- From glaciers to snowfields and raging river valleys, 20 NCC girl cadets complete a 250-km, 30-day high-altitude odyssey from Kibber to Karzok
- Aparajita–Parang La 2026 puts women’s courage, endurance and leadership at the heart of India’s youth adventure movement
- Cadets from across India cross one of the most demanding high-altitude routes connecting Himachal Pradesh’s Spiti Valley with Ladakh’s Changthang region
- Expedition seeks to expand young women’s participation in adventure activities while building self-confidence, teamwork and endurance
- NCC’s flagship all-India girls’ expedition also strengthens national integration by bringing together cadets from different parts of the country
NE DEFENCE BUREAU
NEW DELHI, SEPT 16
Twenty young women. Thirty days. Nearly 250 kilometres. A mountain pass soaring to 5,578 metres. And a terrain where glaciers, snowfields and river valleys test every ounce of physical endurance and mental resolve. The successful completion of ‘Aparajita–Parang La 2026’ by 20 NCC girl cadets is more than an adventure achievement—it is a powerful demonstration of women’s courage, resilience and determination to push beyond conventional limits.
The All India Girls High Altitude Long Trek ‘Aparajita–Parang La 2026’, a flagship adventure activity of the National Cadet Corps (NCC), was flagged-in at Karzok, Ladakh, on Wednesday by DG NCC Lt Gen Virendra Vats and Additional Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Dipti Mohil Chawla.
The expedition team comprised 20 NCC girl cadets selected from across the country, who successfully traversed the formidable Parang La Pass at 5,578 metres, linking the Spiti Valley of Himachal Pradesh with the Changthang region of Ladakh.
A 250-km test of courage and endurance
Beginning at Kibber in Himachal Pradesh and culminating at Karzok in Ladakh, the expedition covered approximately 250 kilometres over 30 days.
The route presented the cadets with demanding high-altitude conditions, including glaciers, snowfields and river valleys, requiring sustained physical effort, teamwork and mental resilience.
The cadets were accompanied by officers, instructors, medical personnel and support staff throughout the expedition.
The trek was flagged off by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh from New Delhi on August 18, 2026, setting in motion an expedition designed not merely to test physical endurance but also to encourage young women to embrace challenging adventure activities.
‘Aparajita’ lives up to its name
The very name Aparajita—“the unconquered”—acquired particular resonance as the cadets negotiated the demanding Himalayan terrain.
The expedition was conceived to promote greater participation of young women in adventure activities and expose them to challenging high-altitude conditions.
For the cadets, every stage of the journey offered a test of leadership, discipline, confidence and the ability to work as a team under difficult circumstances.
Speaking on the occasion, DG NCC Lt Gen Virendra Vats congratulated the cadets and staff on the successful completion of the expedition.
He said such activities contribute towards developing “leadership, self-confidence, teamwork and endurance” among the youth.
The expedition thus becomes a living classroom where lessons in resilience and leadership are learnt not from textbooks, but from mountains, weather and the collective responsibility of reaching the destination together.
Women scaling peaks—and expectations
The expedition also carries a wider message about the participation of women in adventure and challenging outdoor pursuits.
By placing young women at the centre of a demanding high-altitude expedition, the NCC initiative seeks to encourage more girls to explore fields traditionally associated with extreme physical challenge and endurance.
The achievement demonstrates how structured exposure to adventure can help young women develop confidence, resilience and leadership capabilities, qualities that can influence their pursuits well beyond the mountains.
A Himalayan journey that strengthens national unity
The cadets were selected from different parts of India, giving the expedition another important dimension—national integration.
Living, trekking and overcoming challenges together in one of the country’s most demanding landscapes provided the cadets an opportunity to understand teamwork across regional backgrounds while sharing a common national identity.
The successful completion of Aparajita–Parang La 2026 therefore combines three powerful NCC objectives: adventure, youth development and national integration.
From Kibber to Karzok, the 20 cadets have left behind more than footprints in the snow. They have carried a message of Nari Shakti—that courage has no gender, endurance knows no boundary and the summit belongs to those willing to take the next step.
