CHITRAL: The district administration of Lower Chitral hosted a special reception in Chitral Town the other day to honour participants of the recently concluded “Pakistan Solidarity Expedition for Tirich Mir via Susum Karimabad”.

The unique expedition was sponsored by Zoom Connection, supported by the district administration of Lower Chitral and organised in collaboration with the Hindukush Snow Sports Club Chitral.

Led by Julien Herry, a renowned mountain guide from Chamonix, France, the expedition included 16 climbers, guides and mountain sports enthusiasts. The team stayed at the Tirich Mir Base Camp in Karimabad from May 19 to June 4, 2026.

The primary objectives of the venture included training local athletes in modern mountaineering techniques, exploring an alternative route to Terich Mir via Karimabad and assessing the potential for promoting adventure tourism and winter sports in the region.

During their stay the team successfully summited several smaller peaks within the Terich Mir mountain range and surveyed the surrounding mountain passes. The expedition yielded critical information regarding access routes, terrain conditions, and future opportunities for mountaineering, skiing and eco-tourism.

A key outcome was the identification of areas highly ideal for summer skiing and snow sports, which was immensely appreciated by the international participants.

The foreign climbers highly praised Chitral’s exceptional natural beauty and the vast, unexplored potential of the Hindu Kush.

They expressed their determination to return in the coming years to summit Terich Mir (7,708 meters), the highest peak in Pakistan outside the Karakoram Range.

The visiting mountaineers also pledged to publish photos, documentaries and promotional material through international platforms and social media networks to introduce Chitral as a prominent global hub for adventure and cultural tourism.

The reception ceremony was attended by various segments of Chitral’s society including hotel industry representatives, travel and tour operators, members of the Chitral Press Club, civil society organisations, local mountaineers, sports enthusiasts and government officials.

Published in Dawn, June 7th, 2026