WITH what words does one bid farewell to a spirit as noble and strong as Rajab Shah, one of Pakistan’s most accomplished mountaineers and the first to scale all 8,000-metre peaks in the country?

Anybody who ever met him or any of his brethren amongst Pakistan’s mountaineers will tell you of the weather-beaten faces and eyes tinctured with the splendid serenity of the mountains amidst which they all grew up.

But these would be mere words for some of the stoutest people that our country has ever produced. Pakistan’s mountaineers have racked up a list of accomplishments that leaves the worldwide mountaineering community deeply impressed sometimes, but their efforts have been greeted with silence by the rest of the country.

Also read: K2: The king in the north

Rajab Shah was a legend amongst them, famous for his humility, his quiet focus, and superhuman strength.

When not ascending peaks, he could be found in the Pamir mountains near his village, tending his herd of yaks. He came from Shimshal, one of the world’s highest habitations at 4,500 metres, a small village of not more than 4,000 people. This village, tucked away in the Karakorams beyond the jeep track until recently, has more than 50 people today who have ventured into what mountaineers call “the death zone” above 8,000 metres.

Rajab Shah buried his youthful son years ago. He had fallen to his death from a rock face when the rope he was tethered to snapped.

Of all the burdens that he carried with superhuman fortitude in his many ascents, none weighed heavier than this. The rugged mountains of the northern areas — from Shimshal to Hunza to Baltistan — have produced many legends of his ilk, and it is a pity beyond words that this country has so little to say to them, or even about them.

Pakistan’s mountaineers are amongst the finest human beings this country has produced, and it is high time we found our voice to honour their accomplishments, and learned to acknowledge and encourage their enterprise.

Published in Dawn, May 4th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play