In 1965, Avtar Singh Cheema became the 1st Indian to scale Mt. Everest
A period when climbing Everest was uncrowded and unpolluted, when attempts were at the absolute edges of human endurance. After two failed efforts by the Indian Army, it was eventually on May 20, 1965, that an Indian walked upon the world's highest peak, Mount Everest, for the first time. He ascended the SE Ridge after successfully conquering the peak with Sherpa Nawang Gombu. At the time, he was a Captain in the Parachute Regiment, and he was eventually promoted to Colonel. Colonel Cheema received the Arjuna Award as well as the highest civilian honour, the Padma Shri, for his great efforts.
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