Dear Friends,

The Himalayan Club invites you to a lecture by India's leading mountaineer, adventurer, and explorer, Commander Satyabrata Dam.

A submariner by profession, 43-year-old Cdr Dam started climbing from the age of 10. An alumnus of the Alpine Schools of Chamonix (France), Innsbruck (Austria), International School of Mountaineering, Switzerland and HMI, Darjeeling, he climbed his first major Himalayan peak, Kolahoi (Kashmir), at the age of 12 and has climbed 32 major Himalayan peaks to date. In 2004, Cdr Dam led the Indian Navy team to climb Mt. Everest from the North face, the first Navy team in the world to do so. He became the first Indian Everest expedition leader to summit Everest. Besides the Himalaya, he has climbed in the European Alps, Canadian Rockies, Yosemite (USA), Simian mountains, Blue Mountains (Australia), Andes, Patagonia, Southern Alps (New Zealand), Pamir, Tien Shan, Urals, Western Cape and Drakensberg (South Africa), Japanese Alps, etc.

He is also an ace skier, specializing in cross-country and back-country skiing. He has led skiing expeditions to Greenland, Iceland and the two geographical Poles - South (2006) and North (2008). He is the first Indian to accomplish one of the rarest of rare feats in the adventure world - 'The Three Poles' - Mt Everest, North Pole, and South Pole. He has sailed around the world and has jumped from the sky with or without parachutes. He has dived in some of the most exotic sea locations around the globe. He is also an ardent speleologist and ice caver. He has done caving in some of the largest cave systems in the world in France, South Africa, Wales, and USA and has done ice caving in Greenland and Spitsbergen (Norway).

In his talk, 'Journey to the Ends of the World', Cdr Dam covers the endurance and spirit required to actually ski to both the Poles, his inspiration to venture to the Poles, and the preparation involved in taking on a trip of this nature. Through amazing photography, Cdr Dam brings to life the spectacular landscape unique to both the Poles. He also talks about wildlife in these remote regions and the impact of global warming taking place. For young science students, this is also an opportunity to understand firsthand the difference between the magnetic pole and the geographical pole. Cdr Dam also shares with us his emotions when he unfurled the Indian Flag on the Poles.

Date: Thursday 21 August 2008 Time: 6.30 - 8 pm.
Venue: India International Centre, Lecture Room of the Annexe.

Regards
Maninder Kohli
Hon. Local Secretary,
The Himalayan Club, Delhi.