GILGIT: Renowned mountaineer Sirbaz Khan successfully climbed Terich Mir (7,708m), the highest peak in the Hindu Kush situated in Chitral.

According to a statement issued by Karrar Haidri, Vice President Alpine Club of Pakistan, Sirbaz Khan, the only Pakistani climber who scaled 14 eight thousanders without supplement oxygen, scaled Terich Mir in Chitral on Tuesday.

Karim Shah, a friend of the climber, told Dawn that on the 75th anniversary of the peak’s first ascent an expedition was organised by Khyber_Pakhtunkhwa Tourism Department. The expedition team was led by Sirbaz Khan and comprised Abid Baig from Hunza and two new climbers - Akmal Naveed and Shams Qamar from Chitral.

Sirbaz Khan and Abid Baig climbed the peak on Tuesday at 3pm. Karim Shah said GPs of Khan confirmed the summit; however, the other climbers’ summit was not confirmed so far.

On August 1, a team of five climbers from Shimshal Valley of Gilgit-Baltistan also conquered the peak via a new and technically challenging route.

The expedition was led by renowned mountaineer Abdul Joshi, widely known as ‘The Pathfinder’ as part of his Summit for Climate Change Campaign, which seeks to draw global attention to the environmental impacts of climate change in high-altitude regions.

The summit marks a historic achievement as it is the first time a Pakistani team had reached Terich Mir’s top via a new route. The climbers included Abdul Joshi, Hameedullah, Faryad Karim, Mansoor Karim and Nisar Ahmed.

Published in Dawn, August 20th, 2025