rose the Mighty mountain in all black and white with a golden stole across its torso clearly showing itself till its feet as if saying “there I am, but I only will decide who can conquer me and not you or your climbing skills”.

The base camp was full of expedition teams from all over the world. That season about 60 teams reached there and all had different goals, some were for the highest peak some for lower camps others for the North Col and some for the base camp only. We have 6 camps to the summit at various altitudes depicted in the diagram.



Establishing these camps is painful as it takes a lot of load ferrying on your back however it pays by increasing your endurance. The plan of climbing this particular giant is totally different than the routine high peaks. First we do serial height gains reaching as high as 8,300 meters and climbing all the way back. This effort takes about 20 days and causes most of the unseasoned climbers to wear out. Again a period of rest and recuperation for 9-10 days at base camp and then the final summit climb begins with night halt at each of the six camps.

After all the load ferrying and establishing of the higher camps the final assault began on the 13th of May. The team of 6 climbers was shortlisted with three on the first day and three to follow the next day in leapfrogging manner. Incidentally or as per design the first team comprised of all three medical people. I was made the leader of the assault team as it is called along with two medical assistants. The final assault started on 18 may 2004 from camp 6 at 1 am after a light breakfast of sattu and tea made from fresh melted snow using portable butane gas canisters. The climb was treacherous as it was almost vertical climb in the initial about 300 meters, climbing on rock face with snow boots and crampons on. We carried two ultra light weight oxygen cylinders, climbing gear and emergency kit weighing about 12 kg each. At this high a altitude these 12kg felt like 50 kg load on an asthma patient as for each step we had to breathe 2-3 times. The temperatures were much below freezing point causing icicles formation in the nostrils, it was an awesome feeling. All the technical climbing you must have seen in the movies is not possible here cos of the altitude. On reaching the altitude of 8,750 meters we saw he most horrific view, bodies of the yester year’s mountaineers lying by the route. Bodies we saw were all curled up as if trying to conserve heat with hair and skin marbled white. But this site did not really shook us courtesy our profession or probably due to the stunted rational thinking that happens in the altitude more than 8,000 meters.

I summited at 08:30 hours (Chinese time) and spent about 35 minutes on the top of the world clicking the most memorable pictures and some video clips. I really did not have any special feelings that the magazines and newspapers expressed on my behalf the day after. What I was really thinking was what all the mountaineers think or should think on reaching the top – how shall be my journey back to the base camp. Climbing down on such a steep slope wearing the most uncomfortable footwear over a terrain of rock and ice with a fall of 3,000 meters really needs a thought.
Many celebrations followed with lots of media coverage. Met the then honorable President of India Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. I became the first doctor in the world to scale the Mt Everest. I was awarded Nao Sena Medal (Gallantry) and I became celebrity in the Army Medical Core. Later I took premature retirement an am presently doing private practice at Kullu (HP).

Surgeon Commander Viking Bhanoo
MS, DNB, FMAS, FIAGES, MNAMS, FALS
Ex Surgeon Commander (Indian Navy)