GILGIT: Renowned mountaineer Mohammad Ali Sadpara on Tuesday started his journey to Nepal to attempt to summit 8,485-meter-high Makalu Peak, the fifth highest peak in the world.

The peak is located 19 kilometers southeast of Mount Everest, on the border between Nepal and China.

The expedition of Ali Sadpara has been sponsored by Pak Army.

Sadpara, 43, will fly from Islamabad to Nepal on Wednesday (today) and will start the adventure from first week of next month.

He has climbed all the five 8,000-meter high peaks in Pakistan, including K2 (8,611m), Gasherbrum I (8,080m), Gasherbrum II (8,034m), Nanga Parbat (8,126m) and Broad Peak (8,051m).

Sadpara is the first Pakistani to have climbed Nanga Parbat in winter on Feb 26, 2016 with Alex Txikon of Spain and Simone Moro from Italy.

He is determined to scale 14 8,000-meter high peaks in the world.

Talking to Dawn before starting his journey, Mr Sadpara said mountaineering was an expensive sport, but it was his dream to scale all the 8,000-meter high peaks. He thanked Pak Army for sponsoring him for the adventure.

TOUR OPERATORS HAIL DECISION: The tour operators in Gilgit-Baltistan on Tuesday appreciated the federal government’s decision to abolish the condition of NOC for foreigners (having work visa) to visit GB and allowing foreign tourists to visit even the restricted areas.

Naiknam Karim, a tour operator, told Dawn that earlier foreigners having work visa, including diplomats, INGOs, international companies officials, had been banned from entering GB without getting prior NOC from the federal interior ministry, and all foreigners were restricted to visit only 30 miles up to Pakistan border with China and Afghanistan, and 10 miles up to LoC.

The relaxation of conditions for foreigners to visit tourist destinations in GB had been longstanding demand of the people related with tourism, he said. He said visitors were not allowed to visit various tourist destinations in GB in the past.

Published in Dawn, March 27th, 2019