NSG commandos summit Everest in 20-day push
India’s elite “Black Cats” reach world’s highest peak with Sherpa team in unusually fast expedition from Kathmandu
PC: Seven Summit Treks
A team of ten commandos from India’s National Security Guard (NSG), the country’s elite counter-terrorism force known as the “Black Cats,” has summited Mount Everest in a notably swift 20-day round trip from Kathmandu.
The 16-member expedition team—comprising ten Indian climbers and six Nepali Sherpa guides—reached the 8,849-metre summit at 3:26 a.m. on May 23, according to expedition organiser Seven Summit Treks.
The ascent was conducted under the overall command of Lt. Col. Ram Chandra Thapa, with climbing operations led by Major Akhilesh Bhatt and Sherpa leadership provided by expedition sirdar Mingma Thinduk Sherpa. Coordination and logistics across the season were overseen by director Chhang Dawa Sherpa.
The NSG summiteers included Major Bhatt, Bavinder Singh, Bhoopendra Singh, Pankaj Singh Dosad, Rahul Singh, Ravinder Singh, Satish Kumar, Sonu, Sulinder Singh and Suresh Kumar.
They were supported by a 16-member Sherpa team including Mingma Thinduk Sherpa, Danuru Sherpa, Lakpa Temba Sherpa, Ngima Dorchi Sherpa, Ming Dorchi Sherpa, Pemba Sherpa, Lakpa Tendu Sherpa, Furtenji Sherpa, Phurtenjen Sherpa, Dawa Rinje Sherpa, Chhangwa Sherpa, Lakpa Tasi Sherpa, Chhiring Sherpa, Pastemba Sherpa, Nima Tashi Sherpa and Dawa Rinjin Sherpa, responsible for fixing lines, load carrying and summit support through the Khumbu Icefall and higher camps.
The 20-day turnaround from departure in Kathmandu to summit and return is unusually fast by Everest standards, where acclimatisation rotations and weather delays often extend expeditions to six to eight weeks. Organisers attributed the pace to pre-expedition conditioning, streamlined logistics and favourable weather windows.
Chhang Dawa Sherpa, a leading organiser of fast Himalayan ascents, has previously coordinated high-profile speed projects including the 14-peak project of Nirmal Purja and the record-breaking eight-thousander completion by Kristin Harila in 92 days.
Before the summit push, the team also conducted a medical camp at Everest Base Camp and took part in a mountain clean-up initiative, reflecting growing emphasis on environmental responsibility among commercial expeditions.
The NSG, established in 1984 as India’s premier rapid-response counter-terrorism unit, is known for its rigorous physical selection standards. Organisers said the climb reflected its ethos of extreme endurance, discipline and high-risk operational readiness.
