Harsh Vardhan Bahuguna

Maj. Harsh Vardhan Bahuguna (1939 – 18 April 1971).

The second son of Mr. and Mrs. Surya Datt Bahuguna of Dehra Dun, Bogie was born in Garhwal in 1939. He was educated at Allen Memorial School, Mussoorie. In 1956 he joined the Indian Military Academy, Dehra Dun. He was commissioned in the Armoured Corps in 1958 and was posted to the Central India Horse. He took his Basic Course at the H.M.I. (Darjeeling) in 1962 and after that never looked back. Within eight years he became one of the most popular mountaineers of our country.He joined the expedition to Leo Pargial (22,280 ft.) shortly after the course in 1962. The following year he was appointed an Instructor of Skiing and Mountaineering at the High-altitude Warfare School, Gulmarg. In 1964 he joined the successful expedition to Nanda Devi (25,645 ft.). Later during the year he climbed Rathong (21,911 ft.) along with the present Principals of H.M.I, and N.I.ML—Lt.-Col. A. S. Cheema and Maj. J. C. Joshi. 1965 was an eventful year for him. He joined the successful Indian Everest Expedition, married Rekha and was involved in the Indo-Pakistan armed conflict, in that order. In 1969, he led the Indo-British Expedition to Chamba (his article appeared in HJ., Vol. XXIX, 1969, p. 118). Last year (1970) he led an Indian expedition to Saser Kangri (25,170 ft.) and in March 1971 he returned to Everest, which lured him to his death.Bogie was endowed with a pleasant personality. Norman G. Dyhrenfurth, the Jt. Leader, wrote to Mr. H. C. Sarin, the President of I.M.F.: ‘Harsh is a truly delightful person and fits in perfectly with the entire team of twelve nations. In fact everybody has told me how much they like him and how pleased they are to count him among the members. Your selection has been an excellent one indeed/ The admiration was mutual as Bogie also wrote to Mr. Sarin: 6 The fine set of members are getting on well despite the language barrier/ Cdr. Kohli, the leader of the 1965 Indian Expedition, received a letter from Bogie on 19 April a few hours before his death was known: 41 do feel a little out of place here in the company of mountain kings. So far I am doing very well and have been very active—four times up and down the ice-fall. A great deal of hard work lies ahead and I do hope I can withstand this . . . There is one thing that keeps on playing in my mind and heart. I must do well so that foreign mountaineers go back with a good impression of Indian mountaineers.Major Harsh Vardhan Bahuguna, and his younger sibling Major Jai Vardhan Bahuguna, weren’t just any two climbers among the many who died en-route Everest. They were both competent climbers, with many others successful expeditions to their names, and both Army Officers. But the fact that sets them apart from the many who envisaged to climb the highest point on the planet and let their ambitions take the best of them, was that the brothers died during their second attempts to summit Everest, almost at the same spot near the South Col route, only Fourteen years apart . Their story is an enthralling tale of coincidences and a memory that has long been forgotten.

Much before the era of cricket, at a time when different sports had palatable perceptions among the youth in India, mountaineering as a sport was of some significance. With its mountain corridor towards the north being home to many of the biggest and grandest peaks in the world, India was in someways destined to summit the highest points, both figuratively and literally. Though Indians didn’t summit all of them first, but our associations with the mountains are integral to us, and a backdrop to many of our mythological tales and renditions.

Like every sport in India, mountaineering too has its own set of Heroes, fables on whom are passed onto generations of enthusiasts. Such are the brothers, Harsh and Jai Vardhan Bahuguna, both of them Army Officers who are now immortalised in the annals of mountaineering history as among the first few Indians to attempt summit Everest.Major Harsh Vardhan Bahuguna, a.k.a "Bogie" was commissioned into the Armoured Corps of the Indian Army in 1958. A established mountaineer,and a former instructor at the prestigious High Altitude Warfare School(HAWS), Gulmarg, Bogie had a lot of experience to his name leading up to his expeditions to the Everest. Part of the famed Indian Everest Expedition in 1965, Maj Bahuguna was ill-fated to have developed medical problems just 400 feet short of the summit, and had to withdraw. Notwithstanding externalities that came to pose a hindrance to his passion, Maj Bahuguna took a second chance at Everest while taking part with an International Everest Expedition in 1971. However, his long yearned dream to step atop Everest became the cause of his untimely death, as he died due to exposure on 18 April 1971, stranded and alone.

"The death of Major Harsh Vardhan Bahuguna on his way down from Camp III (22,966 ft.) in the International Everest Expedition came as a great shock to all mountain lovers in India and abroad. He died of 6 exposure and frostbite' on Sunday, 18 April, on the West ridge at an altitude of 22,900 feet. He rests in the lap of the Himalayas, he loved so much.

Death robbed him, for the second and the last time, at the fortune that he had always yearned for—to stand on the summit of Everest. The first time was on the dawn of 29 May 1965 when he was with the fourth and last successful summit team of the Indian Everest Expedition. An allergic rash had broken all over his body on the previous night and he was debating whether to give up so close to success. The decision was probably made for him ; Maj. H. P. S, Ahluwalia found his oxygen regulator defective and even the standby was not working. He looked around in desperation and asked if anyone could spare one. There were only four other persons. The peak was within reach. No one answered. But Bogie could not keep quiet. ‘You take my regulator,' he said. Phu Dorji and Ahluwalia roped together and set off for the peak. Bogie roped up with H. C. S. Rawat and followed them. But after a restless night Bogie was feeling weak. He felt he was holding down Rawat, who was leading the rope. He pleaded with a reluctant Rawat to go ahead, unroped himself and went down. He descended the snowy waste from 28,300 feet to Camp VI (27,930 ft.) and left his oxygen bottle there for the use of the three who had gone ahead. Then he went down alone to the South Col Realizing that the summiters would be cramped for space when they returned, he left this camp too and went further down to Camp IV.

Major Jai Vardhan Bahuguna in an obituary of Maj Harsh is listed as Cadet J V Bahuguna of Indian Military Academy. A young impressionable Jai must have been devastated to hear the death of his elder brother. However, this also allows for us to understand the background against which Major Jai Vardhan Bahuguna must have chosen to take up mountaineering. When the precedent to a humongous task is set my your own blood, you either strive to achieve the same or strike a notch above that level to honour your family. Maj Jai too was a part of a famous Everest Expedition during his first attempt in 1984, the expedition which is known for putting the first Indian Woman atop Everest, Bachendri Pal. As is proclaimed, Maj Bahuguna and another Maj Kiran Inder Kumar, an officer who participated with Maj Jai on his second expedition as well, showcased utmost sportsmanship spirit by opting to give their reserve oxygen to Bachendri Pal, so that she could summit the peak. They both then opted out and returned, while putting Bachendri Pal on course. Major Jai Vardhan Bahuguna’s second expedition came in 1985, which till this date remains the most horrifying Indian Expedition to Everest. This expedition resulted in the death of five Indian Army Officers, four due to exposure, and one due to fall. Major Jai Vardhan Bahuguna died on 10 October 1985 due to exposure, following extreme weather, and no possibility of safe recourse to lower camps. What was unfortunate was that Major Jai Vardhan Bahuguna died at South Col, just near the spot where his elder brother had died fourteen years prior.

In popular culture, their names have long been forgotten and not much justice has been done to their memory. However, among the select set of mountaineering fraternities, they are well remembered for their courage and undying resolve. Among the few public representations in their memory, is the Auditorium at the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, which has been named after both the brothers, apart from a gas station in Noida.

He was posthumously awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1972.