A special event was recently organized around rock climbing at Shushunia Hills. The event was jointly hosted by The Paharia Group, IMF East Zone, the West Bengal Department of Youth Welfare’s Mountaineering Division, and the West Bengal Mountaineers and Trekkers Association. A total of 56 senior mountaineers and climbing enthusiasts were honored.
The occasion celebrated the 60th anniversary of the first rock climbing course in Bengal. Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary had first scaled Everest in 1953. Seven years later, in 1960, a Bengali schoolteacher, Sukumar Roy, led India’s first successful civilian expedition to Nanda Ghunti.
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This historic achievement inspired more Bengalis to pursue mountaineering. Sukumar Roy took the responsibility of training young Bengali climbers. Along with local supporters, he worked to make Shushunia Hills in Bankura suitable for rock climbing. The first rock climbing course was held in 1965, and this event marked its 60-year milestone.
