The Restless Giant: Unraveling the Mysteries of Shishper Glacier in Pakistan’s Hunza Valley
“This great workshop of primaeval forces where nature seems to exert her supremest energy” George Nathaniel Curzon’s depiction of the Hunza landscape remains hauntingly accurate when observing the Shishper Glacier’s behavior. The Hasanabad Glacier system, with its twin arms Muchuhur (western basin) and Shishper (eastern basin) descending dramatically from peaks exceeding 7,300 meters, epitomizes glacial […]
“Holy Mountains: The Importance of Indigenous Practices in the Age of Climate Change”
Masood´s Presentation on Holy Mountains and the importance of indigenous practices in the age of climate change at Afro-Asiatic Institute in Salzburg Austria. Photo: Afro-Asiatic Institute Salzburg Indigenous communities in the Hindukush-Karakoram-Himalaya (HKH) region hold profound spiritual connections with their natural environment. Traditions such as glacier grafting (merging black and white glaciers), ritualistic irrigation ceremonies […]
The K2 West Face: Honoring the Historic 1981 First Ascent of K2 by Nazir Sabir and Ohtani
“Then l thought we humans are often on the mercy of the forces of nature and we can only beg to be allowed to creep up the slopes of these heavenly places to merely spend few moments up there. It is very ignorant of the egoistic individuals to refer to conquering any mountain. These places […]
Honoring Unsung Local Heroes: Meherban Karim and Jehan Baig of Shimshal Valley
K2 8611m, also called savage mountain, South Face view from Concordia On the 17th anniversary of the 2008 K2 Tragedy, we pay tribute to the legacy of two brave Pakistani mountaineers whose lives were lost on the world’s most perilous mountain, far from the recognition they rightfully deserved. Shimshal Valley, Gilgit-Baltistan — Tucked away in […]
One Year Later: Remembering Kazuya Hiraide and the Final Climb on K2’s West Face
“Yes, I have a dream… the West Face of K2.” — Kazuya Hiraide, 2023 It’s been a year since we lost Japanese climbers Kazuya Hiraide and Kenro Nakajima on K2’s less-climbed West Face while they were tackling a bold new route alpine style. On July 27, 2024, the two disappeared into the unforgiving silence of […]
Overlooked Local Heroes: Who Were the Hunza Tigers in Nanga Parbat’s First Ascent
It was the 6th attempt in 1953 when K.M. Herrligkoffer, a German explorer, led another attempt titled “German-Austrian Willy Merkl Memorial Expedition to Nanga Parbat 1953”. In the past, 1930, 1932, 1934, 1937, 1938, 1939, the Germans made multiple unsuccessful and tragic attempts on the Nacked Mountain in Diamer, a remote Himalayan region in Gilgit-Baltistan. […]
Remembering the Nanga Parbat Massacre of 2013: From Horror to Hope through the Eyes of Survivors
On June 22, 2013, on a tranquil night in the Himalayas, beneath the imposing Nanga Parbat, a group of armed terrorists dressed in paramilitary uniforms invaded Base Camp. In just a few minutes, one of Pakistan’s most heartbreaking mountaineering tragedies unfolded: ten foreign climbers and one Pakistani cook lost their lives in a brutal attack. […]
New Route Opened on Spantik’s East Ridge: Climbing Style or Number of Summits?
Muiz Ud Din of Pakistan and Mathieu Maynadier of France have opened a remarkable new alpine-style route on the East Ridge of 7,029-meter Spantik. This milestone reaffirms climbing as a craft rooted in style, ethics, and connection with nature, rather than just a game of 8,000-meter summits. Their climb, accomplished in a classical alpine style […]
Historic First Ascent: Southeast Pillar of Ultar Sar Finally Climbed
The first ascent of the Southeast Pillar of Ultar Sar (7,388m) in Pakistan’s Karakoram range has been accomplished by a group of elite alpinists, including Ethan Berman, Sebastian Pelletti, and Maarten van Haeren. The three took on the 3,100-meter tricky face in alpine style, with the support of the Alpine Club of Canada’s John Lauchlan […]
Col. Sher Khan, the Mountain Lion: A Forgotten Lead Climber
Col. Sher Khan’s (Retd) journey was not only defined by the conquest of summits but also by the fulfillment of a legacy—one that is etched in the grand shape of Rakaposhi. This mountain had determined his destiny long before he initially crossed its slopes. Sher Khan narrates; “I would like to say that Rakaposhi, my […]