Jogabyasa Bhoi conquers Carstensz Pyramid

Ace Odisha mountaineer Jogabyasa Bhoi added yet another feather to his cap by conquering Carstensz Pyramid (4,884 metre), the highest summit of Mount Carstensz in Indonesia earlier on November 21. He was the only Indian in a 14-member team that successfully scaled the treacherous mountain, which is also the highest peak of Australia & Oceania continent.
Other 13 memebers of the team included five from Canada, three from Poland, two from USA and one each from Germany, Norway and South Africa. The expedition, organised by Adventure Indonesia, had started on November 12. The team returned to Sugapa village in Papua New Guinea, the base camp today.
``It was very very tough experience. We reached the summit on November 21 at 10.40 am (IST 6.00 am), climbing and trekking 12 hours the night before. But it was very satisfying to conquer the peak,`` Bhoi told TNIE though a satellite phone on Tuesday.
Mount Carstensz is a mountain in the Sudirman Range, the western part of central highlands of Papua province, Indonesia. With an altitude 4,884 metres above sea level, Mount Carstensz is not only the highest mountain in Indonesia, but in the Oceania region as well.
For the 32-year-old Bhoi, who came to limelight by scaling Mount Everest on May 19, 2011, this was the fourth major achievement of his seven-year-long mountaineering career. A primary teacher from Kalahandi district, Bhoi had scaled Mount Kili Manjaro (19,340 ft) in Tanzania in 2011 and Mount Elbruse earlier this year.
He always undertook expeditions for a social cause. While scaling Mount Elbruse, the highest mountain peak in Europe, he spread the message of women`s empowerment. He completed that expedition in Russia on May 7 along with nine others after one member of the 11-strong contingent beat a retreat due to illness.
That was Bhoi`s third continental summit without oxygen support. While at the peak, Bhoi took the opportunity to spread the message of women`s empowerment by holding out a banner which read ``Nourish, protect and respect all women for a glorious and proud nation.`’
Bhoi’s feats assume added importance considering the fact that he achieved these against several odds. Paucity of fund has always been a major worry for him as comes from a small-time farmer’s family. For the Mount Carstensz expedition, Bhoi could arrange Rs 9 lakhs while the actual need was Rs 15 lakhs.
He, however, thanked Crystal organization of Delhi, SVCT of Gujarat, Jharsuguda district administratoin, industrial establishments of Jagatsinghpur and Dhenkanal for sponsoring his Carstensz Pyramid expedition.