JAMSHEDPUR: Two different groups of adventure enthusiasts climbed the 19,600-feet-high Mt Kanamo in Himachal Pradesh after two successful nine-day expeditions.The expeditions sponsored by Tata Steel Adventure Foundation (TSAF) included 15 youths from rural areas in one team and 10 employees of Tata Steel in the other. While the first team left for the peak on August 14 and returned on August 22, the Tata Steel team left on August 22 and returned on September 1."All 25 members of the expeditions belonged to different age groups with some of them as young as 20 years to veterans with a 55-year-old team member. The expedition was possible due to the strong belief of the team members. Right from the beginning, they strongly believed in conquering the peak despite experiencing the onslaught of rough weather on trekking route," said expedition leader Pratim Bhowmik at a press conference here on Monday.Bhowmik said mental toughness and physical endurance were the speciality of the team members but their spirit of camaraderie and hand-holding ensured equal footing in conquering the peak."Given that both the teams commenced their journeys to the summit from the base camp during night hours, the weather was not quite favourable with heavy icy winds lashing the camp area and temperature recording -5° Celsius," said Pankaj Kumar, one of the team members, while talking about the difficult conditions they had to face during the expedition.The youngest members in the team, 20-year-old Sonam Kumari, scaled the peak by virtue of her fast and seamless trekking and spent much of her expedition hours on helping her colleagues left behind to come closer to the summit so that the whole team reached the target together."The adverse condition of weather made the climbing somewhat difficult for some of the members but teammates like Sonam made it easier," Bhowmik said.Poonam Kumari, a team member who had climbed Mt Everest earlier this year, was also of great help to the first-timers in the team. "My responsibility was to guide them in accomplishing a safe and successful expedition and I have done that," a proud Poonam said.

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