Inside HAWS: Where heroes like Hanamanthappa learn to battle Siachen winds

After being buried under tonnes of snow that came out of nowhere and with no notice, a person would want to shout hoping someone would hear. He would also want to move his limbs expecting that somebody may notice. But none of it is easy. Indian Army's Major Varun Khajuria who is an advance trainer at High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS) in Gulmarg says he can very well understand what Siachen survivor Hanumanthappa must have gone through.

"I have a firsthand experience of it. In 2010, when an avalanche hit our camp here, I was buried under several feet of snow. For that moment your entire life seems to revolving in-front of you. I wanted to shout, wanted to move but none of it was possible. Only two things that worked for me, one my training and other the faith in my colleagues who didn’t leave me behind," says Major Varun, who has actually escaped death that day.

The soldiers posted at high altitudes have twin battles to fight on daily basis - one against their own bodies and the other defeating the enemy on the borders. Temperatures drastically drop, oxygen supply comes down, and their determination is severely tested. And this is where the training comes for their rescue. This is perhaps the reason why Indian army has, over the years, established a full-fledged unconventional warfare institute for snowy altitudes. The HAWS is headed by no less than an officer of the rank of a major general today.

At HAWS, the focus is on training soldiers for extreme conditions like carrying out their tasks and surviving at altitudes higher than 13,000ft above sea level. In a sense, the preparations for the highest battlefield of Siachen also start here. "Though there are trainings specific for those altitudes take place at Siachin base camp only but the trainers who impart those skills are from the nucleus which we form here in this school," says Major General Navneet Kumar.

An important part of the training is dedicated to the survival in case of an eventuality like an avalanche. “We train our students how to stay in shape, use the resources available and try not to lose their spirits if they are caught in an adverse situation”, says instructor Major Varun Khajuria.

The school is also famous for its trained avalanche rescue professionals. Two teams with a quick reaction approach are ready round the clock to be called for any emergency in any part of the country. The rescue teams are equipped with modern gadgets and tools to be more efficient whenever deployed. “Our aim in rescue is always to be specific and swift. In case there are people buried under the teams first use avalanche rods to probe and if anything is found then digging starts. Nowadays we have Avalanche Victim Detectors (AVDs). If the victim is carrying the device then it becomes very easy to trace their locations”, says an instructor at the HAWS.

The rescue teams always have medical backups and the moment a victim is found the first priority is to medically stabilise him. CPR, resuscitation and frostbite treatments techniques are a must for the teams deployed for rescue work.

HAWS started from a humble beginning as the 19 Infantry Division Ski School in 1948, but over the years this premier High-Altitude Warfare School (HAWS) has become the Army's single agency for high-altitude, mountain and snow warfare. The HAWS has also made a distinction of being the institute where foreign armies send their men to get trained for these hostile conditions.

The trainers here feel that the best is given in terms of skills to the students for postings in difficult places. However even the aces in this school feel that one very important factor of survival always remains the grit and the fighting spirit in a soldier. The traits Lance Naik Hanumanthappa clearly displayed with his battle for life and a miraculous survival at Siachen.