General mountaineering and trekking in 1974 and since then a sufficient number of expeditions come to Karakoram every year. A Pak-Japan joint expedition took the first Japanese mountaineer along with the first Pakistani mountaineer Mr. Ashraf Aman to the K-2 peak in 1977. They successfully scaled K-2. This mountain has since been scaled by many climbers via all of its sides and slopes. Mr. Nazir Sabir accompanying another Pakistani expedition in 1981 successfully went for the first ascent of the most difficult west ridge of K-2. Then in 1995, Mr. Rajab shah and Mr.Mehreban Shah had the honor to become the first Pakistani pair to put their feet on top of K-2 in 1995. To date so many mountaineers hailing from various countries has scaled K-2.they are among the world famous and prominent mountaineers such as Rein Hold Messener etc. number of expeditions approaching Karakoram every year average to 55. A sufficient number of foreign as well as Pakistani mountaineers have so far scaled other high peaks of Karakoram range, still there are so many other towering peaks yet remain unscaled looking for a challenge from the daring ones.

Important Treks
One of the prominent treks is known as Baltoro trek ending up at Concordia. All the glaciers coming from K-2, broad peak and Gasherbrum-iv join at Concordia flow downward to Paiju peak like a grand trunk road. This is unique and one cannot see four 8000m summits in a small radius like this anywhere else in the world. These include K-2, Broad peak, Gasherbrum-I and Gasherbrum-II. Besides these 8000m gigantic peaks on this trek one can cherish the scenes of Mesherbrum, Muztang towers, Chogolisa, Baltoro cathedrals and different other summits.

Other well known treks include Biafo Hisper trek, Nanga Parbat trek, Rakaposhi, Trichmir trek and large number of other trekking routes.

Access to the Area and Facilities for The Adventuring Tourist
Before Pakistan independence northern areas used to be approached via Sringar Kashmir valley. The pioneers in the field of adventure exploration made several days journey for our Bombay seaport of India to reach Srinagar. From there they used to reach the upper portions of Baltoro glacier and other areas in at least 40 days. Of course, in post independence days access to these are improved significantly and first of all an airport was constructed at Skardu and then a jeep road linking northern areas with Rawalpindi was developed via Chilas and Kaghan valley. In the mid fifties construction of the great Karakoram highway chasing the old silk route was completed with assistance and collaboration of great friends of Pakistan Peoples republic of China in 1978 giving an all duty metalled land connection between Islamabad and Gilgit. It is about 853 kms long and runs between Hassanabdal and Kunjerab pass. The truckable between Gilgit and Skardu was at last completed in 1982. Meanwhile a jeepable track between Skardu and Shigar has also been completed and extended to Astore, thus cutting the trekking time to

K2
Now a days, there is only a day's jeep journey from Skardu to Astore, and another 9 day trek till K-2 basecamp. Islamabad is serving as the hub For the Northern areas where as Peshawar continues to serve as the base to Chitral, Islamabad is also linked to Skardu by air with daily flight of Boeing and Fokker flights to Gilgit. Any way these flights operate only in clear weather. Spreading north from the Arabian Sea, the plains of Pakistan end up in lush green valleys of Dir, Swat and Kaghan. Then lie the grand
valleys of Chitral, Gilgit, Hunza and Baltistan. These valleys along with a mountain range separate the two river systems draining from these valleys. A chain of mountains form one of the sharpest cultural lines in the world; the cultural boundary between Pakistan and central Asian republic. Still towards north the Karakoram and the Hindukush ranges form the western stretch of the Himalayas. Pakistan northern valleys with scattered population, demonstrate the variety one could expect of a boundary zone. Baltistan exhibit an affiliation with Tibet. As a matter of fact, its language is a dialect of ancient Tibetan and several remnants of Tibetan culture can still be noticed here. Shina is the major language in the Gilgit region Visibly Gilgit most important contribution to the area is the typical cap worn by the people in the most parts of northern Pakistan. To the north famous Hunza continues its fame as one of the great mountain societies of the globe Burushaski being its It language as its origin continues to be mysterious. As Chitral to the west, likewise Hunza demonstrates its rather old link with CA (Central Asia) as a result of lying side by side of the caravan routes that stretched towards south from its
mountain passes Kafir valley of Birir, Rambur and Bamburet are lying with in the boundaries of Chitral. Presence of Kafirs infidels in a notion almost Muslims is a unique phenomena. They have got their own specific beliefs, traditions, and customs and art species. The landscape in these areas is rightly called as a mountain desert. Heavy snowfall isolates the valley from the rest of the world for almost six months.
Temperature usually goes beyond 100 degrees (F) in the summer. While in Skardu one abruptly faces Juxta (position of sand hill and snow capped mountains).
All the above mention valleys are the real source of becoming Pakistan true heaven for trekkers. Pakistan is a house of Five 8000m summits out of 14 in the
world. K-2 the second highest peak also exists here, we are also blessed with gigantic glaciers namely Baltoro, Biafo and Hisper out of the polar region. There are yet different areas in Pakistan still to be discovered. Of course this fresh and clean landscape is looking to explored.

Mountain Sports

Rock Climbing
The towering mountains of Northern areas and Chitral host fantastic areas varying from moderate to high altitude rock climbing throughout their length and breath. Although some fine rock climbing areas exist in other parts of the country ranging from hill of Peshawar to Margalla hills near Islamabad, to the mountains of Suleman, Pub, Kirther and Makran. While these hills provide smaller rock pitches with steep slopes quite high and steep ledges are located only in the Karakoram.

Ice Climbing
The high mountain of northern areas and Chitral have different ice climbing sites with easy approached from the road heads being a winter sport exclusively it is another mountain sport event which is nonprevalent in the country except that it is a part of mountaineering. It is also because it is restricted to the far fling areas of the northern Pakistan.

Skiing and Snowboarding
There are numerous areas in the northern Pakistan i.e. in the towering mountains of the northern and Chitral as well as in the lower regions of swat and Kaghan which have the potential to be developed as ski and snow boarding sites. There are so many places and possibilities at hand for cross-country skiing.

There are so many places and possibilities at hand for cross-country skiing in the Northern areas as well as in Chitral, Kaghan and Swat, with chemical reaction (precipitation) and piling up of snow in areas except for northern areas is too high. Skiing has been introduced and commenced late in Pakistan. Naltar near Gilgit, Burail Pass area and Ratu, near Astore, District Gilgit are presently best skiing sites available in the country. Of course, there are a number of new and beginners standard slopes available at Malam Jabba and a site with improper facilities at Ayubia in Murree hills near Islamabad. Skiing on commercial basis has lately been opened at Malam Jabba.

Caving and Pot Holding
Caving being an enjoyable mountain sports continues to provide excitement and adventure. For this adventure event, so far a large number of mountain areas have not been explored for this adventure sport. But it is assumed that mountains with low altitude like Suleman and other ranges do offer a number of opportunities. In Balochistan province numerous caves with depth upto 1300 meters have been discovered and a resident adventure association along with foreign cavers has done some work in this respect due still much more has to be done to develop this vital event of the mountain sports.