The Virgin peaks of High Hindu Kush- 1 – By: Prof. Rahmat Karim Baig
The Hindu Kush mountain range spans a distance of 800 km in a shape like a sword that begins in the south of Pamir including Chapursan valley in the east right to Afghanistan-Iran border with a number of ramifications to the north and south. Most of the peaks of this range lying inside Afghanistan have been summitted by climbers using Wakhan Corridor beside scaling Kuhe Bandeka and Mir Samir because Policy of the Afghan govt. in the past ( before 1978 ) was more tourist friendly than ours. The medium size peaks – 6000m to 7000m –inside the territory of Pakistan were ignored due to the presence of 7000m peaks as they were more challenging. In this article the medium size virgin peaks shall be focused. These are scattered all around the boundary line of Chitral.
The eastern line that begins at Chiantar glacier runs to Koyo Zom group down to Thui peaks. It further runs down to Buni Zom group where the main peak is Buni Zom main -6551m – which further extends to Ghochar Sar in the Golen valley and goes to Thalo Zom – 6050m and further south there is no peaks over 6000m. This range is the secondary section called Hindu Raj.
The main range of Hindu Kush gets separated from Hindu Raj at the bottom of Pamir and goes right westerly reaching Kohe Baba Tangi and extends to Lunko group of peaks in the Ujnu gol valley and then enters Ziwar valley of Torkho. Here the first above 7000m peak known as Akher Chioh stand at 7020m- submitted many times and this section of Hindu Kush is the beginning of above 7000m peaks also referred to as the threshold to High Hindu Kush. In the Ujnu gol-Ziwar section there are three above 7000m peaks namely Akher Chioh, Kohe Tez- 7018m, Kohe Urgant- 7038m. Ziwar gol also touches Langar Zom east and Saraghrar north- 7040m. Then this section goes higher and enters Roshgol, Udren and Atahk valleys where the main massifs stand i.e. Terch Mer, Noshaq, Istoro Nal, Shingeik Zom, Darband Zom, Udren Zom Shakawr, Langar Zom massif, Saraghrar main etc.
The peaks above 6000m but less than 7000m are scattered between the higher peaks mentioned above. The detail list of these with height are to be found in Hindu Kush Study Series volume ONE. Some of these are already submitted such as the Lunko group, the Gulasht Zom group, the Bunizom group, the Thui Zom group up to Koyo Zom but a greater number is still unclimbed and an attempt will be made in this article to be issued in parts.
Among the below 7000m peaks within the borders of Chitral quite a good number has been climbed but those lying within Afghanistan almost all have been summitted as more soft policy was observed by the Afghan government towards adventure tourism and access was allowed to climbers mostly from the Communist block countries under umbrella of the then Soviet Union than what policy had been in vogue in our country.
The attention of the mountaineers was focused on the highest peaks within Chitral and the lesser peaks were left untouched. Many peaks in the Buni Zom group are still virgin peaks while those in the higher section the Gulasht Zom group along with Dirgol Zom were climbed while the rest of this category were never attempted such as Baipash Zom, Mutrichili Zom, south Udren glacier peaks, Prechu Zom group, Sha Dahar, Noghor Zom, Baby Terich Mer, little Terich Mer, Aspe Safid, Asspe Siah, Istor Ghoni, Seru Zom, Sha gologh group of peaks etc. A ll the other virgin peaks will be in part 2 of this series.
Prof. Rahmat Karim Baig
