
GILGIT:
In the snowy peaks of Karakoram, a diverse team of trekkers have made a remarkable feat. On July 14, the 46-member team became the largest group of Pakistani trekkers to have scaled the 5,940-metre Gondogoro Pass in recent history.
The group set out from Skardu on July 1 and trekked all the way to Concordia, making various stops along the 140km journey. The team reached the K2 basecamp on July 7, where it spent the night and took off to scale the Gondogoro Pass, which is dubbed as the highest mountain pass of the world. They safely returned to Skardu on July 14.
The group constituted 27 expedition team members, five crew members and 14 porters, but what made it diverse was the age of the members. Among them were 65-year-old Abdul Qadir, 20-year-old Rabia Shahid, and the youngest, 18-year-old Hassan. An experienced mountaineer, Umar Javed, was also part of the expedition.
“This was the largest team of Pakistani mountaineers to have reached the K2 base camp and scaled the Gondogoro Pass,” Sakhi Hassan, the expedition’s organiser, told The Express Tribune. He said that usually teams of around four to seven experienced and physically-fit members set out to scale the pass, “which is why planning, organising and executing the expedition was a gigantic task”.
Hassan, who is an experienced mountaineer and also runs a mountaineering school in Skardu, said that he rounded up everyone and communicated details of the expedition to all the members through Facebook.
Talking about the expedition, he said the aged and weaker members were kept in the front rows, while experienced member were kept at the back, guiding and helping them along the way.
“Hats off to the trainers and organisers who made the impossible possible,” Qadir, the eldest among the group, commented after returning. “The two-week journey through the rough and tough mountains will be memorable,” added Javed, an avid trekker.
According to locals, Gondogoro Pass is attractive among mountaineers and trekkers and more than 80% of those who visit the region every year come to Skardu only to cross this pass. Locally known as “Gondogoro La (meaning pass)”, it is the highest mountain pass on the Gondogoro Glacier and provides scenic views of all the prominent peaks of the Karakoram Range, including K-2.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 24th, 2012.
COMMENTS (15)
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Its gr8 affort but i think its not largest party please confirm it and then posst it. thanks
Well done, Omar Javed and the team.
@Danial Shah: :))
@Faraz Ahmed: Please read Omar Javaid's comment. :)
seriously ET you need some good subs. a pass is always crossed, not scaled. you scale a peak, mountain, ridge. you walk, cross, traverse a pass.
@Faraz , I was also a part of this great team and it was really honor for me to lead this team of mountain passionate guys.
My suggestion is for you to start from Kaghan Valley. The valley is full of moderate level treks , perfect for beginners.
After gaining 2-3 years of experience in trekking , you can go to this wild world of Baltoro and K-2
For any further details , please feel free to write on [email protected] or [email protected]
@ Faraz Arshad .. Start from beginner treks. there are a lot in Hazara and Kashmir etc. Then move on to moderate difficulty trekking. You dont have to be a part of an established expedition for it. Its trekking not mountaineering. so just grab some physically and mentally strong friends, a mountain guide if trek is a little difficult and set off
Danial shah
Can you please give us details of how to join such expeditions. Perhaps an official facebook page that you would like to share. Thanks
@EK Get a Life .Do let us know the sources of your stories.
Good Job Guys Keep it Up and Make the Country Proud
@EK - wow, that's amazing. Is it the same pass?
This brilliant, a ten years German girl did it couple of weeks back ALL MY HERSELF carrying her own backpack and actually refused support from the crew. Some years back as young as 7 years old girl from Austrian trekking with her parents did the pass with almost the same situation, at the very top she gave her backpack to a support crew, however she descended down on her own.
yayyyy. glad to be a part of it.
i wish i was part of it....happy to know you did it well done
Really commendable job. Well done guys.