India allows Siachen glacier trek

More soldiers die of cold than bullets on the Siachen glacier

The Indian army has gone ahead with plans to allow trekkers to visit the disputed Siachen glacier, despite protests from Pakistan.

Three civilians were among 42 members of an expedition which left Leh in Ladakh on Wednesday for the glacier area, an army spokesman told the BBC.

It is not the first time that civilians have been to Siachen, between Pakistani and Indian-administered Kashmir.

But new Indian plans for "adventure tourism" there have angered Pakistan.

The two sides have fought and argued over the 5,500m-high glacier - described as the world's highest battlefield - for decades.

'Ordinary civilians'

India's military has rejected arguments from Pakistan that the trek should not go ahead, insisting that it is "a routine adventure" trip.

On Wednesday, defence spokesman Lt Col AK Mathur told the BBC in Srinagar that the civilians, from Maharashtra state, and other expedition members had left Leh for the forward area of Khara.

"They are ordinary civilians, who have gone on trekking expeditions before."

He said the civilians were accompanying military cadets and soldiers. Journalists travelling with the party would not go beyond base camp.

The expedition has been made possible because of a ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan which has held for almost four years.

But Pakistan warned on Monday that India's tourism plans in a disputed area would affect peace talks between the two countries.

India dismisses such suggestions.

Col Mathur said: "Before the days of confrontation, the Pakistanis took expeditions to Siachen and we didn't say anything then."

'Adventure park'

The current expedition, due to end on 11 October, includes trekking at an altitude of 16,000ft in a zone that India has held since the two armies fought a skirmish there 20 years ago.

Analysts say the trek can be seen as an attempt by India to add weight to its claims that it occupies more strategic posts there than Pakistan.

Officials say that India has decided to open 200 peaks, including four on Siachen, to climbers as part of a national "adventure park" project to attract more tourists.

Pakistan and India have deployed thousands of troops on Siachen - costing hundreds of millions of dollars a year.

Peace talks which began in 2004 have led to some improvement in transport and diplomatic links, but as yet there has been no substantial progress on the main disagreement over divided Kashmir.

More soldiers on both sides have died from the -40C temperatures on Siachen than from enemy fire.