Gilgit: A group of ten climbers, including five mountaineers from the Shimshal Valley in Hunza, successfully reached the summit of Spantik Peak, also known as Golden Peak, on Sunday. The climbers, led by Mirza Ali, accomplished the feat at 10:40 am on Tuesday, marking a significant achievement in the mountaineering community.
The team from Pakistan included Ahmed Baig, Rizwan Dad, Waqar Ali, Zaman Karim, and the expedition leader Mirza Ali. They were joined by five international climbers: Stuart James, Peter Upton, and David Willis from Australia, Maria Pujadas from Spain, and David Lavie from France.
Mehboob Ali, a representative of Karakorum Expeditions and brother of renowned climber Samina Baig, expressed immense pride in the team’s accomplishment. “Cheers to their unparalleled determination and teamwork,” Mehboob Ali told HUM News English.
Spantik Peak, standing at 7,027 meters, is situated between the Nagar and Shigar districts of the Gilgit-Baltistan region. It is part of the Karakoram Range, known for its towering and challenging mountains. The peak was first successfully ascended in 1955 by a German team via the South East Ridge, which has since become a popular route for climbers.
The first Pakistani summit of Spantik was achieved in 1989 by six Pakistan Army personnel alongside a German expedition team. Notably, in 2019, ten-year-old Selena Khawaja from Abbottabad made history by becoming the youngest person to ever scale Spantik, setting a global record as the youngest climber to conquer any peak over 7,000 meters.
This latest successful ascent of Spantik Peak is a testament to the growing prowess and spirit of mountaineers in Pakistan and around the world.
