Murad Sadpara's death once again underlines the perils of mountaineering

Pakistani mountaineer Murad Sadpara passed away after sustaining head injuries in his quest to scale the Broad Peak, the 12th highest peak in the world, located in the north-western area of Gilgit-Baltistan.

According to AFP, Murad was confirmed dead by the rescue team on Monday, after he was struck on the head by a rock at the 8,051-meter peak while supporting an expedition with a Portuguese climber. The 35-year-old was part of a group of Pakistani climbers that helped recover the body of a porter, Hassan Shigri, from the K2 mountain.

"His death is a sobering reminder of the extreme risks involved in high-altitude climbing, where the line between life and death is often perilously thin," Karrar Haidri, the head of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, told AFP.

In February 2021, the 45-year-old climber Mohammad Ali Sadpara had also died while scaling the K2 Mountain range. The death of both the climbers should raise concerns over the danger of mountaineering in the country.

What is Mountaineering?

Mountaineering is a physically and mentally demanding sport. It involves high-altitude climbing where the life of a climber hangs on a thin line. The climbers have to deal with several challenges, as the sport test one’s courage, strength and stamina. The harsh mountain ranges put the climbers at an inherent risk.

According to the Himalayan Database 2023 statistics, 17 deaths during the year have been reported at the Mount Everest. Later Nepal authorities added one more, taking the tally to 18.

Ranges in South Asia

Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Nepal and China are home to some of the world’s tallest and picturesque mountain ranges.

Mount Everest, located in the Himalayan range on the border of Nepal and China, is the highest in the world, with an elevation of 8,848 meters. The Karakoram Mountain range, spanning over the border of Pakistan, India, China and Afghanistan has the highest concentration of peaks above 8,000 meters.

A glacier in the Hindu Kush mountain range in the Chitral district.Reuters

In Pakistan, the northern region is home to five of the fourteen tallest mountains including the K2 and Nanga Parbat.

Pakistan’s Scenario

The Alpine Club of Pakistan President Abu Zafar Sadiq said that there is a need for professional capacity building for the mountaineers.

“It is also important for mountaineers to be physically and technically strong. They need to improve their psychological behavior. Murad was physically and technically very strong but I think he was not strong emotionally,” Zafar told Nukta from Islamabad.

The president revealed that an initiative for the betterment of the sport has been undertaken. "An initiative to build their professional capacity has been taken and a group has already been trained. It will take time," Zafar said.

The Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) should also take steps for both the upliftment and betterment of mountaineering in Pakistan.