Kashmiri climbers summit Thajiwas Peak
Srinagar, Sep 10: A team of four Kashmiri mountaineers has successfully summited Thajiwas Peak via the Glacier II route, marking the mountain’s historic fourth recorded ascent.
As per a statement issued, Faik Aijaz Pattoo, Yasir Khan, Muzzakir Khan, and Zaid Jan’s successful summit marks only the fourth recorded ascent of the mountain and successful climb through this challenging line.
On September 7, 2025, the team set out from Sonamarg at 3:30 a.m., traversing steep grassy slopes and scrambling over rock slabs to reach the snout of Glacier II by 8:15 a.m. From the snout the party donned crampons and ice gear and roped up. Glacier II was riddled with deep, wide crevasses and steep ice walls, some rising to 20 feet. The climbers scaled hard ice faces, jumped narrow gaps, and threaded what felt like a maze of towering ice barriers, relying on precise belays, rope techniques, and close teamwork at every step. Rain began late morning and was followed by snow as they progressed, further complicating route-finding and movement.
By 1:30 p.m., the team reached the base of the gully leading to the back of the Great Couloir. They cached heavy packs and ascended a steep, loose-rock gully as weather deteriorated.
At 3:20 p.m. they topped out at the Great Couloir and, despite heavy snowfall and poor visibility, reached the summit at 3:50 p.m. After a brief five-minute summit stop, they began a cautious descent, downclimbing loose rock back to their gear cache, roping up, and negotiating the glacier on rappel where necessary.
A narrow gully between the glacier and a rock band allowed them to build a V-thread anchor for a safe rappel. The team reached the glacier snout by 6:30 p.m. and returned to Sonamarg after a further three-hour trek, completing a 19-hour round trip with an elevation gain of approximately 2,930 m.
Beyond the technical feat, this ascent is a symbolic revival of Kashmir’s mountaineering heritage.
It was not only a demonstration of skill and endurance but also a historic attempt to reopen the Glacier II route after 80 years, inspiring a new generation of climbers and reaffirming the valley’s untapped potential in high-altitude mountaineering.
