Giripremi to climb 8000 m Mt. Annapurna in April

Umesh Zirpe

3/1/2020

PUNE: Giripremi, who is on the quest to climb all 14 8000er meters mountain in the world, launches an eighth 8000er meters mountain expedition on the occasion of New Year. A team of four mountaineers led by Umesh Zirpe will climb Mt. Annapurna (8091 meters), the tenth highest mountain in the world in March- April 2020.

Ushaprabha Page (Founder- President, Giripremi), Anand Palande (Founder- Trustee, Giripremi), Umesh Zirpe (Leader, Mt. Annapurna I Expedition 2020) along with the climbing team announced the expedition in Press Conference in Pune. Umesh Zirpe (Veteran Mountaineer and Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Awardee, is a veteran mountaineer who has 40 years of experience in the mountaineering field will lead this expedition. Along with leading Giripremi’s all seven 8000er expeditions, Umesh has led more than 40 expeditions in Himalaya. The government of Maharashtra has honored him with the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Award for his excellent contribution to the mountaineering field.
 

The climbing team of the expedition consists of Ashish Mane (Summitter of five 8000er meters mountains including Mt. Everest), Bhushan Harshe (Mt. Everest and Mt. Kangchenjunga Summitter) and Jitendra Gaware (Mt. Kangchenjunga Summitter). Umesh Zirpe, the leader of Giripremi’s 8000er meters mountain expeditions, will lead Mt. Annapurna I Expedition 2020. It is his eighth consecutive expedition as a leader.

Zirpe explained the details of the expedition. He said, “After the enormous success of Mt. Everest in 2012, we had been constantly asked by people, what next? After Mt. Everest Expedition, Giripremi envisioned to climb all 14 8000er meters mountain in the world. We are already halfway there. Our teams reached the summit of seven 8000er meters mountain in last seven years including Mt. Everest (the world’s highest mountain) in 2012, Mt. Lhotse (the world’s fourth-highest mountain) in 2013, Mt Makalu (the world’s fifth highest mountain) in 2014, Mt. Cho Oyu (the world’s sixth-highest mountain) & Mt. Dhaulagiri (the world’s seventh highest mountain) in 2016, Mt. Manaslu (the world’s eighth highest mountain) in 2017 and Mt.

Kangchenjunga (the world’s third-highest mountain) in 2019. Now we have planned an expedition on Mt. Annapurna I (the world’s tenth highest mountain) located in Nepal. The mountain stands tall with a height of 8091 meters and is known as one of the toughest mountains to climb across the globe. Giripremi’s three experienced and skilled climbers will climb Mt. Annapurna I in March- April 2020.”

Page said, “8000er meters mountain expeditions are arduous and posses several challenges in front of the climbers. However, Giripemi’s mountaineers are trained, skilled and experienced to negotiate such challenges and climb the mountain successfully. Our mountaineers are doing it astoundingly in every expedition. I am confident that they will continue this trend in Mt. Annapurna I Expedition 2020.” Page also stressed on the fund-raising part of the expedition. She said that Giripremi is the only organization in the country which organizes 8000er meters expeditions continuously. These expeditions need huge funds, and raising it is a daunting task.

Mt. Annapurna I Expedition 2020 has a budget of 60 lakh rupees. Page urged people to support the expedition by donating money for the expedition. Palande said, “The motto of organizing such expeditions to inculcate mountaineering in society. Giripremi is doing it for more than three decades. Such sports and activities help to build a courageous society.”