Col Vijay Singh (L) with Jitendra Gaware.
Credit: Special Arrangement
Mumbai: In a big achievement of Giripremi, the Pune-based adventure and mountaineering organisation, its distinguished mountaineers were conferred with the prestigious IMF Gold Medal of the Indian Mountaineering Foundation, the apex national body for mountaineering and allied sports.
Jitendra Gaware, who has successfully climbed Mount Everest along with seven other 8,000-meter peaks—and Mingma Sherpa, who has achieved the remarkable feat of summiting Mount Everest eight times, received this honour.
Eminent Indian mountaineers and life members of the IMF were present for the ceremony in New Delhi.
The IMF, the country’s apex national body for mountaineering and allied adventure sports, conferred the award for the year 2025–26.
The medal was presented to Gaware by IMF President Colonel Vijay Singh, while former IMF President Harshwanti Bisht presented the medal to Mingma Sherpa.
The Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF) Gold Medal, instituted in 1961, is awarded to outstanding Indian mountaineers for exceptional achievements in high-altitude and technically challenging climbs, as well as for their contribution to promoting mountaineering.
The award comprises a gold-plated silver medal and a citation, presented
during the IMF’s Annual General Body Meeting.
Over the decades, many legendary mountaineers and Sherpas—including Tenzing Norgay, Nandu Jayal, Sonam Gyatso, Major John Dias, Captain M. S. Kohli, and Nawang Gombu—have been recipients of this prestigious honour.
Gaware’s mountaineering journey has been shaped under the guidance of senior Giripremi mountaineer Umesh Zirpe.
He has also received significant support from Dr. P. D. Patil, Chancellor of DY Patil University, during his various expeditions.
Gaware has successfully climbed several major peaks, including Mount Nun (7,000 m), Cathedral Peak (6,000 m), Mount Kanchenjunga (8,586 m, 2018 – the world’s third-highest peak), Mount Ama Dablam (6,812 m), Mount Annapurna I (8,091 m, 2021 – the tenth-highest), Mount Everest (8,848 m, 2021 – the highest peak in the world), Mount Manaslu (8,163 m, 2021 – the eighth-highest), Mount Lhotse (8,516 m, 2022– the fourth- highest), Mount Dhaulagiri (8,167 m, 2023 – the seventh-highest), and Mount Makalu (8,485 m, 2025 – the fifth-highest peak). He is also the first mountaineer from Maharashtra to climb three 8,000-meter peaks in a single season in Nepal, and the first from the state to summit all seven 8,000-meter peaks located in Nepal. These remarkable accomplishments reflect his dedication, commitment, and passion for mountaineering.
Darjeeling-based Mingma Sherpa has successfully summited Mount Everest eight times to date. He has also climbed several of Nepal’s major 8,000-meter peaks, including Kanchenjunga, Lhotse, Makalu, Manaslu, Dhaulagiri, and Annapurna, as well as technically challenging peaks such as Ama Dablam and Pumori. In addition, he has scaled many demanding peaks in the Indian Himalayas, including Mount Meru, Manda, Nun, Kun, Satopanth, Indrasan, and Kamet. Mingma Sherpa has also guided numerous mountaineers on expeditions to these formidable peaks.