A team from the National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports (NIMAS) set a record by pedalling the entire 1,040km stretch of the Brahmaputra river in India from Gelling village in Arunachal Pradesh to Hatsingimari on the Assam-Bangladesh border.

NIMAS is a premier institution at Dirang, Arunachal Pradesh, to train individuals in a wide spectrum of adventure sports.

“The expedition took 28 days to complete with 25 days of intense pedalling while we needed three days for equipment maintenance,” said Col. Ranveer Singh Jamwal, team leader and director of NIMAS.

The expedition held under the aegis of the ministry of defence had started on January 14 and concluded on February 10. The team comprised nine rafters and a 14-member support group that was joined by six local rafters in Arunachal Pradesh and four in Assam.

Members of the NIMAS team

“On average, we would cover around 50km every day and it would take us anything between six and eight hours,” Col. Jamwal told The Telegraph.

At times, the team covered 70km a day.

The expedition that started from Gelling village on the Siang river — as the Brahmaputra is known in Arunachal Pradesh — was challenging from the start because of fierce rapids.

“For four consecutive days, the team faced relentless challenges, including dangerous flips that tested the rafters’ mettle,” said Col Jamwal, who climbed Mount Everest three times in 2012, 2013 and 2016. He was the recipient of the Tenzing Norgay Adventure Award, the country’s highest recognition in the field.

The Brahmaputra enters India from Tibet at Gelling village and the route is known for a series of internationally challenging rapids, including the turbulent Ningging, Palsi, Tooth Fairy, Kodak and Hairy Hari rapids.

If the Arunachal leg was about negotiating rapids, the Assam leg that started from Poba on January 22 was about pedalling the vast and powerful riverine system.

The expedition demanded months of strategic preparations, risk assessment and team coordination. “Conceiving such a monumental adventure and turning it into a reality was no mean task. It required not only physical readiness but relentless planning and leadership. Watching this dream unfold is a moment of immense pride,” said Col. Jamwal.

“The expedition was the first such documented effort to pedal the entire stretch of the Brahmaputra river in India,” said Col. Jamwal.