Climbers were supposed to be welcome to climb Tirich Mir for free on the anniversary of its first ascent, but a police officer thought otherwise and turned away a Slovenian team last week.
The expedition team was led by well-known alpinist and university professor Irena Mrak. The climbers had just reached Shugerbaysum Camp in the Tirich Valley and were setting up camp when a lone policeman showed up, Chitral Today reported.
Safety concerns
The policeman told the climbers that he was following orders and said that safety concerns required the team to leave the area.
“He [said] that if any untoward incident happened with the team, the police would be held responsible,” Chitral Today wrote.
The local government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the region of Pakistan that hosts that part of the Hindu Kush, had previously announced that climbing permits in that region would be free in 2025 and 2026, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the first ascent of Tirich Mir by a Norwegian-British team. Tirich Mir permits were also free last year, but the measure now extends to the entire Pakistani Hindu Kush, which contains many mountains above 7,000m. At that time, there had been no mention of any safety issues.
Operators in despair
The news is another blow to local outfitters, who are already dealing with a slow season.
“We urge the authorities to create a clear policy for adventure tourism in the Hindu Kush region, support local initiatives, and help build a positive image of Chitral as a safe and welcoming destination for explorers and mountaineers,” said Ali Saltoro of Alpine Adventure Guides. “If it happened again, then no tourists can visit the Hindu Kush region in the future.”
Operators show their disappointment on social media. Photo: Instagram
Now what?
The expedition was called off, and the climbers were left pondering their options. At first, they considered a peak in the Karakoram, within Gilgit-Baltistan, but in the end, the team opted to stay in the Hindu Kush and attempt 7,492m Noshaq on the Afghanistan border, the second-highest peak in the area.
Noshaq Peak. Hindu Kush. Photo: Alpine Adventure Guides
