The Unsung Heroes
The Unsung Heroes – Part 1
Heroes mostly come in three kinds- dubious, damaged or dead. The fourth category – The ‘Unknown, Unsung Heroes’, aren’t that well known, unfortunately.
The Unsung Hero Project by Miss No Label is a small attempt, on our part, to bring to light some of these silent warriors, who live a life of their dreams, against the odds, day after day, night after night.
Bharat Bhushan
Mankind has always striven to conquer its limitations and make living an extraordinary experience. This is precisely the sentiment that drove Bharat Bhushan as he explored p eak after peak. Starting from a humble background his lofty dreams spurred Bharat to scale the highest of summits and to reach the pinnacle of his dreams.
Born in a small village of Shakori, some 45 km away from Shimla, Bharat, a simple boy from a humble background, is one of the finest mountain climbers in India.
His maiden trek was a 25 km trek to Shikari Devi, as a teenager. His savings were spent buying National Geographic Magazines. While we were busy buying shit and watching FRIENDS, this man, here, was climbing peaks, already. Talk about priorities in life!
*Embarrassed*
Bharat, interestingly, had developed a taste for the mountains, till then. Going to college was mandatory, but it wasn’t where his heart resided. One day, despite his parents' resistance, he quit college and joined the mountaineering course at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Mountaineering Institute and since then, he has never looked back.
From NIM (Nehru Institute of Mountaineering), where Bharat had been invited to train and learn about the art of opening routes and navigating glaciers to NOLS Alaska, where he was invited formally to join their instructor's course, he has not only climbed geographical peaks, but personal ones as well. From being just a trekking enthusiast, to training National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel, he has done it all.
Bharat also participated in the 1st Climbathon Fest organized by IMF in August, 2013. It was conducted to give field experience to the trained mountaineers. Bharat, Karn, a Romanian instructor, and a Brazilian climber was a part of the team that climbed the Khangcering Peak, discovering a new route.
Now, Bharat is a life member of the BRICS Chamber of Commerce and Industry, India Chapter. He is still working on his skills as a mountaineer and keeps looking for new challenges and places, which he can explore.
He often buys climbing and running gears from his earnings for poor, but talented village kids. Even sponsored training for a tea seller’s son.
His vision is to encourage more and more people in India to take up mountaineering as a profession and help them learn safe mountaineering practices. His new venture HOD – Himalayan Outdoor Development Group focuses on developing climbing and mountaineering routes in India, while being affordable and environmentally sustainable.
Maybe, you’ll cross paths with him someday, and listen to his tales of adventure or you’ll get inspired by him and create your own.
Peaks Bharat has conquered
India
Nanda Khat 6611m
Changuch 6322m
Khangsering Peak 6250m
Stok Kangri 6153m
Friendship Peak 5289m
Z-1 Daughter 5467m
North America
Mount Fafnir – 3128m
Mount Gorden – 2755m
Mount Camels Hump – 3368m
North Cascade
Mount Shuksan – 9131f
Mount Sahale – 8681f
Mount Eldorado – 8868f
Mount Baker – 10,781f
Mount Rainier – 14,411f