“ The Himalayas are not only near to us but also very dear for they
have always been part of our history and tradition, our thinking and our
poetry, our worship and our devotion; they are in our blood and are part of our
make up according.”
- Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
- Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
It has often
been said about the 
The queen the Himalayas (
Mountains are an opportunity to take
steps to protect mountain ecosystems, to promote peace and stability in
mountain regions and to help mountain people attain their goals and
aspirations. Since 1954,
HMI is giving such type of education through various courses. Initially the
basic course had started with 24 students as per the following schedule.
BASIC COURSE
a)
The
course is usually sub- divided in accordance with the educational standard of
the student.
For those who have passed at least the Matriculation
Examination or the Senior Cambridge Certificate Examination.
2) Basic
Course – B
For those whose educational standard is distinctly
lower. The main difference between these courses is the difference in the
content of the academic training.
b)
Total period of training -------------------- 42 days
Number of students per
course--------- 24.
Syllabus of academic
training
As the course is designed
to be intensely practical only about a week is devoted to academic instruction
in the beginning and during this period the following subjects are briefly
taught.
i.
Outline of the principles of Meteorology
– the solar system – day and night –the seasons – ocean current, air pressure
and winds – North – East Monsoon – South – West Monsoon – climate and
climatology - precipitation – weather forecast.
ii.
Outline of the principles of Geology - Geophysics – Historical Geology – Structural
Geology – the rise of Himalayan Chains.
iii.
Outline of the principles of Geomorphology – Decay of
the Lithosphere – work of the water – mountain glaciations – Wind and Snow –
Comparative Geomorphology.
iv.
Outline
of the principles of Cartography – Maps – Projection system – Grid and
Scale – Longitude and Latitude – Height – Triangulation – Photogrammetrics –
Map Making – Map Reading – Compass and Altimeter – Comparative Map Reading.
v.
World History of Exploration and Mountaineering
– Modern Exploration.
vi.
A survey of the Himalayan and Karakorum Ranges –
Brahmaputra, Ganges, Indus and subsidiary rivers – The Mountain Regions – Important
Centers – Routes of Access – Currency – Resources – Comparative Geography.
vii.
General Hygiene and High Altitude Physiology –
Cleanliness and Fitness – Modern Dietetics – First Aid – Height and Pressure –
Acclimatization – The application of Oxygen.
viii.
Botany with special reference to high altitude
plants.
ix.
Zoology with special reference to wild life in
the mountains.
x.
Theoretical mountaineering technique.
In
the year 1955 the institute had started first Boy’s Advance Course with 12
students. The intention is to organize this course as an expedition capable of
under taking the assault of peaks over 20,000 ft. or alternatively to explore
hitherto unvisited, or scientifically unexplored areas (e.g. certain areas in Sikkim , Nepal ,
Kumaon, Lahoul, Spiti and Kashmir ) and bring
back information of scientific interest.
In
14th April 1961, the 25th and & 7th
Advance Course students had the unique honour of having our first Prime
Minister and President of the Institute, Late Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru to
preside over the graduation ceremony. It was his first visit to the Institute
since he inaugurated the buildings in December 1957. During his visit time the
Prime Minister, exhorted trainees to approach the mountains as friends and
eschew expressions like ‘conquest’ and ‘assault’. He also advised young men and
women in the country to take full adventure of this institute and learn to
scale mountain peaks.
Also
the 26th basic course marked a new milestone in the annals of
Himalayan Mountaineering Institute on 22nd April to 2nd
June 1961. It was the first Ladies batch and 23 girls had qualified in this
course, however two girls already had qualified in the 24th basic
course (Boys) as a special case. Before
the 26ht basic course left for the mountains, Her Excellency the Governor of
West Bengal Late Kumari Padmaja Naidu had met the girls at an informal tea
party at Raj Bhawan (Darjeeling India
The
11th Advance course was also remarkable that it was 1st Ladies
Advance Course from 21st April to 29th May 1962. This
course was so popular for climbed Fray
Peak
The
Institute had decided to start preliminary mountaineering course for boys and
girls, The 1st Adventure course was conducted on the fixed dates
i.e. from 28th May to 17th June 1964 for 21 days and 31
boys from all over the country attained this course, which had treated as a
first boys Adventure course. In the year of May 1965 first Adventure girls
course had started with 20 students.
In
the year of 1973 the Institute was organized an International mountaineering
meet at this Institute, approx 12 countries was attended in this conference and
it was great succeed.
During
six decades the Institute has established various faculties and is headed by the Principal. It has
three main wings:
a) Training
b) Administrative
c) Museum
Training
Presently
Institute has modified the training courses to runs Basic and Advance
Mountaineering courses for the trainees drawn from all over the world. The courses are intensive and
comprehensive and provide opportunity to develop skill in mountain climbing
Basic & Advance courses are of 28 days duration and fee is Rs 7500.00 for
Indians and 
The
Institute has well facilities for trainees like artificial climbing wall,
auditorium, lecture hall, library, Indoor & out door sport climbing etc.
The Institute has constructed indoor as well as outdoor sport climbing walls
for the young trainees taking training on mountaineering through modern
technique. The out door sport climbing wall is international standard outdoor
artificial climbing wall measuring 50ft high and 20ft. wide. The Institute has
already hosted the 7th National Sport Climbing competition and has
acquired the capability to host an international one, which in turn will give
boost to the sport climbing, especially in far-flung places like Administrative
The
Administrative Wing has various sections viz. - Administration, Equipment,
Hostel, Record and Accounts. The equipment wing to provide the latest
mountaineering gears to its trainees, free of cost. Jayal memorial fund store,
a part of the equipment wing, provides equipments to adventure lovers on hire.
The hiring charges are very nominal. The equipment is provided on first come first
serve basis. Adjoining
the administrative Block is a building, designed on the model of Swiss Youth
Hostels, which accommodates trainees. Victoria Complex, Sherpa Niwas and Sherpa
Villa provide well furnished living quarters for officers and instructional
staff, while other buildings including annex buildings are intended for housing
the administrative and clerical staff. In addition the Principal’s bungalow,
with a guesthouse, combines to make the Institute a self-contained campus.
Museum
The
Institute museum was established in 1957. Its main objectives are to be the
center of educational activities on mountaineering & to preserve the works
of the 
Important collections
Ø
An
important letter from H. H. the Dalai Lama, through which he granted the
permission to the first British expedition on 20th December1920.
Ø
Initially
the expeditions used to pass through a Dak Bung low in Thambu (Sikkim ) instead the present routes through Nepal & China
Ø
Important
information along with original signature & equipments used in the
controversial expedition of 1924 by Mallory & Irvine.
Ø
Equipments
used by Tenzing, Sir John Hant & Sir Edmund Hillary during 1953 expedition.
Ø
Important
information & Route map of first Indian
Mt.
Ø
A
remarkable Collection of a dead eagle found by 1962 Indian expedition to Mount Everest at 26000 ft.
Ø
Original
equipments used by Nawang Gombu who is the first man climbed twice Mt Everest
during 1963 and 1965 Everest.
Ø
A rare collection of Veb Carl Zeiss Jena
telescope is kept in the Institute. This is a 200X power telescope that sweeps
the Kangchenjunga range – a gift, as the plaque proclaims, presented by Adolf
Hitler to the Commander-in-Chief of Nepalese army, who passed it to the H.M.I.
on 7th July 1961. Presently the telescope can be used with special
permission only for its better preservation.
The
Institute has also souvenir sale’s counter to provide for the visitors and
trainees with various kinds of mementos, literatures, etc, covering HMI
activities, which are available at and subsidized prices.
During
62 years the HMI has trained
approximately 48,000persons including 2700 oversears trainees in different
aspects of adventure and mountaineering.The number is not large because
emphasis is more on quality. It is not surprising that all the leaders and
majority of the members of Indian and foreign Expeditions have been ex-
students of HMI. Farmed Austrian mountaineer Fritz Moravec has described HMI as
“the
Institute at a glance
Nov 1954
|
Foundation
|
|
Nov 1954
|
1st
Basic Course.
|
|
Jun 1955
|
Advance
Course
|
|
Jul 1955
|
||
Jul 1956
|
Sakang
Expedition
|
|
Dec 1957
|
||
Mar 1958
|
||
Apr 1962
|
1st
Basic – women
|
|
Apr 1962
|
1st
Advance – women
|
|
Nov 1962
|
Rathong
Expedition
|
|
1964
|
First
Adventure Course
|
|
1965
|
First
Adventure course for girls
|
|
1965
|
Nawang
Gombu –Summits Everest twice First man in the world
|
|
1976
|
Sherpa
Tenzing Norgay retired appointed advisor
|
|
1976
|
Nawang
Gombu appointed Director Field Training
|
|
1984
|
Dorjee
Lhatoo & Bachinderi Pal summit Everest , Expedition led by Brig DK Khullar the Principal of HMI
|
|
1985
|
First
course for Visually Challenged
|
|
May 1986
|
Sherpa
Tenging Norgay passes away
|
|
1993
|
Nima Norbu
scale Everest
|
|
1993
|
Kusang
Sherpa and Kunga Bhutia scale Everest
|
|
1994
|
President
of
|
|
Nov 2001
|
7th
National Sports Climbing Camp
|
|
May 2003
|
Ascent
of
|
|
Oct 2007
|
Golden
Jubilee Celebrated
|
|
May 2009
|
Ascent of
|
|
May 2012
|
Ascent
of
|
|
May 2014
|
100th
Birth Anniversary of Sherpa Tenzing
Norgay
|
|
Nov 2014
|
Diamond
Jubilee celebrated
|
|
July 2016
|
President
of
|
Chandranath Das, AMA
Curator
Himalayan
Mountaineering Institute
Darjeeling-734
101 (WB) India
