Colonel Neeraj Rana

Founder | Mountaineer | Adventurer

I, Colonel Neeraj Rana, was commissioned into the Armoured Corps of the Indian Army in 1989. An avid mountaineer, I have 19 peaks to my credit, having led expeditions on 14 occasions and served as Deputy Leader twice. My expeditions include three of the world’s highest peaks: Mt. Everest (8850 m), Kanchenjunga (8586 m), and Makalu (8463 m).

I served as Vice Principal at the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM), Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand for nearly 3 years, where I trained more than 3000 trainees as a Training Officer. I later served as the Principal of the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI), Darjeeling, one of the most renowned mountaineering institutes in the world, for 5 years.

I am also an avid microlight flyer with over 160 hours of flying experience. I specialize in paragliding and have accumulated more than 1000 hours of flying experience. I achieved a unique milestone by flying a paraglider from a height of 6850 meters on Mt. Makalu and landing at 5700 meters — a feat recognized by the Limca Book of Records.

The historic flight lasted 18 minutes. I am also a certified instructor in paragliding and paramotors. I have represented India in the Pre-World Cup of Paragliding (2004) and served as a Technical Advisor for the Himachal Pradesh Government (Pre-World Cup 2008).

Apart from mountaineering, I actively engage in white water rafting, having rafted across major rivers including the Ganges, Teesta, and Bhagirathi. I have trekked extensively across the Himalayas, including Garhwal, Sikkim, Zanskar, Eastern Nepal, and even the French Alps.