Noshaq
Noshakh (also called Nowshak or Nōshākh; (Dari: نوشاخ, Pashto: نوشک) is the second highest peak in the Hindu Kush Range (after Tirich Mir) at 7,492 m (24,580 ft). It lies in the Wakhan corridor, Afghanistan's Badakhshan Province. It is the highest point in Afghanistan and is the world's westernmost 7,000 meter massif.
| Noshakh | |
|---|---|
| Nowshak, Noshakh نوشک | |
 | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 7,492 m (24,580 ft) Ranked 52nd |
| Prominence | 2,024 m (6,640 ft) |
| Isolation | 18.89 km (11.74 mi)  |
| Listing | Country high point Ultra |
| Coordinates | 36°25′54″N 71°49′42″E |
| Naming | |
| Native name | نوشاخ (Persian) |
| Geography | |
  Noshakh Location in Afghanistan  Noshakh Location in Pakistan  Noshakh Noshakh (Pakistan) | |
| Location | Wakhan Corridor |
| Country | Afghanistan/Pakistan |
| Province | Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan |
| Parent range | Hindu Kush |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 1960 by Toshiaki Sakai and Goro Iwatsubo (Japan) |
Climbing history
Noshaq main was first climbed by a Japanese expedition in 1960 led by Professor Sakato. Other members of the expedition were Goro Iwatsubo and Toshiaki Sakai. The climb followed the normal Pakistan approach, the southeast ridge from the Qadzi Deh Glacier. The normal Afghanistan approach route is by the west ridge.
Noshaq East, Noshaq Central and Noshaq West were first climbed in 1963 by Austrians Dr. Gerald Gruber and Rudolf Pischenger.
The first winter ascent was 13 February 1973 by Tadeusz Piotrowski and Andrzej Zawada, members of a Polish expedition, via the north face. It was the world's first winter climb of any 7000 m peak. Until now it is the only winter ascent to this summit.[1]
Between the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 and the fall of the Taliban in 2001, the mountain was very difficult to access because of political turmoil in the region.[2] In 2011, National Geographic noted that the trail to the summit was again accessible to climbers, with hopes of opening the area up for tourism.[3]
The first Afghan ascent of the mountain was in July 2009. Two members, Malang Daria and Amruddin Sanjar, of a team of four Afghans, also including Afiat Khan and Gurg Ali[4] - who turned around on the final stretch of their climb for health reasons - from the Wakhan Corridor summited on July 19.[5]
In August 2018, Hanifa Yousoufi became the first female Afghan climber to summit the mountain.[6]
One of the historical climb of MT Noshaq is the first Afghan group by the name of HikeVentures led by Ali Akbar Sakhi who climbed Noshaq without any support of foreign climbers and foreign NGO on 6th August 2020. There were 9 Afghan climbers, 3 female climbers and 6 male climbers. In this team the 18-years old Fatima Sultani is the youngest woman and the youngest person who climbed this mountain peak in the Noshaq history. The HikeVenture Noshaq team members consisted of Aliakbar Sakhi, Fatima Sultani, Zabih Afzali, Sayed Alishah Farhang, Aqila Hashimi, Tahira Sultani, Buman Ali Adiena, Khyber Khan & Adab Shah Gouhari.
References
- "Asia, Pakistani-Afghan Frontier Area, Noshaq, First Winter Ascent". American Alpine Club. 1974.
- "Grant winners summit highest Afghanistan peak". Australian Geographic. 11 August 2011.
- "Afghanistan's Highest Mountain Reopened to Climbers". National Geographic. 10 August 2011.
- https://www.dawn.com/news/664962
- "Afghan Noshaq expedition". Archived from the original on 2013-06-15. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
- Mary Turner. "First Afghan Woman Summits Her Country's Highest Peak". Outside Online. Retrieved 2018-08-24.