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The team with the Golden Arrowhead at the summit of Mount Ayanganna
A 13-MEMBER Guyana Defence Force patrol, headed by Second Lieutenant (2Lt) Lloyd Glen, hoisted the `Golden Arrowhead’ on the summit of Mount Ayanganna on Monday, May 26 to mark the 37th year since Guyana became an Independent State.
The Military Patrol, referred to as `Operation Arrowhead’, goes to the summit of Mount Ayanganna every year to symbolically hoist the Golden Arrowhead in recognition of another year of nationhood.
Operation Arrowhead departed Base Camp Stephenson, Timehri on Monday, May 19 by Sky Van for Imbaimadai and was shuttled by GDF Bell 412 Helicopter to the foot of Camp Ayanganna, where its members established a base camp.
On the following day, the patrol commenced clearing the trail leading to the mountain top, which they successfully achieved on Friday, May 23.
At first light on Saturday, May 24, 2Lts Glen and James Waldron, as well as five other members of the patrol, departed the base camp and set out to conquer Mount Ayanganna.
“We started to climb the mountain on the morning of Saturday, May 24 in relatively good weather. However, the going was tough and by the end of the first day, we had reached the second shelf,” said 2 Lt Glen.
“As we undertook the second half to climb,” he continued, “it rained continually, thus making surfaces very slippery and the soil of the vertical walk very loose… It was a very difficult climb and we had to be very careful with every step we took, but we persevered and made it to the summit shortly before dark on Sunday, May 25.”
The patrol, after getting to the top of the mountain more than six hours before the appointed time for the symbolic hoisting of the Golden Arrowhead, constructed a shelter to protect members from the elements and thereafter made contact with the National Park via satellite telephone shortly before midnight. The patrol commander then gave an account of the mission.
On Tuesday, May 27 the patrol descended the mountain and arrived at its established base camp on the following day where it awaited the arrival of the helicopter, which transported the members to Kamarang thence by the Y-12 Aircraft back to base camp Stephenson.
According to 2Lt Lloyd Glen, every member of the GDF, at least once, should be given the opportunity to go on such a trek. He noted that though it was very difficult climb: “The experience gained will last a lifetime’.