Gurdial Singh was an Indian schoolteacher and mountaineer who led the first mountaineering expedition of independent India to Trisul in 1951. In 1958, he led the team that made the first ascent of Mrigthuni . In 1965, he was a member of the first successful Indian expedition team to climb Mount Everest.

The Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award, formerly known as the National Adventure Awards is the highest adventure sports honour of the Republic of India. The award is named after Tenzing Norgay, one of the first two individuals to reach the summit of Mount Everest along with Edmund Hillary in 1953. It is awarded annually by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. The recipients are honoured for their "outstanding achievement in the field of adventure activities on land, sea and air" over the last three years. The lifetime achievement is awarded to individuals who have demonstrated excellence and have devoted themselves in the promotion of adventure sports. As of 2020, the award comprises "a bronze statuette of Tenzing Norgay along with a cash prize of ₹15 lakh (US$19,000)."