Girivihar

Established in 1954, Girivihar aims to foster a love for nature and adventure among youths through outdoor activities like trekking and hiking. Origin Read moreally known as The Inter-Collegiate Hikers Club, it was founded by professors and students of Bombay University to promote these activities in the Sahyadri hills and forts. To expand its reach beyond the university, it was renamed Girivihar. Over the past 62 years, Girivihar has grown significantly, consistently organising hiking and trekking activities in the Sahyadri ranges. From its core activities, Girivihar has ventured into more advanced pursuits like rock climbing, high-altitude trekking in the Himalayas, and mountaineering expeditions. Since 1966, it has organized over 40 rock climbing camps, 20 adventure camps, 50 expeditions and high altitude treks, and numerous pinnacle climbs. Notably, in 1988, it attempted Mt. Kangchenjunga, the third-highest mountain in the world. Though the summit was not reached, valuable experience was gained. This experience contributed to the successful Everest summit by Surendra Chavan and Lavraj Dharmashaktu in 1998. As a result of the Kangchenjunga expedition, the K M Foundation was established to provide high-quality mountaineering equipment to the community.