Officials say reopening Phargam An Pass would help showcase region’s mountaineering potential
KARACHI: A Pakistani expedition has successfully crossed and summited the remote Phargam An Pass (5,100 metres) in the Hindu Kush for the first time in 27 years, while women climbers reached the summit for the first time, officials said on Tuesday.
The expedition, supported by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority (KPCTA), reopened the historic high-altitude route linking the Laspur Valley in Upper Chitral with the Golain Valley in Lower Chitral.
The team navigated glaciers, steep snow slopes, loose rock and avalanche-prone terrain to reach the summit before descending into the Golain Valley.
Kamran Khan was the first climber to reach the summit, accompanied by Mehrosh Akhtar, Samar Khan, Noman Khan, Noormal Rehman, Zohaib Khan, Omar Khitab Sheerani, Sohniya Babar, Amina Shabbir and Madeeha Syed.
From left: Noman Khan, Amina Shabbir, Sohniya Babar, Madeeha Syed, Smell Rose, Noormal Ahmed, Madhu Shala Akhtar, Kamran Khan, Mehrosh Akhtar and Samar Khan after returning to Chitral. — Reporter
The expedition also marked the first successful ascent of the pass by women, with Mehrosh Akhtar among those making history. Chitrali sisters Smell Rose and Madhu Shala Akhtar also took part in the expedition.
Led by local guide Zamurd Khan, the team said changing mountain conditions, including rockfalls and retreating glaciers, had significantly altered the route since previous crossings.
During the expedition, climbers rediscovered a memorial plaque dedicated to Austrian mountaineer Georg Kronberger, who died in the area in 1975.
Officials said the expedition was part of the KPCTA’s Tirich Mir Project, which seeks to identify and document historic trekking routes and promote sustainable adventure tourism in Upper Chitral.
They said reopening Phargam An Pass would help showcase the region’s mountaineering potential while preserving its exploration heritage.
