A team of 13 mountaineers of the Eastern Naval Command (ENC) have set foot on the highest point in India Mt. Kamet and Mt. Abi Gamin embarking on a mission in early May 16. <br/><br/>Nine members of the team successfully summitted Mt. Kamet located in the Gharwal Himalayas in Uttrakhand on 02nd June 16 according to an ENC release.<br/><br/>The expedition, which spanned almost 40 days, saw the team negotiate dangerous terrain muddled with deep crevasses and long rocky moraines before ascending near vertical rock and ice slopes and unfurling the National Flag and Naval Ensign atop Mt. Kamet.<br/><br/>The expedition was flagged off by Vice Admiral Bisht on 29th April and led by Cdr S Karthikeyan.<br/><br/>The other summiteers include Lt Yogesh Tiwari (the deputy leader), Lt BP Upadhyay, Lt Rajinikant Yadav, Lt Anant Kukreti, S Sehrawat CHEAP, Rakesh Kumar CPO, Maharana, RO I and AS Rana, ME I.<br/><br/>The team, assisted by six Sherpas continued their ascent and established five higher camps, with the summit camp at an altitude of 7080 meters.<br/><br/>Eleven out of thirteen members reached the summit camp while the remaining two members including the team doctor reached camp III which was established at 6300 meters.<br/><br/>Mt. Kamet, at 7756 meters, the third highest peak of the country and the highest peak that is open to mountaineers in India (Mt. Kanchancunga and Mt. Nandadevi are prohibited for climbing) had remained unclimbed for the past eight years from the Southern route. <br/><br/>The fact that nine climbers summitted together (the highest number of summiteers on Mt. Kamet ever) is testimony to the preparedness, strength and determination of the team.<br/><br/>The icing on the cake was the successful summit of Mt Abi Gamin, another peak above 7000 meters in the Kamet Massif by four members of the team on 04th June 16.<br/><br/>The expedition team returned to Visakhapatnam this week and was felicitated by Vice Admiral HCS Bisht, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command on Wednesday on its glorious accomplishment.<br/><br/>Earlier in May, seven members of the ENC were part of another successful naval expedition to the twin peaks of Jogin I and III situated in the Gangotri region at a height of 6465 meters and 6133 meters.<br/><br/>With these successes, ENC is confident of deputing a strong contingent to attempt unfurling the Naval Ensign on Mt. Everest in 2017.