The Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling. Picture by Suman Tamang

Darjeeling, April 1: A joint Indo-Bangladesh team under the aegis of Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI), Darjeeling, is getting ready to summit Mt Makalu, the fifth highest peak in the world. No Indian team has ever scaled this mountain.

The 16-member team comprising two women, Nishat Mazumdar from Bangladesh and Major Linyu who will also double as the doctor of the team, will be led by Col Neeraj Rana, the principal of the HMI.

“The team will also have Khalid Md and Nishat Mazumdar from Bangladesh apart from three Everesters including Kusang Sherpa (who has summitted the highest peak five times),” Rana told The Telegraph. The team leader and 11 members are expected to try and reach the top at 27,977ft.

The team will be leaving for Kathmandu on Friday. After an overnight halt in the Nepal capital, it will fly to Tumlingtar on the Nepal-China border. “From there, the team will trek for nine days on foot to the base camp located at 15,700ft,” said Rana.

Makalu is considered more challenging than Mt Everest, which is around 29,000ft high and records show that only five of the first 16 attempts had been successful. “This is because Makalu is not only very steep, but has to be climbed mostly along the ridges. The wind is harsher compared to Kanchenjungha and Everest,” said Dorji Lhatoo, an Everester.

Col Neeraj Rana, the principal of the HMI

As early as 1954, an American team led by William Siri had first attempted to scale the peak. Around the same time, another New Zealand team which included Sir Edmund Hillary — the first man to climb Mt Everest —tried scaling it, but in vain.

It was only in May 1, 1955 that a French expedition led by Jean Franco could send Lionel Terray and Jean Couzy to the top for the first time.

The Indo-Bangladesh team is hopeful that they will be able to scale the peak sometime during the second week of May. “We will set up camps at 18,200ft, 20,700ft, 24,100ft and finally at 26,200ft,” said Rana.

Preparation for the expedition had started last year. “In August, the team scaled Mt Gangotri, followed by a winter camp at the base and around Mt Karbu in West Sikkim,” said Rana. The expedition is expected to cost about Rs 1.9 crore.