Giripremi To Celebrate International Mountain Day In City

November 12, 2017

Snow capped peak of Mount Manaslu in Nepal

International Mountain Day will be celebrated in the city on December 11.

In an effort to encourage Puneites to appreciate the natural beauty of the mountains,
city-based mountaineering organisation, Giripremi, is organising a ten-day festival from from December 2 to 11 to celebrate the mountains.

“We have planned several activities for the ten-day celebration which will take place around the city. This is the first of its kind in Pune.

We were celebrating International Mountain Day every year, but this year we decided to do it on a grand scale. We will also be holding several talks, workshops and seminars during the festival,” states Umesh Zirpe, senior mountaineer and expedition leader, Giripremi.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of United Nations decided that the theme for this year’s Mountain Day is climate change, hunger and migration in the mountain region. According to FAO, about 600 million people, or one in 10 people, live in the mountains. They further claim that people living in the mountainous regions are chronically undernourished due to poverty and political marginalisation.

As part of the schedule, there will be a Mountain Film Festival held at Abasaheb Garware College’s auditorium. A rock climbing event between Umberkhind and Duke’s Nose will also be organised. It will help participants understand Netaji Palkar, commander in chief under Shivaji Maharaj who fought the Mughals. An online photography contest wherein participants can send in their original mountain photographs will also be held till November 30.

On the eve of The International Mountain Day, a Mountain Run will be organised at ARAI Hill. This run will see participants of varying ages running in different categories. On December 11, a mountain worship activity will take place at Hanuman Tekdi.

“For the main day, we will have veteran Sherpas attending the event. Dorchi Sherpa, who is a seven-time Mount Everest mountaineer and a 24-time climber of eight different eight-thousander mountains, will be present.

Along with him, attending the festival will be Mingma Sherpa, Furba Sherpa and Tenzing Sherpa, a five-time and two-time Everest summiteer and an eight-thousander summiteer respectively,” explains Zirpe.