Climbers from Pakistan and Denmark conquer North Peak of Malika Parbat

We all are very familiar with the Lake Siaful Malook of the Kaghan Valley. But few would know the towering Malika Parbat (Queen of Mountains) Mountain overlooking the lake is one of the non-climabale mountains of Pakistan's north.

Malika Parbat [Photo: Raheel Adnan / Flickr]

Its peak rising to 5,290 metres has steep slopes that make it extremely difficult to scale it. While many have attempted the peak from the south, which is far easier and hazard free, only eight climbers have scaled it from the most difficult and treacherous North Peak. The peak was first conquered using the north route by Captain B.W. Battye and four Gurkha soldiers in 1920 followed by a second ascent made by Trevor Braham, Norman Noris and Gene White in 1967. 

Spectacular view of the Lake Saiful Malook at the foothills of Malika Parbat seen at the left [Photo: meansmuchtome / Flickr]

Two Pakistanis Rashid Butt and Omer Aziz climbed the South Peak in 1998, but Rashid Butt unfortunately died during the descent. 


Now after almost fourteen years of its last scaling, A Pakistan climber Imran Junaidi along with a Danish climber Jens J. Simonsen have attempted the North Peak of Malika Parbat and have successfully scaled it. Junaidi thus becomes the first Pakistani to successfully attempt and scale the north peak of the mighty Malika Parbat. 

Danish climber  Jens J. Simonsen [left] and Pakistani climber Imran Junaidi [right] atop Malika Parbat

The five-day climbing expedition was initiated as part of both climbers’ interest in expressing the growing friendship between Denmark and Pakistan. This expedition is not only the first ever joint Pakistan-Danish climbing expedition, but it also the first ever Pakistani ascent of the North Peak.

Jens J. Simonsen, who is also the Deputy Head of Mission at the Danish Embassy in Islamabad,  stated upon his return that “It was really important for me to do this ascent with a Pakistani climber, not only as an expression of my friendship with Pakistani climbers, but also as a small concrete expression of the friendship between Denmark and Pakistan.” 

“Pakistan is a country of so many strengths and beautiful natural resources, which is breathtaking, especially for us who come from abroad and knew very little about Pakistan. Our relations have never been stronger and we would like to continue working together and extend Pakistan the support it needs to grow and prosper,”  Simonsen  said.

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