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 Army
Ordnnance Corps, besides handling the mind-boggling inventory
of about 5 lakhs, has also been actively participating in
adventure activities. Although the history of adventure
activities in the corps does not date back much, a respectable
place has been carved out in mountaineering fraternity by the
Corps within a short span of time. After having successfully
completed river rafting expedition on rivers Bhagirathi-Ganga
in 1988, the corps concentrated its efforts on mountaineering
by making a debut in 1989. Success after success has been
achieved since then and a new era of mountaineering sport has
been ushered into its sporting folds paving the way for new
generations to follow.
As a part of the sixth
reunion and silver jubilee of colour presentation in 1995 AOC
organised trekking, cycling and motor cycle expeditions. The
trekking expedition team was led by Maj RP Pandey, a keen
paratrooper and mountaineer of the corps. This expedition
covered the route from Manali to Karakoram Pass as a part of
Himex-I. On termination of this expedition, the corps launched
cycling and motor cycle expeditions. The team was divided into
two legs i.e. Eastern Leg and Western Leg which covered a
distance of approximately 2000 kms in each direction and
ultimately reached Secunderabad during the first week of
December 1995. During this venture, AOC lost a veteran
cricketer and keen adventurer, Maj CM Vishwanathan.
 In
1995 itself, AOC could get an opportunity to field its two
members in, International Nanda Devi Expedition in which five
countries i.e. India, America, Britain, Australia and Nepal
participated. It had the distinction of having scaled the
Nanda Devi East to its credit (24530 ft). The corps also
organised Jal Shakti Rowing Expedition in 1997 from Haridwar
to Bay of Bengal under the leadership of Maj Baljit Singh. It
covered a distance of 1960 kms in approximately one and a half
months. This expedition had the distinction of being mentioned
in the Limca Book of Records. The corps got opportunity
in 1997 once again to field its mountaineers in the Golden
Jubilee Joint Services Mountaineering Expedition to Jogin
Massif. The corps got another peak i.e. Jogir (21850 ft) to
its credit in this expedition. Army Ordnance Corps got the
highest honour in Indian Army in 1999 when Indian Adventure
and Mountaineering Association selected its only climbing
member out of the whole Army for Millennium Indian Everest
Expedition. The expedition had selected the most difficult
route to pay homage to the highest peak of the world. The
corps expressed its inability to spare the officer due to an
acute shortage of service officers in the corps. It was
irreparable loss to the corps otherwise Army Ordnance Corps
would have been on the map of the international mountaineering
today. Inspite of reaching the dazzling heights in the field
of adventure activities within a short span of few years, AOC
is not contented to rest on its laurels but is contemplating
to reach even greater heights in future.
Maj SP Malik
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