Named Vishnu Dev Route in honor of Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Mr. Vishnu Deo Sai’s initiative.
Raipur / A team of tribal youths from Jashpur district of Chhattisgarh has added a new chapter to the history of Indian mountaineering. This team has opened a new alpine route on Jagatsu Peak, situated at an altitude of 5,340 meters in the Duhangan Valley (Manali) of Himachal Pradesh, which has been named “Vishnu Dev Route” in honor of the initiative of Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Mr. Vishnu Deo Sai. The team completed this climb from the base camp in just 12 hours — that too in alpine style, which is considered technically extremely difficult.
This historic expedition was organized in September 2025, in collaboration with Pahadi Bakra Adventure by the Jashpur administration. The expedition received support from numerous national and international organizations, including the Hira Group.
This achievement is also special because all five mountaineers in this team had reached the heights of the Himalayas for the first time. All of them received training at “Deshdekha Climbing Area,” which is India’s first natural training area dedicated to adventure sports developed by the Jashpur administration. To ensure world-class standards, the administration engaged Indian and international experts, including mountaineer and guide Swapnil Rachhelwar from Bilaspur, rock climbing coach Dave Gates from New York (USA), and Sagar Dubey, director of Runners XP. These three jointly created a special training program to prepare the youth technically, physically, and mentally. After two months of rigorous preparation and twelve days of practice mountaineering, the team completed this challenging climb.
Expedition leader Swapnil Rachhelwar explained that this route on Jagatsu Peak was extremely difficult and technical for new mountaineers. The weather was challenging, visibility was limited, and hidden crevasses in the glaciers repeatedly posed obstacles. Despite this, the team completed the climb without fixed ropes or support staff — this is the true alpine style. This expedition was different from commercial mountaineering, where there is reliance on pre-determined routes and support teams; this team set a new example by remaining completely self-reliant.
The expedition also received international acclaim. Renowned Spanish mountaineer Toti Vells, who was part of the expedition’s technical core team and a former World Cup coach for Spain, said, “These young people, who had never seen snow in their lives, have opened a new route in the Himalayas. This proves that with the right training and opportunities, these mountaineers can compete at a world level.”
In addition to the “Vishnu Dev Route,” the team also opened seven new climbing routes in the Duhangan Valley. Among these, the most notable achievement was the successful ascent of an unclimbed (never climbed before) peak of 5,350 meters, which the team named ‘Chhupa Rustam Peak’. The route for this climb was named ‘Curcuma’ — the scientific name for turmeric, considered a symbol of endurance and healing in Indian tradition.
This expedition is a testament to the fact that if given the right direction, opportunities, and resources, world-class mountaineers can be produced even from remote rural and tribal areas of India. The achievement these youths have accomplished in alpine style, without any prior Himalayan experience, has given a new direction to Indian adventure sports. This initiative has proven three things — the natural strength, endurance, and inherent understanding of the environment in tribal youth make them particularly suitable for adventure sports; local training centers like the “Deshdekha Climbing Sector” have the potential to produce professional mountaineers; and unexplored peaks of the Himalayas can open new possibilities for sustainable adventure tourism in India.
The expedition was led by Swapnil Rachhelwar, with Rahul Ogra and Harsh Thakur as co-leaders. The Jashpur mountaineering team included Ravi Singh, Tejal Bhagat, Rusnath Bhagat, Sachin Kujur, and Prateek Nayak. Administrative support for the expedition was provided by Dr. Ravi Mittal (IAS), Rohit Vyas (IAS), Shashi Kumar (IFS), and Abhishek Kumar (IAS). Technical support was provided by Dave Gates, Ernest Venturini, Marta Pedro (Spain), Kelsey (USA), and Øyvind Y. Boe (Norway). Documentation and photography of the entire expedition were done by Ishan Gupta’s Coffee Media team.
Key supporting and sponsoring organizations included Petzl, Allied Safety Equipment, Red Panda Outdoors, Rekki Outdoors, Advenum Adventures, Jai Jungle Pvt. Ltd., Adi Kailash Holistic Center, Golden Boulder, Crag Development Initiative, and Mystic Himalayan Trails.
This expedition is not just a mountaineering achievement but a symbol of the idea that success at an international level can be achieved from the villages and tribal areas of India. Chief Minister Mr. Vishnu Deo Sai said, “India’s future can emerge from the villages and reach the heights of the world.”
With this remarkable achievement, work is now rapidly progressing towards developing Jashpur as a sustainable adventure and eco-tourism center.