Foreign mountaineers to participate in season’s 1st climb in Pakistan

Islamabad: The first foreign expedition team of this climbing season has arrived in Pakistan to summit a 6,500-metre high peak in Shimshal Valley of Gilgit-Baltistan, a top official said.

“The five-member outfit is led by renowned German climber Felix Berg,” The News International quoted Karrar Haidri, Secretary of the Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP), as saying on Sunday.

According to Haidri, the unnamed mountain is located in an open area of Shimshal Valley and was hitherto unclimbed.

“The Germans will be making its first-ever climb,” he added.

Haidri further said that since the Covid-19 pandemic hit Pakistan, this is the first expedition of the year.

“Some more European teams are expected to arrive in the next few days as the summer season is ending in September,” he added.

Pakistan is home to five of the world’s 14 tallest mountains.

Besides that, more than 100 peaks above 7,000 metres and as many above 6,000 are also located in the country, reports The News International.

Every year, the country recieves hundreds of climbers and trekkers from around the world, who aspire to scale its dangerous peaks.

However, this year the impact of the pandemic has been devastating for mountaineering.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Kashmir Monitor staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)