Born on 8th December 1933 in Rawalpindi, Colonel N Kumar and his family moved to Shimla after partition. He was commissioned in the Kumaon Rifles in 1954. He successfully led Mountaineering Expeditions to the highest peaks of Bhutan, Sikkim, Nepal, Garhwal, Kashmir, and Eastern Karakorams. Out of 13 of the highest peaks above 24,000 feet climbed by Indians, nine have been climbed under Col Kumar’s leadership.

In 1960, Col N Kumar was amongst the first eight in the world who had crossed the high altitude barrier of 28,000 feet. In 1965, he was the Deputy Leader of the Indian Mount Everest Expedition, which put nine people on the top – a World Record.

Colonel N Kumar was the first man in the world to cross the Siachen Glacier from the snout to its source. He also skied down all the passes on the glacier, such as the Bilafond La/Saltoro Pass, Sia La, Turkistan La, Indira Col, and Pass Italia, and led successful expeditions to Saltoro Kangri (25,400 feet), the highest in Eastern Karakoram. His reconnaissance efforts of the Siachen Glacier were key to the Indian Army’s reclamation of the forward posts of the glacier in Operation Meghdoot in 1984. He is today the most decorated mountaineer and soldier in Indian history.

Col Kumar was awarded Ati Vishisht Seva Medal as a Captain by the then President Dr. S. Radhakrishnan and later became the only Lieutenant Colonel in the armed forces to be honored with the Param Vishisht Seva Medal. He was honored with the Kirti Chakra and McGregors Medal for reconnaissance of unknown territories in Siachen Glacier.

Colonel N Kumar is the only Indian to have commanded three premier mountaineering institutes of the country. He was better known as the Bull amongst his friends, and over the years, gained the reputation of a mountaineering legend.