The recent deaths of Nepalese guides in an avalanche in Pakistan's remote northern mountains have sent shockwaves through the tight-knit mountaineering community. These Sherpa guides, who spend their seasons leading international clients in Nepal's highest peaks, often travel to Pakistan during the monsoon months to guide expeditions on its formidable eight-thousanders.
While Pakistan's Karakoram mountains attract fewer international visitors than the Himalayas—around 15,000 hikers annually compared to over a million in the Himalayas—the region has gained traction among mountaineers. This increased interest has been partly attributed to climbers like Nirmal Purja, whose feat of scaling all 14 of the world's highest peaks in just over six months, documented in a Netflix film, has inspired many. "Nims' success gave many [guides] and foreigners the courage to believe that this mountaineering crown was truly possible," said Iswari Paudel, acting president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association. He added that Pakistan has become a significant overseas base for Nepali Sherpas, with many guides completing their own 14-peak challenges there.
The allure of Pakistan's challenging peaks comes with unique difficulties. Unlike expeditions in the Himalayas, where infrastructure may be more established, guides in Pakistan often have to establish their own routes. "We have to fix our own ropes, cut our steps into the ice, and set up camps as we go along," explained Nima Rinji Sherpa, who in 2024 became the youngest mountaineer to summit the world's 14 highest peaks. He described the experience as "real, old-fashioned mountaineering" even in an era often defined by commercial expeditions.
Some observers note that while figures like Purja have helped to "publicise a new era of mountaineering" and make climbing more accessible, this era has also been marked by increased commercialization and a heightened sense of risk. The remoteness of Pakistan's climbing destinations makes expedition logistics particularly demanding, a challenge typically undertaken by the most experienced guides.