NAAME climbers complete belayer course in Arunachal

KOHIMA — A three-member team from the Nagaland Association for Adventure, Mountaineering and Education (NAAME), comprising Neiphivilie Seyie, Kesovilie Pienyü and Thejavilie Kintso, has completed a belayer course (A Grade) held from August 3 to the 7th in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh.

The trio participated in the five-day “Training Course for Route Setters and Belayers,” which the Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF) North East Zone organized in association with the government of Arunachal Pradesh’s departments of Sports, Tourism, and Youth Affairs.

Pukil Kintso, general secretary of NAAME, informed Eastern Mirror on Wednesday that the event was held at the Chimpu Sports Complex in Itanagar.

In his interaction with this newspaper, Thejavilie Kintso described the training as “tough yet exciting” and highlighted how they gradually became more familiar with various climbing techniques.

He shared the challenges of learning to navigate an artificial climbing wall and explained that the association sent them to the training to earn certification that would enable him to instruct aspiring climbers back home.

However, he lamented the lack of wall climbing facilities in Kohima and emphasised the importance of the government establishing a climbing facility in the state capital, noting that, while one facility exists in Dimapur, it is privatised. Thejavilie believed that with government support, Nagaland could compete with other northeastern states that already have such amenities.

With sport climbing now included in the Olympics, he expressed confidence that Naga youth can excel in the sport by leveraging their natural advantages as being from the hilly region.

Participants received training under chief instructor Praveen CM, a 17-time national champion and international medallist in sport climbing, who also coaches the Indian team and is an international route setter.

Tarak Dogar, a sport climbing instructor from Arunachal Pradesh, and Maro Meto, a mountaineering and assistant sport climbing coach, also from Arunachal Pradesh, were also part of the team.