About Us

Initially established in 2011, the Nanda Devi Adventure and Outdoor Education Institute (NDI) is a subsidiary of Mountain Shepherds, a grassroots venture which has developed a new model for adventure tourism in the high Himalayas. The Nanda Devi Institute is an independent educational organisation that trains people to discover and hone their potential. It is a place of experiential and formal learning where we conduct outdoor adventure courses not for recreational purposes but with an aim to teach the basics of mountaineering, outdoor learning and survival.

In the past NDI has organised courses for various institutions, including Uttarakhand Police, special course on Ski and Snow Craft based Search & Rescue for Uttarakhand State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), ONGC Himalayan Association, Green Peace, Reliance Foundation and various schools and educational institutions including Woodstock School, Mussoorie, Ashoka University. NDI is presently organizing 21 days special course on Rope Craft based Search and Rescue for Uttar Pradesh State Disaster Response Force (UP-SDRF). Now beginning from summer 2024, the institute is opening its doors for urban teen and young adults in Adventure Orientation and Basic Mountaineering Orientation courses. The institute is with the Single Window System of the District Tourism Department of District Uttarkashi. Nanda Devi Adventure Institute offers limited high end fully customized trek packages to Gaumukh – Tapovan and other destinations for couples and small family groups. The trekking expeditions arranged by the Institute are led by experienced and certified mountaineering instructors.

Why Us

Invest your time and energy in learning the basics of rock craft, rope craft, mountaineering and survival skills while trekking in the remote higher Himalayan region. Courses offered by NDI are an outdoor learning opportunity under the guidance of ex instructors from the Indian Army’s High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS), ex instructors from the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering and ITBP. The trainee/instructor ratio at NDI is 8:1 which is compatible with the standard operating procedure (SOP) of the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering. The takeaways at the Nanda Devi Institute are much more and comprehensive in comparison to trekking as a herd and learning nothing. In view of the heavy backlog in admissions at NIM, Nanda Devi Institute is the second best opportunity to learn basic mountaineering during the current season. Apply online to book your seat. We strongly advise you to check your eligibility and carefully read the terms and conditions before filling the form and paying your course fee online.

Course Venue

The basic mountaineering course will be conducted at Kuflon near Uttarkashi. The nearest railway station and airport is at Dehradun. From Dehradun buses and shared Sumo jeeps are available till Uttarkashi. Participants can make their own travel arrangements till Uttarkashi reporting center from where transport arrangements will be made for the NDI Campus in Assi Ganga Valley. Special pick up arrangements can also be made from Dehradun on payment of actual fare.

Our Story

Our story is an old one, almost as old as the mountains themselves. It begins at the foot of Nanda Devi, in the sister villages of Lata and Reni where the first ever ascent of this seemingly impossible mountain was made possible, where ordinary people fought an extraordinary battle to save their forests and their way of life and the Chipko movement was born.

What started as a battle for survival has now, through our parent organisation Mountain Shepherds, become an amazing example for disadvantaged communities around the world to turn adversity into opportunity. The energy that has been our driving force has now crystallised into the Nanda Devi Institute.

The NDI Campus

Currently NDI operates out of its Kuflon, Uttarkashi, campus. The Field Training Centre at Kuflon is situated in the Assi Ganga valley at an altitude of 4600 feet and is equipped with a lecture hall, a dining hall and tented accommodation for participants.

Technical Certification

Nanda Devi Adventure and Outdoor Education Institute (NDI) is formally registered as a Mountaineering and Trekking agency under the Travel and Trade registration of the Uttarakhand Tourism Develoment Board (UTDB). NDI is recognized by the District Tourism Development Officer (Uttarkashi) to organize trekking and mountaineering expeditions in the District of Uttarkashi under the online Single Window System (Ref registration number: UTTR/UTTARKASHI/13-2024/006838). NDI is specially preferred by the pilgrims planning to trek to Gaumukh and Tapovan destinations further upstream of Gangotri. NDI is recognized by the Disaster Disaster Mitigation and Management Centre, Government of Uttarakhand as a resource agency to organize Search and Rescue Trainings.

Nanda Devi Adventure and Outdoor Education Institute is offering Adventure Orientation and Basic Mountaineering Orientation courses for the summer season of 2024. The courses are exclusively designed for the age group of 13-16 years and 17 plus years age categories. The focus of summer activity camps is to inculcate outdoor leadership qualities and expedition behavior through hands on training in rope and rock crafts along with life saving skills.

Legal Status

Incorporated as a private limited company under Ministry of Corporate Affairs having corporate identification number as U80220UR2022PTC013881. Nanda Devi Adventure and Outdoor Education Institute Pvt. Ltd. (NDI) is a subsidiary company of the Mountain Shepherds Initiative. The registered H.Q. of the Nanda Devi Institute is located in the Assi Ganga Valley at Kuflon, Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand

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