GILGIT/ISLAMABAD: Famous mountaineers Shehroze Kashif and Fazal Ali from Shimshal of Gilgit-Baltistan’s Hunza district, who went missing earlier, have been seen descending from camp-4 on Nanga Parbat, officials said on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, both the mountaineers had summited Nanga Parbat, the 9th highest mountain in the world at 8,126 meters, but they went missing while on their way back.
Home Secretary of Gilgit-Baltistan Iqbal Hussain Khan confirmed that Kashif and Ali had gone missing between camps 3 and 4 (7,000-8,000m) when they were descending from the summit and the government started a rescue operation.
On Wednesday, the police officials deployed at camp 3 pointed out that telescope visuals were showing the mountaineers descending from camp 4 and they were “okay”.
The good news was also confirmed by the tour operator and managing director of Summit Karakoram, Sakhawat Hussain, and Diamer Deputy Commissioner Fayyaz Ahmed.
Kashif’s official Facebook page also stated that the two mountaineers had “spent the night in the open to wait for weather to get clear and they resumed their descent early in the morning”.
“The duo is showing great resilience and willpower to manage things themselves in death zone and now approaching Camp 3 soon,” it added.
Experts said that Nanga Parbat is one of the toughest and most lethal mountains in the world. Kashif and his fellow Ali had reached the Nanga Parbat camp on June 30. Both the mountaineers started their push for the summit on Monday evening through Kashfar wall.
Secretary Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) Karrar Haidri said Kashif had “set another world record by summiting Nanga Parbat.” He further said that the youngster had now scaled eight of the 14 8,000-metres mountains.
Kashif’s ambition is to become the youngest climber in the world to summit all 14 8,000-meters mountains.
