Gurdial Singh joined The Doon School in 1945 and it was here that he was influenced by Englishman such as John Martyn, R.L. Holdsworth and Jack Gibson to take up mountaineering. Together, they scaled many peaks including Bandarpunch, Trisul, Kamet, Abi Gamin and Nanda Devi.
Apart from being the first Indian to be included in the Alpine Club, Singh was given the Arjuna Award in 1965 for his contributions towards Indian mountaineering. In 1967, Singh was awarded Padma Shri., the fourth highest civilian award in India. In 2007, Gurdial Singh was given a time Achievement Award and the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award for his contributions towards Indian mountaineering.
In fact, the first headmaster of Doon Arthur Foot was a member of the Alpine Club. He was the first Indian member of the famed Alpine Club, which was "a club of English gentlemen devoted to mountaineering".
