Mission & Vision

Vision of Ladakh Mountaineering & Adventure Club as a body is to inculcate love for mountaineers in general and mountains of Ladakh in particular. Addressing its vision to all age groups and people from every field of profession, the club has a very broad vision to enhance mountaineering in Ladakh & beyond. LMAC has no commercial interest in running the organization thus keeping itself purely as a body of on profit and as body of mountaineering lovers & impart training to the youth of Ladakh in the field of mountaineering so that they are able to seek employment & do business like expedition agency, mountaineering guide, Travel agency, expedition leader, liasion officer & search & rescue agency.

On the basis of above the Govt. of J&K granted it a status of registered society under Registration number 1896-S of 1992 under the J&K Societies Registration Act VI of 1998 (1941 AD) for conducting adventure activities & training in mountaineering and mountain expedition. This recognition is a step toward a legitimate & long term promotion of mountaineering, tourism & other adventure activities in Ladakh.

Since its inception in 1992 LMAC as part of its objectives conducted several treks, rock climbing courses & demonstration .Such courses were also conducted in collaboration with ITBP , ITBF, University of Ladakh, Colleges & School educational institutions in Ladakh. Till now we have conducted more than 35 events . 16th May 1993 is a historic day of LMAC for organizing inaugural day function which was inaugurated by than DC Leh Sh. A.K Angorana, IAS. In this event more than 100 people were on the invited list of LMAC. Almost all of them were participated. They included prominent leaders, citizens of Shey, Govt Officers including Army Officers, Para Military, leaders representing all community of Shey village. Beside this general public of Shey village also participated in the function. Then DC Leh Sh. A. K Angorana (IAS) was the Chief Guest on the occasion. It was a brief & impressive gathering. Inaugural address was presented by Sh. S. Wangyal Hero. Others speakers included DC Leh.

With a view to consolidate & for the convenience of the young people who want to participate in trainings, the LMAC acquired a rock face and joining land at Shey Smanla on lease basis with the help of LAHDC & the Govt. of J&K. Being near Leh, the rock face is a very good location for training skills of rock climbing . Rock formation at the site is very unique. According to technique application, there are12 rock faces which can be used to impart basic & advance mountaineering courses.

Subsequent to this, plans were drawn by ITDC ( India Tourism Development Corporation), for" A Mountaineering Institute Campus " at this location. This Institute for mountaineering envisaged to provide accommodation for the classroom, dormitory accommodation, offices, equipment stores, kitchen, toilets & the main office of the club. The accommodation is on a limited scale with at least 40 - 60 students/ participants. Further details are as under:-

1. Well ventilated, spacious & centrally heated lecture rooms with modern projections & e- learning facilities.

2. Administrative block

3. Well furnished, spacious & centrally heated hostels for boys & girls with adequate during faciliticies

4. Well stocked libraries

5. Guest house for participants with 15 suites

6. Playground & basket/ volleyball courts, table tennis

7. Parking area

8. Helipad

The LMAC has conducted adventure course from 27th to 31st October 2019 for the 20 students of Jamyang School Leh ( both Boys & Girls) as the trainees. Subsequently 10 days rock climbing courses for the students of University of Ladakh (both Boys & Girls)continously for the last 3 years from 2022 to 2024. LMAC Leh has MOU with University of Ladakh for conducting rock climbing course for the student of Physical Education Department University of ladakh.

The purposed Institute will conduct regular courses both( Basic and Advance course) in mountaineering & allied sports, skill development &search & rescue courses in due course of time.

The purpose Institute's organizational structure will be as under.

• Governing body (Executive Broad)

• Principal

• Vice principal

• Director/ Registrar

• Chief Instructor

• Instructors

• Office staff

The other departments will be comprised of Training and Equipment, Search and Rescue, Administration , Hostals and Medical. Total strength of the organization will be comprised of 35 staff.

Founding Members of the LMAC

1.  Sh. Sonam Wangyal    Govt. Service

2.  Sh. Sonam Dawa            Retd. Enginer            

3.  Sh. Sonam Paljor             Govt.  Service

4. Sh. Sonam Wangyal        Retd. Govt. Officer

5. Sh. E. S. Gergan                  Pvt. Service

6. Sh. Tsering Nurbu            Govt. Service

7. Sh. Lobzang Rinchen      Govt. Service 

8. Sh. R.  Mutup Kalon          Bussiness

9. Sh. Urgain  Loondup         Govt. Service

10. Sh. Abdul  Hakim                Govt. Service 

11. Sh. Tsering  Norphel          Govt. Service

12. Sh. T. S Banghu                       Govt. Service

Sonam Wangyal

Chairman/President of LMAC

First youngest man to climbed Mt. Everest in1965

Awarded: Padma Shri, Arjuna Award, Sangram Medal, Indian Police medal, IMF Gold Medal

Sonam Wangyal (born 1942) is a former Indian paramilitary personal and mountaineer who climbed Mount Everest in 1965 at the age 23, making him the youngest summiteer. He was one of the nine summiteers of the first successful Indian Everest in May 1965 led by Captain M S Kholi. He is the 3rd Indian man, and 18th man in world, to have climbed Mount Everest. On 22 May 1965 , the first time that the oldest (Sonam Gyatso at age 42) and the youngest (Sonam Wangyal at age 23) climbed Everest together.

He born on 8 January 1942 in Tukcha in Ladakh, Sonam read upto Matriculation in the Government High School at Leh before joining the Ministry of Home Affairs in 1959.

Totally involved with mountain climbing, Sonam's first major success was in Ladakh itself. the peak under his scrutiny was khanglacha. This was in 1962. He attentedthe basic course at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI)in 1963 and the same year climbed the Hathi Parbhat (22,000 ft) in the Garhwal Himalyas. The following year he climbed Rathong with the Pre- Everest Expedition. Then came the historic 1965 Indian Everest Expedition where he was one of the nine men to reach the top.

It was tough going for this mountainer from Ladakh as he spent two nights at the last camp (altitude 28,000 ft) without oxygen and had to cross the Khambu Ice Fails 16 times. Infact he was participated in 19 expeditions.His most well known expedition was under Major Harsh Bahugana, which made an attempt on Sasar Kangri(7,672 metres) in 1970.

Acknowledgeed as among the best brains in mountain climbing, Sonam Wangyal was Principal of Sonam Gyatso Mountaineering Institute, in Gangtok. He was the leader of the Home Ministry expedition which put 21 and 19 members on top the Lama Angden mountain in 1982.

He also led the Khanglacha Expedition in 1981 and put 14 members on top the peak without any specialised equipment.

Rigzen Dolker

Awarded : 2 Limca World Record, Raksha Mantri Padauk, J&K state award

Rigzen Dolker is a first and only woman Everester from Tertsey village of Nubra Valley. She summited the Mt. Everest in 2016 through NCC Girls cadet team. She did schooling at Moravian Mission School Leh and Army Public School, phyang.

She scaled some peaks like Mt. Rhenok peak, Mt. Stok Kangri, Mt. Mentok Kangri, Mt. Deo Tibba and Mt. Trishul. She is also Khelo India Curling player. At present , She is working with Indain Mountaineering Foundation and as a Vice Chairman of Ladakh Mountaineering & Adventure Club.

Urgain Loondup

Urgain Loondup was born on 15th December 1957 in a humble family of Goba in Tegar village of Nubra Valley. Urgain Loondup did his Graduction in humanitarain subject in the year 1978 from M.A.M College Jammu and Post Graduation in History subject from University of Jammu. He also remained as President of all Ladakh Student Union Jammu in 1979 and 1980.

He has joined Govt. Service on 5th Sept, 1981 as Tourist Officer Ladakh and was stationed at the Tourist Reception Center in Srinagar.

His name appeared in ''Lonely Planet Travel Guide'' published from Australia for providing information to Tourist travelling from Srinager to Ladakh by Air and Road. He has worked in the J&K Tourism Department for 32 years at various places like Leh, Kargil, Zangskar, Kashmir, Jammu and New Delhi in various capacities like Tourist Officer, Assistant Director Tourism , Dy. Director Tourism and Chief Executive Officer- Tourism Department Authority of Leh and Kargil. He also work as Depty Geranal Manager JKTDC Jammu.

Urgain Loondup was inducted into Kashmir Administrative Service in 2010.Now he is a retired KAS.

Urgain Loondup has retired from Government Service on 31st Dec.2017 as General Manager DIC Leh at the rank of Joint Director/ Addl Secretary. He is one of the founding members of Ladakh Mountaineering & Adventure Club Leh. There he worked as Secretary of the Club (voluntarily on Honorary & Ex Officio Basis ) right from the inception of the Club in 1992. During the period, he helped the Club to organize & conduct successfully various adventure activities like rock climbing ,trekking, river crossing, river rafting etc. to the school children & youth of Ladakh. His contribution & achievement in serving the society of Ladakh is on the record of Ladakh Mountaineering & Adventure Club Leh.

Jigmat Dachen

Dr. Jigmat Dachen is working as a senior grade Assistant Professor at the University of Ladakh with 14 years of teaching experience at the university level. He served for 10 years at the University of Kashmir and has been associated with the University of Ladakh for the past 5 years.

Alongside his academic contributions, Dr. Dachen has played an active role in organizing and conducting sports- related activities within the University. He has rich experience in coordinating and managing sports events and, for the last three consecutive years, has been successfully coordinating the Rock Climbing Course for the students of the University of Ladakh in collaboration with the Ladakh Mountaineering and Adventure Club (LMAC).

Rigzin Motup Kalon

Rigzin Motup Kalon, one of Founding Member members of LMAC, was born on 14th January 1947 in Changspa Village of Leh City.

He qualified his first BA part 1st Year from MAM Collage Jammu in1969. He left BA part 2nd Year studies in1970 & joined SSB in December 1970 as Circle Organisor & was promoted to the rank of Sub Area Organisor in 1977.

While serving in SSB during 1978-1979, he did the following courses in Mountaineering.

1. Basic Mountaineering Course from Himalayan Institute of Mountaineering(HIM) Darjeeling.

2. Advance Mountaineering Course from Nehru Institute of Mountaineering(NIM) Uttarakhand.

Sonam Wangchuk

Colonel Sonam Wangchuk, MVC(retd),is an Indian Army veteran and Kargil War hero known as the '' Lion of Ladakh''. During the Kargil conflict in 1999, he was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra, India's second- highest military decoration, for his exceptional gallantry. He was born on 11th May 1964 at Sankar village at Leh. Sonam Wangchuk was commissioned in to the 4th Battalian of the Assam Regiment in 1987. He later served with the Ladakh Scouts, a regiment composed of local soldiers with unparalleled knowlegde of treacherous mountain terrain.

Experience:

It was somewhere in the later half of 1993, the unit was mobilised and inducted to Manipur for CI Ops. He had picked up Major's rank and handling charge of a company. From Rhenock unit moved to Banbasa. From where He was posted ton Indus Wing Ladakh Scouts in Ladakh. He had completed two third of tenure in Ladakh Scouts as a Company Commander in several companies of Scouts.

He had done stint as a company commander a sub unit in anti infiltration role in the valley. He had completed a glacier tenure as a Company Commander of an assault company. He had participated in an inter unit mine laying competition as a commander of a battalian mine laying team, where his battalian stood commendable fourth position. Then to top it all, the icing on the cake was undoubtedly the opportunity he got to head a company in a pre-emptive role to occupy a tactically important ridge line in the Batalik sector in general area Chorbatla.

That time he was Company Commander of foxtrot/adhoc company, having been mobilised to the battlefront in Batalik sector on 26th May 1999, during Kargil warm code named Op Vijay, were instrumental in the capture of an important ridgeline by killing eleven enemy soldiers, which led to enemy vacating an entire ridgeline and withdrawal.

The area of operations was known as area Rockfall and the operation was christened Op Rockfall, due to its rocky terrain. The operation attained significance due to being first success of the Indian army where in thorough capture of bono fide enemy documents and dead bodies of NLI troops of which authentic evidence was recovered and made available to falsify the bogus claims of Pak administration and media of Aggressors being non state actors/ Mujahedeen.

The company was felicitated with MVC- 01, Vrc-02, SM-03. Memories of Hav Tsewang Rigzin who was posthumously awarded with VrC in the operation will always be etched in our hearts and minds.

Skills:

Col Sonam Wangchuk developed his passion in sports from his school time. He represented his school in various sporting activities such as Athletics, Football, Kabaddi, Kho-Kho, Basketball, Badminton. He participated in various tournament of school and collage. While serving army, he captained Battalian team in football and basketball. In badminton he became the champion at the brigade level amongst officers. He did a short stint in rockcraft prior to his service in glacier with the Scouts.

Achievement:

Col Sonam Wangchuk was awarded with MVC during his tenure in Ladakh Scouts ,where he had got opportunity to operate with the tough and doughty boys of Ladakh Scouts.

Elijah Spalbar Gergan

Education:

• MSc in Botany

• M.Div. and M.Th. in Christian Theology and Studies

Languages:

• Fluent in English and Hindustani/Urdu

Skills and Experience:

• Ladakhi Theologian [Christian]

• Pastoral Preacher

• Writer and Author

• Social Media Content Writer

• Educationist; School Management Resource person; Career Guidance, Logistical Guidance R.P.

• Management Methods Resource Person . On Broads of Several Education and Management Bodies in Ladakh

• Interested in History and Natural Sciences; Outdoor and Nature Enthusiast; Geophysical Issue- Related Awareness

• Human Concerns Awareness Person; Morality Related to Mental Wellness and Social Issues

• R.P. Abilities in Small- Scale Constriction Management and Investment Enterprises

• Proficient Public Motivational Speaker in English and Hindustani/Urdu;Skilled in Communicating with Ages 10 years to 70+ years

• Woman Concerns Awareness Resource Person

Experience:

• Over 50 years

Physical Condition: Healthy [Dob: 1948]

March;2023

You didn’t come this far to stop

Joining LMAC transformed my life. The mountaineering courses taught me resilience and strength, and the community is incredibly supportive and inspiring.

Sonam Wangyal(Everest Hero)

Chairman of LMAC

★★★★★

Contact Us

Get in touch with LMAC for inquiries about our mountaineering and adventure programs for youth in Ladakh.

cantract 8491957115

Reach

info@lmacadventure.com