Peshawar: A team of nine young mountaineers from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has achieved a remarkable feat by successfully climbing the 6, 050-metre Thalo Zom peak, highlighting the growing potential of adventure tourism in the province.
Special Assistant to Chief Minister for Tourism, Culture, Archaeology and Museums Malik Adeel Iqbal congratulated the climbers, saying their achievement reflected the courage, technical skills and determination of KP’s youth.
He said the provincial government was taking practical steps to promote adventure tourism and provide opportunities for young mountaineers to showcase their talent on national and international platforms.
The expedition was organised with the support and technical assistance of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority.
The team comprising climbers from different districts of the province successfully reached the summit of Thalo Zom, a challenging peak situated in the Hindu Kush mountain range.
The eight-day expedition began on July 9 and concluded with the successful summit on July 17.
During the journey, the climbers faced extreme conditions while crossing difficult terrains of Kumrat and Chitral, glaciers, ice crevasses and steep snow-covered slopes.
The team completed an eight-hour continuous ascent to reach the summit and hoisted the national flag at the peak.
The mountaineers appreciated the support provided by the Culture and Tourism Authority, saying the technical guidance and assistance played an important role in accomplishing the challenging mission.
They said the successful expedition would encourage young climbers and help promote technical mountaineering and adventure tourism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
According to the Tourism Authority, Thalo Zom was first conquered by Australian mountaineers in 1971 and later by an Italian expedition in 2019.
The successful team included climbers from Swat, Peshawar, Nowshera, Charsadda, Besham and Chitral, namely Rohullah, Umar Khan, Intikhab Khan, Nauman Sami, Izzatullah Shah, Saeed Akhtar, Naeem Khan, Fawad Khan and Rawaz Ali.