Mohan Singh Kohli

1. 🌄 In 1965, Captain Mohan Singh Kohli led the Indian Everest Expedition that placed nine climbers on the summit, setting a record unbeaten for 13 years. 2. Born in 1931 in Haripur, near the Karakoram mountains, Kohli witnessed the 1947 partition massacre of over 2,000 people, an early experience that shaped his resilience. 3. 🏔️ In 1962, during a brutal blizzard on Everest, Kohli endured three nights at 8,849 meters altitude, spending two without oxygen, a feat of endurance rarely matched. 4. Between 1960 and 1978, he participated in 20 major Himalayan expeditions, including the first Indian ascents of peaks like Nanda Kot and the maiden ascent of Annapurna III. 5. 🕵️‍♂️ From the late 1960s, Kohli led seven covert Himalayan missions installing nuclear-powered listening devices to monitor Chinese missile tests, blending mountaineering with national security. 6. After joining Air India in 1971, he revolutionized Himalayan tourism by promoting trekking worldwide, giving over 1,000 presentations in 50+ countries and flying over the South Pole in 1978. 7. 🌱 In 1989, with support from Sir Edmund Hillary and other notable climbers, Kohli co-founded the Himalayan Environment Trust to preserve the fragile mountain ecosystem. 8. ❓ How did a naval officer become pivotal in covert high-altitude surveillance and simultaneously pioneer Himalayan adventure tourism on a global scale?