Mountain Climbed Again After 78 Years
Zeeshan Mushtaq made the third ascent of Thajiwas Peak earlier this month
Zeeshan Mushtaq, 23, and Faisal Wani, 27, made the third ascent of Thajiwas Peak, a 4,854-metre mountain in India, on July 2. They climbed the Great Couloir in alpine style for the route’s second ascent.
The Thajiwas Range is often called the Alps of Kashmir thanks to the area’s tall granite peaks. Thajiwas Peak was first climbed in 1937 by James Waller, Mapchi Topgay and Pasang Ghekked – read Waller’s story about the climb here. The second ascent was in 1945 by John Jackson and John Buzzard. Zeeshan told Wanderlust that he’s hoping to jump start a new era of alpinism in the Kashmir Valley.
They began their climb at 5 a.m. and climbed the 300-metre couloir, often in soft snow, in quick time. Wani was unable to continue to the summit, so Mushtaq climbed the upper mixed pitches alone. Several famous peaks can be seen from the summit, including Nanga Parbat.
Wani sustained a leg injury on the descent down the couloir, so they had to call a rescue, which came four hours later by the Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering and Winter Sports. In base camp, Wani’s condition worsened and they called for a helicopter. Read the full story at Wanderlust.
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