2025: Pakistani Climbers Summit Terichmir
Abdul Joshi, with his team, on top of Terichmir
Khowari Report
(Update in 2026: Their claim was refuted by the Alpine Club of Pakistan for not presenting solid evidence of their ascent. The title now rests with the team of Sirbaz Khan who followed them.)
The year 2025 marked the 75th anniversary of the first ascent of Terich Mir by a Norwegian-British team in 1950. To celebrate, the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa declared it would give free climbing permits for Terich Mir and the entire Hindu Kush in 2025-26.
Two seperate Pakistani teams summited the peak in the Platinum Jubilee year of the first summit. Abdul Joshi’s group was sponsored by Habib Bank Limited (HBL) while Sirbaz Khan’s group was supported by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture & Tourism Authority.
Also Read: 2023: Japanese Team Climbs the Mighty Terichmir
Abdul Joshi’s Summit
The first team consisted of leader Abdul Joshi and a group of guides from Shimshal: Hameed Ullah, Faryad Karim, Mansoor Karim, and Nisar Ahmed. They summited on August 1 after a 20-hour push from Camp 3.
Joshi wrote in a press release that the team climbed a new route on the west face of the mountain, which he named after himself (the Abdul Joshi route).
The team fixed 1,200m of rope on various sections of a route they describe as highly technical.
“From 6,700m upward, the terrain became highly technical, with deep crevasses, steep ice, and dangerous glacier crossings,” Joshi wrote. “The most critical part began at 7,450m with exposed rock, followed by a deadly mix of ice and rock at 7,600m.”
It was the first Pakistani team to summit the peak in history.
Sirbaz Khan’s Summit
A second group led by Pakistani Sirbaz Khan (Hunza) reached the top this past Tuesday, August 19. Abid Baig (Hunza) accompanied him to the top while Shams ul Haq Qamar reached 7300m, becoming the first Chitrali ever to ascend to that altitude. Another Chitrali in the team, Akmal Naveed, had to pull out of the mission after experiencing headache at camp 3.
Sirbaz Khan’s tracker confirmed he summited at 3 pm local time.
Terichmir was last time climbed by a Japanese team in 2023 and French team in 2016.
It should be noted that Terich Mir (7,708 meters) is the highest peak of the Hindu Kush range. It was first ascended in 1950 by a team of four Norwegian climbers — Arne Næss, Arne Randers, Tony Streather, and Ralph Berg. They were advised to attempt this peak by George Morgenstierne, a renowned researcher and linguist who worked on the local languages of the region.
Located in the Terich Valley of Chitral, the peak is surrounded by various local mythical tales. It is believed to be the abode of fairies, while in Kalash traditions, it is regarded as the dwelling place of the gods.
Posted on 8 September 2025
