Kashmiri climbers retrace forgotten route to Sikwas Peak

Srinagar, Jul 12 : For nearly eight decades, the route to Sikwas Peak remained buried in the pages of an old mountaineering journal, untouched and largely forgotten. This week, a group of young Kashmiri climbers set out to change that. Armed with historical records, modern climbing equipment and a shared passion for the mountains, the five-member expedition trekked into the rugged wilderness of the Aru Wildlife Sanctuary, determined to retrace a route that expedition members say was last documented in 1945. After two days and one night in the high mountains, the team reached the summit on the morning of July 9. For expedition leader Zaid Jan, the climb was about much more than reaching the top. “It wasn’t just a summit. It was an attempt to reconnect with Kashmir’s forgotten mountaineering history,” he said. The summit team comprised Zaid Jan, Muzammil and Hilal, while five members were part of the overall expedition. The climbers relied on details preserved in historical journals to follow the original route, blending decades-old documentation with modern mountaineering techniques. According to Jan, the expedition was conceived as a step towards reviving mountaineering in Kashmir, a region blessed with towering peaks but where organised climbing expeditions have remained relatively limited. “Kashmir has incredible mountains, but mountaineering needs support. Permissions should be easier, sponsorships should be encouraged and young climbers should be given opportunities to explore these peaks,” he said. The expedition also marks the beginning of a larger dream. As the climbers descended from Sikwas Peak, they carried back more than memories of another successful expedition. They returned with the hope that the route they revived would no longer remain confined to history, but would once again become part of Kashmir’s living mountaineering tradition. According to Jan, historical research indicates that the only previously recorded successful ascent was made in August 1945 by John Angelo Jackson and his team. The climb was documented in The Himalayan Journal, Volume 13 (1946) and later referenced in Climbers’ Guide to Sonamarg, Kashmir. After an extensive review of available journals, expedition reports, guidebooks, and online mountaineering records, they were unable to find evidence of any successful ascent of the peak after the 1945 expedition. The summit push began at 4:00 a.m. from Base Camp. The team crossed YemHar Pass before navigating an exposed pinnacle ridge that demanded careful route finding and steady movement. After nearly seven hours of climbing, the summit was reached at approximately 11:00 a.m. “The expedition extends its sincere gratitude to All Jammu & Kashmir Mountaineering Foundation (AJKMF) for its unwavering support throughout the planning and execution of the expedition. Their encouragement played an important role in making this climb possible,” Jan said. He added that this ascent was not only a milestone for their team but also highlights the immense mountaineering potential of Kashmir, where many peaks remain rarely visited and historically undocumented.

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