SRINAGAR: Three Kashmiri mountaineers have opened a new climbing route on the 4,730-metre Bram Sakli Peak, becoming the third documented team to reach its summit and the first to do so via the mountain’s eastern face.
The expedition, comprising Yasir Khan, Muzakir Khan and Saqib Shafi, established the Baghiyar Route (Grade IV, AD-, 5.3, G) on the peak’s eastern face, marking a significant addition to Kashmir’s growing mountaineering record.
The climb began from Zimastal, with the team trekking nearly 14 kilometres to establish a base camp at Bramsar Lake, located at an altitude of around 3,600 metres. They started their summit push at 4:45 am, crossing rugged terrain, a glacier and an active bergschrund before reaching the technical section of the climb.
The most challenging part of the ascent was a 70-metre granite headwall, which was led by Yasir Khan over two pitches using traditional climbing protection, including nuts and cams. After negotiating the rock face and snow-covered terrain, the team reached the summit at around 2:50 pm after nearly 10 hours of climbing.
The climbers remained on the summit for about an hour before descending through the south-eastern face. The return involved a 40-metre abseil, crossing an upper snow couloir and glacier before navigating moraine fields in darkness to reach the base camp at around 11 pm, completing an 18-hour mountain day.
The team spent two days recovering at Bramsar Lake before trekking back.
“Our objective was not just to reach the summit but to establish a new line on the eastern face. The Baghiyar Route demanded careful route-finding, technical rock climbing and glacier travel. Successfully opening this route is a proud moment for us, and we hope it contributes to Kashmir’s growing mountaineering legacy,” the climbers said.
According to *The Himalayan Journal* (Volume 46), Bram Sakli was first documented in mountaineering literature during an expedition led by veteran mountaineer Muhammad Amin in 1989.
Based on available expedition records and mountaineering journals, another documented route to the summit was established last year by Kashmiri climbers Inayat Bhat and Mudasir Laway via the south-eastern face.
With the opening of the Baghiyar Route, Yasir Khan, Muzakir Khan and Saqib Shafi believe they are the third documented team to summit the peak and the first to climb it from the eastern face. They said they would welcome any historical records that could further enrich the documented climbing history of Bram Sakli.
The expedition highlights the growing presence of local climbers in technical alpine mountaineering and their efforts to explore and document Kashmir’s lesser-known Himalayan peaks.
