SRINAGAR: A team of local mountaineers has successfully completed what is believed to be the first documented civilian and native ascent of Mt Sekiwas in more than 80 years, rekindling interest in one of Kashmir’s least-explored Himalayan peaks.
The five-member expedition, led by Zaid Jan, reached the 15,404-foot (4,695-metre) summit on July 8. Zaid Jan, Hilal and Muzammil successfully stood atop the peak after a gruelling seven-hour summit push from the base camp.
According to the team, historical records show that the only previously documented ascent of Mt Sekiwas was carried out in August 1945 by noted British mountaineer John Angelo Jackson and his team. The expedition was recorded in *The Himalayan Journal* (Volume 13, 1946) and later referenced in *Climbers’ Guide to Sonamarg, Kashmir*.
Before attempting the climb, the expedition members said they conducted extensive research through mountaineering journals, guidebooks, expedition reports and online archives but found no documented evidence of any successful ascent after the 1945 expedition.
The summit bid began at 4 a.m., with the team crossing YemHar Pass before traversing an exposed pinnacle ridge that demanded technical climbing and careful route-finding. After nearly seven hours of continuous ascent, the climbers reached the summit at around 11 a.m.
The team described the expedition as more than a mountaineering feat, saying it was an effort to retrace a forgotten climbing route and reconnect with an overlooked chapter of Kashmir’s mountaineering history. The expedition involved months of planning, historical research and logistical preparation, besides documenting the route for future climbers.
The climbers also acknowledged the support of the All Jammu & Kashmir Mountaineering Foundation (AJKMF), which assisted the expedition.
Congratulating the team, Danish Dhaar, Managing Director of AJKMF, termed the ascent a significant milestone for Kashmir’s mountaineering community. He said such expeditions revive the region’s rich climbing heritage, promote responsible exploration of lesser-known peaks and inspire young mountaineers to document and preserve Kashmir’s mountain history.
Expedition leader Zaid Jan said scaling Mt Sekiwas fulfilled a long-cherished dream of exploring the lesser-known peaks of Kashmir.
“What makes this climb especially meaningful is that we were able to retrace a route that had remained absent from documented mountaineering records for more than 80 years. Through careful study of historical accounts and extensive planning, we believe this to be the first documented civilian ascent of Mt Sekiwas in the modern era,” he said.
Jan added that the team’s broader objective is to rediscover Kashmir’s forgotten mountaineering history, responsibly document unexplored routes and encourage young climbers to promote the region’s Himalayan heritage.
The expedition team, however, noted that mountaineering history continues to evolve and invited researchers, historians and climbers to share any documented evidence or expedition records that may indicate an earlier ascent overlooked during their research.
The successful climb is being seen as a major achievement for Kashmir’s growing mountaineering community, highlighting the vast alpine potential of the region, where several historically significant peaks remain rarely visited and sparsely documented.
