Noshaq, showing Pinelli's line of ascent in 2003. Carlo Alberto Pinelli
(Back to: Afghanistan, Hindu Kush)
Noshaq (7,492m).
By Lindsay Griffin, UK, Alpine Club
From 2007-2010 there were four ascents of Noshaq, the highest mountain in Afghanistan and second highest in the Hindu Kush. In the autumn of 2007 Iranians Mehdi Amidi and Azim Qeychi-Saz became only the second group of climbers to reach the summit in nearly 30 years. In 2003, Carlo Alberto Pinelli, gained official permission to visit the Wakhan Corridor with his expedition “Oxus, Mountains for Peace in Afghanistan.” His team made the first ascent of Noshaq in 25 years, though they had to deal with unexpected objective danger in the approach valley, which they discovered had been planted three years previously with over 600 anti-personnel mines (AAJ 2004).
In mid July 2009, Amruddin and Malang, two Afghans from the Wakhan who had undergone training in Chamonix, reached the summit with French guides Jean Annequin and Simon Destombes. In 2010 there were two ascents. James Bingham (UK), Bill Lyden (USA), and Mark Wynne (UK) reached the summit on July 21 from a high camp at 7,100m, while on August 29 it was the turn of more Iranians, Husain Asghari, Amin Moein, Gholam Nodehi, Mohammad Rafiei, H.Reza Sanjari and Iraj Taheri, who topped out just 17 days after arrival at base camp. All climbed via the “standard” west ridge.
Back in 1978 a coup d’etat and the subsequent Soviet invasion at the end of the following year put the Hindu Kush strictly off-limits. However, were it not for this, Noshaq’s west ridge would probably be one of the world’s most popular objectives for commercially-organized expeditions attempting a high but technically moderate ascent. If access to this region (via Tajikistan) continues to be relatively straightforward and safe, the mountain could see a strong resurgence in popularity.
