Pune-based Giripremi team scales Mt Everest after 50-day climb

Mumbai: In a major achievement for Indian mountaineering, a team from Maharashtra successfully scaled Mt Everest — the world’s highest peak — at dawn on Thursday.

After nearly 50 days in the Himalayas, battling uncertainty, extreme weather conditions and a narrow summit window, climbers from Pune-based mountaineering and adventure organisation Giripremi once again carried the Indian Tricolour to the top of the world.

Giripremi climbers Vivek Shivade, Mihir Jadhav and Akhil Katkar successfully reached the summit along with their Sherpas — Urgen Sherpa, Lakpa Sherpa and Lakppa Tenji Sherpa.

“Today, my heart is filled with pride, gratitude and emotion as I share that Giripremi’s Everest Expedition 2026 has successfully summited Mt Everest,” expedition leader Umesh Zirpe said from the Everest Base Camp in Nepal.

“This moment belongs to every climber, Sherpa, family member, supporter, well-wisher and sponsor who believed in us and stood by us throughout this journey. Your blessings travelled with us every step of the way and gave us strength in the toughest moments. Thank you for being part of this dream,” he said.

The team had departed from Pune on April 2 and spent nearly eight weeks in the Everest region as part of a systematic acclimatisation process. This included the ascent of Lobuche East Peak and acclimatisation rotations up to Camp 2 on Everest.

The final summit push began last Sunday, with the team moving steadily through the higher camps. Despite favourable weather conditions this season, the climbers had to endure more than 10 hours of relentless climbing in the “Death Zone” — the area above 8,000 metres where oxygen levels are critically low and survival becomes extremely difficult.

Due to health concerns, team member Nikunj Shah made the difficult but prudent decision to return from just below Camp 4 during the summit push. Expedition members said his courage, determination and team spirit were deeply respected by the entire team.

“This year’s weather window on Everest was much smaller than usual because of continuous jet stream activity over the mountain. Navigating this narrow summit window safely was a major challenge, which the team managed successfully. Good weather helped during the final push, but ultimately it was the team’s discipline, patience, mental resilience and teamwork that made this success possible,” Zirpe said.

The expedition was the culmination of nearly two years of structured and rigorous preparation. On March 18, on the eve of Gudi Padwa, Maharashtra Governor Jishnu Dev Varma flagged off the expedition from Lok Bhavan in Mumbai. Later, on March 20 in Pune, the Indian Tricolour, Maharashtra’s Bhagwa flag and Giripremi’s official flag were ceremonially handed over to Zirpe by Pune Mayor Manjusha Nagpure, formally marking the launch of the mission.

2012 expedition

In 2012, Giripremi successfully conducted India’s largest civilian Everest expedition. During that mission, eight climbers reached the summit on the same day — a rare and historic achievement that received widespread recognition across Maharashtra.

2026 expedition

Fourteen years later, the 2026 expedition continued that legacy by scaling Everest through the classic Nepal South Col route, the same route used during the first successful ascent of the mountain in 1953 by Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary.

Zirpe leads 18 mountaineers to Everest summit

With the latest success, Umesh Zirpe has now led 18 mountaineers to the summit of Everest across multiple expeditions, further strengthening Giripremi’s contribution to Indian mountaineering.

A veteran mountaineer, Zirpe is the President of the Akhil Maharashtra Giryarohan Mahasangh, the apex body of mountaineering organisations in the state. He is also a recipient of the Shiv Chhatrapati Award instituted by the Maharashtra government and the prestigious Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award, India’s highest honour in adventure sports presented by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

Supports Fit India movement

The expedition also supported the Government of India’s “Fit India” movement by promoting physical fitness, mental resilience and an active lifestyle. Alongside the climb, the team spread awareness about responsible mountaineering, glacier conservation and climate change.

The team acknowledged the support extended by Nepal-based Peak Promotion Agency for logistical coordination during the expedition. Giripremi also expressed gratitude to supporters, families and sponsors, including Poornarth, Namah, NPRO, Atomberg, Mikro Innotech India, SmartMark, Asian Machine Tools Corporation Pvt Ltd, Gokyo and several others.