(CLAW) Global was launched by Hon’ble RM on 14 Jan 2023 at Dehradun. Soul of Steel Himalayan Challenge was started in this 120th Raising Year of 9 (Independent) Mountain Brigade Group. The first of its kind, “Soul of Steel Himalayan Challenge” was conducted in forward areas of Garhwal Himalayan region with the aim to achieve the GoI initiative of ‘Vibrant Village’ to arrest the migration from border areas by unlocking the tourism potential of Himalayas and create income sources for the locals.
Soul of Steel is a unique blend of specialized skills including high altitude mountaineering, extreme cold survival, psychological and physical endurance. The challenge opens the domain of niche military skills to an average youth who wishes to challenge his/her physical and psychological limits. The challenge attracted interest from 1401(including 94 women) highly skilled athletes, adventure sports enthusiasts and armed forces aspirants. These applicants were put through a grueling two-stage screening process, out of which only 23 (including two women) of them were finally selected to undergo a 10 weeklong extensive training in endurance, mountaineering, survival and rescue skills under the joint team of experts from Indian Armed Forces and CLAW Global.
The participants were trained to operate beyond the assumed limits of their body, to discover the limitless realms of their mind, consciousness and spirit. The final phase of the event was held from 10 June to 17 June 2023, in which 18 Soul of Steel
warriors set out on a challenge to compete as teams of three along the rugged mountainous terrain of the Garhwal Himalayas, at an altitude of 17000 feet and covered a distance of 65 kilometers through glaciers, ice walls, rock faces and snow-capped Himalayan peaks. The challenge tested their self-sustained mountain climbing, survival, navigation skills, psychological endurance and physical toughness.
“In this challenge, only the toughest competed, few sustained and the best won but everyone evolved.”
The closing ceremony of the event was organized on 18 June 2023 at Ghamsali which was attended by Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani, GOC-In-C Central Command, Lt Gen RC Tiwari, GOC UB Area and huge gathering of school students, local villagers, officers & soldiers of Indian Army, ITBP, NDRF amongst many others. The event also included breathtaking performances by Indian Army on Rock Climbing, Mixed Marshal Arts, Kalaripayattu which enthralled the audience. The local villagers gave mesmerized experience to the audience with regional folk dances & songs.
Chief Guest facilitated the winning team with the medals and trophy and announced opening of ‘The Human Ability Biome’ which will act as a perennial hub for advanced skill training courses in Land, Air and Water adventure activities, life skill training, environmental conservation, forestry training programs, rehabilitation and research aimed at harnessing the potential of the human mind and body.
News Source: Soul of Steel
