Himalayan Mountaineering Institute

Himalayan Mountaineering Institute

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The mighty Himalayas are every mountaineer’s ultimate dream. If you have the courage, the stamina and you want to try something different, you must check out the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI) at Darjeeling. The HMI is one of the oldest mountaineering institutes of the country and has played a pivotal role in training mountaineers across the country. The institute is situated on the western spur of Birch Hill and has a commanding view of Darjeeling’s tea gardens as well as the snow clad peaks of the mighty Kanchenjunga. To give impetus to mountaineering as an organized sport in India and commemorate Norgay and Hillary’s historic conquest of the Everest, the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI) was founded in Darjeeling with the personal initiative of Jawahar Lal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India. The HMI is renowned for its competent and star-studded faculty that included luminaries like Tenzing Norgay and winners of the nation’s highest adventure award winners. The Institute offers courses at highly subsidized rates along with excellent training and boarding facilities. Courses range from the basics to advance techniques of mountaineering. The Institute has a good collection of historically significant photographs including some great mountaineering films, which are a treat to watch. The mountaineering museum is the primary attraction to visitors here. The adventurous will love the international standard outdoor artificial climbing wall that has a pavilion for spectators.