Summit Push

Yesterday, Sirbaz and Joshi left the basecamp for the summit push on Mt Annapurna. Today, they reached Camp 3 (6,420m) late in the afternoon. By pushing their physical limits on icy slopes under overhanging sercas for an entire day, now they are resting up in a tent. While they are up there, I wonder why … Read more

The Last Dance – An Open Letter To Ali Sadpara

(اردو میں پڑھنے کے لیے نیچے سکرول کریں) Dear Ali bhai, I’ll never forget the only time I saw you. It was at the Value of Life event in Islamabad a few months ago, but it feels like yesterday. As soon as our eyes met, I waved to you from the audience seats. You placed … Read more

Yazghil Sar Winter Expedition 2021

As days become shorter and nights grow darker, we dial up our heaters and chew pistachios and walnuts while sitting under blankets in our cosy homes. Meanwhile, a few brave ones dare to venture deep into the icy mountains that give shivers to the sun. They are on a mission to do something that no … Read more

Fazal Ali — The K2 King

“It is unfortunate that mountaineering has no value in our country. Everywhere I go, I have to tell who I am and narrate my achievements. In other countries, mountaineers are considered as heroes and don’t have to introduce themselves.” Fazal Ali is a veteran high altitude porter (HAP) from Shimshal, Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan. He has … Read more

Shaheen Baig—The Rescuer

“In 2004, there were so many climbers on K2 that I felt I was in Raja Bazar, Rawalpindi. Two years later, we were only two people on 8,000m tall Broad Peak in winter. At that time, I learnt that the most difficult part of mountaineering is descending without a rope. That experience still helps me … Read more

Karim The Dream

They call it the Savage Mountain. It is the second-highest peak on Earth. For every four people who summited K2 (8,611m), one died on the mountain. On 1st August 2008, twenty-five climbers left Camp IV to attempt the K2 summit, but eleven never returned. It was a perfect day for climbing, one in a million, … Read more

The Father, The Son, And The K2

They call it the Savage Mountain. It is the second-highest peak on Earth. For every four people who summited K2 (8,611m), one died on the mountain. On 1st August 2008, twenty-five climbers left the Camp IV to attempt the K2 summit, but eleven never returned. It was a perfect day for climbing, one in a … Read more

Samana—Future High Altitude Lead Climber

“I was only five when dad passed away. Mom worked hard to raise us. My elder sister and I helped her with everything, at home, in farming the land and raising animals. Once mom had to go to the Yazghil Pasture at over 3,500 meters. There was no one to accompany her, so I went … Read more

Abdul Joshi—Tougher The Mountain, The Better The Story!

“When I took the first step on Melvin Jones Peak, all I was thinking was we have to bring him back. But we cannot challenge a mountain. For the next two days, we followed footprints in the snow. Then we saw a black spot from a distance. There it was, what we had come for, … Read more

The Story Of Shakila

It is the story of two 8,000s and Shakila. In 2019, seven mountaineers from Italian-Pak expedition were pushing for the summit of 5,800m Melvin Jones Peak in Pakistan when an avalanche swept them down for 600m. Three members of the team were from Shimshal. One of them lost his life on the spot. His name … Read more

Nadeema

“We all thought it was our day. It was beautiful and sunny out there. We were only 500 metres from the summit, seven climbers strung together by ropes on a steep slope. The last thing I remember from the climb is the sight of our lead climber lifting his ice axe and sinking it into … Read more

Qudrat Ali

From Passu, a jeep track covered with dust and shadows clings to steep mountains and zigzags on its way to Shimshal—The Valley of Mountaineers. Over 20 Shimshalis from 250 households here have climbed 8000ers. Qudrat Ali is one of them. He is among the top climbers of Pakistan. His first adventure was a 3-day trek … Read more

Saad Munawar

“If you love mountains, you cannot ignore the hardships of people living in the mountains.” These are the words by Saad Munawar (Saad Munawar – The Mountain Writer), who is a mountaineer and a writer from Islamabad. He is the author of two books. In 2019, he and Qudrat Ali made a world record by … Read more