Mountain Unity is a social enterprise set up to promote and support economic development for the benefit of the people living in the Afghan Hindu Kush and Pamir mountains.
There are a number of organisations including the Aga Khan Foundation, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wildlife Conservation Society, Mountain Wilderness and the United Nations who have recognised that eco-mountain tourism is both viable and beneficial for the people in the Wakhan Corridor in the far north east of Afghanistan.
We have undertaken a project to raise awareness of the Wakhan as a destination for mountaineering, trekking and other cultural and adventure activities.
Following the success of our film 'Afghanistan; A Small Flame of Hope' and stall at Kendal and our article in Summit 56 we are receiving a lot of requests for information in support of expedition planning for 2010. We intend to answer those questions on this forum.
Please use this thread to ask questions in support of expedition planning. We recognise this is a potentially controversial project and are happy to debate its merits but lets do that on a different thread.
Before asking a question please visit our website at: http://www.mountainunity.org/ and make sure it is not already answered.
From there you can request a trekking brochure and buy a mountaineering guide book which will answer many more questions.
The first question is always "Is it safe?" the answer is the area has remained peaceful even during the Russian and Taliban eras. We live there as a family and the people have been generous, friendly and protective. There was a Russian trekker who disappeared a couple of years ago and no one really knows what happened to him. There are two minefields in the Wakhan, both in the Noshaq valley and laid by the Northern Alliance. Local guides know how to navigate round these. Other than that as long as you arrive from Tajikistan, cross the border at Ishkashim and head east into the Wakhan it is as safe as many other developing world destinations.
Watch the film on our home page to see what visitors in 2009 thought about the Wakhan.
To take some pressure of David, who undoubtedly recieves a bucketful of questions regarding Wakhan, I would be happy to answer any questions regarding visiting the Wakhan and the organisation involved for a trip there.
Myself and 4 others spent a month this summer climbing in the Afghan Hindu Kush and also exploring north of the Wakhan in the Afghan Great Pamir. If there are specific questions regarding the climbing, then our trip leader, Joel Fiddes, is better placed to answer, and I can forward to him. Anything else, send my way. Just a quick note on safety. I had the inevitable concerns and apprehensions before visiting, but in our experience, safety was never an issue. If you are climbing, the mountain is what you should worry about, not the people.
Probably a bit late but our friends Elisabetta and Giorgio who have been climbing in the Wakhan since 2003 are having an event at CAI (Italian Alpine Club in Rome today (18 Dec 09). They will show photos of past expeditions and the training of the Afghan mountaineers. They will also discuss their plans for 2010. If you happen to be in Rome do go along.
What I'm not too clear on David is what exactly you are offering. Are you to be involved with the logistics of visas, transport, porters, "guides" et al or is it everyman for himself as regards any trip climbing or otherwise. I'd also be interested to know if anyone has any costings for any type of expedition and what has to be brought out from the UK. E.g. Tents, stoves, mountain food etc.
Has anyone costed out the cost of taking out such items with any airline as judging from past experience excess baggage can be extremely expensive.
Looks good on paper but until I know more I'm reserving my judgement. Interesting area though.
In reply to Alan Breck: Hi Alan, our role to raise the profile of the Wakhan as a destination and help provide information in support of expedition leaders. As we get more established we'll be able to offer more support and services.
We can put you in touch with a number of Afghan and Tajik operators that will help with the provision of the services required to get an exped out to the Wakhan.
For letters of invitation, permits to enter the Wakhan, transport inside Afghanistan and the rental of basic equipment like low altitude tents, base camp gas stoves, thermarests and pots and pans we can put you in touch with an Afghan company called Wakhan Tourism.
For guides, who will subsequently deal with pack animals, cooks and porters we will help you get in touch with Gorg Ali who is one of the Afghans who mounted a successful expedition to Noshaq this year.
For pick up from Dushanbe and transport through Tajikistan we've been recommending a company called Pamir Silk Tours.
This year we will open a Welcome Centre near the border and will be able to arrange for you to be picked up and brought to our place where you'll be able to get some more information and sort out things like accomodation, food shopping and making contact with guides.
Joel and Sam who had a successful exped this year and made a first ascent will be better placed to provide you details of costs and excess baggage charges. I'll get them to reply to you.
Having said all that, lets be clear this is a destination for experienced expeditions. You are not going to find the services and support you will get at places like Nepal and Pakistan. You must come with a mentality of self reliance and genuine exploration. The infrastructure is limited, the service providers are inexperienced and if you have a problem the chances are you will have to sort it out yourself.
Hope that helps, let me know if you have any more questions.
Thanks David but there would appear to be rather a lot of cooks there stirring the broth. To be honest it's not Afghanistan that really bothers me overmuch but getting the wheels to grind right from Dushanbe.
What's really needed, in my humble opinion, is a "fixer" who can get everything and everybody from Dushanbe and then have some sort of organisation ready in the Wakhan.
I appreciate that it's not Nepal but getting a small expedition organised in a time scale that fits with everyones leave pattern is pretty much a must. Dealing with a load of different "organisations" & individuals usually just leads to time wasting delays leaving little time for the "meat" of any trip. E.g. if you have a problem the chances are you will have to sort it out yourself. Well & good but my Farsi or Dari isn't of the best............in fact it's non existant!
So in the meantime I'd say that it's a great idea but perhaps not quite there yet..........at least for me. Wish you & any expeditions the very best.
In reply to Alan Breck: You are right Alan. We hope to have an expeditions officer in place in the near future who will take on the role of marshalling the various companies into a single offering.
If anyone out there is experienced in running expeditions in undevelopped destinations and would like to volunteer we'd be pleased to here from you.
In the meantime we will be supporting the numerous expeditions that are planned for 2010. We have over a dozen confirmed so far so it should be a good year for exploration and first ascents.
In reply to Alan Breck:Having talked to the lads who were out last year at KMFF one of the things they highlighted was how surprisingly seamless it all was. Their bags were delayed at Dushanbe but after that the road trasnport to the border, crossing and pickup on the far side had them in their BC almost too quick to acclimatise!
Al
Noted AIH but to be honest I'd need to know a LOT more than that & while I don't in any way doubt your word or those from the KMFF it's not a lot to go on..........so still not convinced
In reply to David James - Mountain Unity: If you want to know what other people think about travel in the Wakhan watch this video. I interviewed a number of people who came to visit the Wakhan including the BBC's Kate Humble. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2rwUWpZz_k
In reply to sam mansfield: HI Sam, I note you are willing to answer questions about climbing in Wakhan. I also note David James says he is hoping to appoint an expeditions officer next year who would be fixer on the ground. I have some sympathy with Alan Breck who says time is limited as people have other commitments and need some real help, and not have to deal with several organisations. A name and contact of someone who can lay on every aspect of a Noshaq climb would be excellent. There is an opening here.
I may sound like a wimp, who wants to be spoonfed, but I have organised my own expeditions and always there is some local company that can do the local legwork which I am willing to pay for. Alternatively I would like to join an expedition where someone else is doing most of the work. Let me know if you have anyone in mind. Happy New Year. Freddy Markham
In reply to freddym: Certainly agree with para 2. I climb like a wallie though and so do my mates who were somewhat interested in a trip to new horizons. Nothing too difficult and perhaps a little exploratory. Said mates however aren't interested in spending their leave in leafing through a Farsi dictionary to try and get things organised........as much as they ever will be.
Perhaps we'll let matters lie until 2011 when all those expeditions will have gone through the mill :)
All sounds rather negative but I don't mean it to be and really hope that things can get buzzing over there with Davids help.
In reply to Alan Breck: So the basic gist is that you want to mount an expedition that doesn't involve some degree of learning basics of a local language and some degree of having to organise things on the ground. Good luck.
In reply to Alan Breck: We are working on a scheme where people can become members of Mountain Unity for a nominal fee. This will support our work of creating an influx of visitors to get the local economy going and to support expeditions.
For an additional fee will book most of the services that are required for a successful trip. We are still working on the agreements with local service providers for this but hope to be able to offer it to expeditions this year. Mountain Unity would be liable for the bookings and not the service delivery, however if you had a problem with the delivery of a service we would do all that we could to resolve the situation.
Expedition leaders would still retain full responsibility for their expeditions but we would be able to make life easier for them.
One of the great attractions of the Wakhan is that serious expeditions can experience the real spirit of adventure and exploration that made places like Afghanistan worth going to for people like Doug Scott in 1967. It has been virtually untouched for 30 years and isn't, and hopefully never will be, an 'adventure holiday' destination.
In reply to David James - MUI: If you are planning a mountaineering expedition to the Wakhan you will need to buy the guide book Peaks of Silver and Jade.
It is only available from the Mountain Unity website:
It sounds to me as if you are already doing plenty to help people, it would be a pity to do the same there as has been done elsewhere, ie. commercialise the whole area... it might even lead to problems. Let people who are looking for an organised climbing holiday go elsewhere :-)
One question: is there any way of getting there overland? When we went there in 1970 we had over a ton of food and gear and drove up though Barge e Matel, there's no way we could have sent all the stuff by plane. At the time going through the USSR was out but I wondered if it was now possible to drive round the N of Afghanistan?
In reply to Bruce Hooker:
Bruce, we agree that we do not want to over commercialise the area. Ideally we want people who will approach expeditions in the same way as they were in the 60's and 70's. Lots of planning and research so people really understand the culture and environment they will be stepping into.
It is possible to travel overland via Tajikistan. We have some friends who came out last year as part of a rally that goes to Tajikistan every year. They stuck their noses across the Afghan border last year to see if it was doable and plan to visit for longer this year.
If you are seriously thinking about doing this we might need someone to drive out a Toyota Hi-Lux for us so you could drive in and fly back... just a thought.
If I was free I'd love to do a trip across Asia by road, but alas, I'm not... family obligations. My wife is Armenian and we have often thought of going to see some of her family that way... one day! I would love to return to Afghanistan, not just for the climbing, which the stable weather makes so much safer than the Alps but I had assumed that this would never be possible again. It's good to see that maybe one day it will be, and already is in your area.
I was also lucky enough to visit the N of Pakistan just south of the Wakhan in 74, again over-land, when the only problem was the walking and climbing! Hopefully one day it'll be the same again.
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