Officials say reopening Phargam An Pass would help showcase region\u2019s mountaineering potential
\n KARACHI
\nA Pakistani expedition has successfully crossed and summited the remote Phargam An Pass (5,100 metres) in the Hindu Kush for the first time in 27 years, while women climbers reached the summit for the first time, officials said on Tuesday.
\nThe expedition, supported by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority (KPCTA), reopened the historic high-altitude route linking the Laspur Valley in Upper Chitral with the Golain Valley in Lower Chitral.
\nThe team navigated glaciers, steep snow slopes, loose rock and avalanche-prone terrain to reach the summit before descending into the Golain Valley.
\nKamran Khan was the first climber to reach the summit, accompanied by Mehrosh Akhtar, Samar Khan, Noman Khan, Noormal Rehman, Zohaib Khan, Omar Khitab Sheerani, Sohniya Babar, Amina Shabbir and Madeeha Syed.
\nThe expedition also marked the first successful ascent of the pass by women, with Mehrosh Akhtar among those making history. Chitrali sisters Smell Rose and Madhu Shala Akhtar also took part in the expedition.
\nLed by local guide Zamurd Khan, the team said changing mountain conditions, including rockfalls and retreating glaciers, had significantly altered the route since previous crossings.
\nDuring the expedition, climbers rediscovered a memorial plaque dedicated to Austrian mountaineer Georg Kronberger, who died in the area in 1975.
\nOfficials said the expedition was part of the KPCTA\u2019s Tirich Mir Project, which seeks to identify and document historic trekking routes and promote sustainable adventure tourism in Upper Chitral.
\nThey said reopening Phargam An Pass would help showcase the region\u2019s mountaineering potential while preserving its exploration heritage.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Officials say reopening Phargam An Pass would help showcase region\u2019s mountaineering potential KARACHI A Pakistani expedition has successfully crossed and summited the remote Phargam An Pass (5,100 metres) in the Hindu Kush for the first time in 27 years, while women climbers reached the summit for the first time, officials said on Tuesday. The expedition, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":557629,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-557602","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\n