Pakistan
Story of a tradition-breaking girl who ascents challenging peaks
On the occasion of International Women's Day, GNN gets to know Nadeema Sehra, the winner of ‘Winter Mountaineering 2021’.
Ms Sehra, a student at Karakoram International University Hunza Campus climbed one of the world's most difficult mountains in winter and was crowned with “Winter tourist of Pakistan”.
Earlier this year, as whole, a campaign in which four persons were involved including a team of two-woman comprising Nadeema was on a mission to ascent the most dangerous 'Yazghal Pass' at Shimshal. The team while ascending, challenged the glacier at minus 36 degrees which is positioned opposite to a ditch.
Nadeema Sehar hails from Shimshal in the upper Hunza district of Gilgit-Baltistan. Nadeema began her educational journey at the DJ School in Shimshal, she later graduated from Gilgit College and is currently a student in the Department of Tourism at Karakoram International University, Hunza.
As a child, Nadeema Sahar developed a passion for mountaineering due to the influx of foreign climbers who came to Pakistan for recreational activities. After sensing her interest in mountaineering, she enrolled herself in a climbing school in Shimshal.
Yazghal Pass is a mountain in the Karakoram Range in Shimshal which is considered to be one of the most difficult mountains in the world of mountaineering and for the reason this peak has not been climbed till today in winter.
Earlier, Nadeema Sehar along her team had climbed the mountain in the winter.
The Yazgul Pass is known to have been considered invincible due to its ditch on one side and glaciers on the other. The strong wind on site also increases the difficulty level on the mountain.
The campaign, which started on January 10 was also unique in a sense that it involved 50% of the women. Further, there is no record of a mountaineering team ascending the mountain using this route and for the reason this road is considered a new discovery.
Nadeema Sehar while talking to GNN in her exclusive interview said that during her mountaineering trip in 2019 she went on an expedition with Italian climbers in Ishkuman Aghost but the team had no idea that this trip would turn into a risky game. “Seeing the avalanche falling on the top of the mountain, we did not have a moment to make a decision, fortunately, I got few injuries while the famous climber Imtiaz and the Italian climber could not survive,”
After the accident, the team of climbers started handling the bodies. By the time they were returning back to base camp, they could only hear echo of the avalanche while finding themselves on the brink of death for 24 hours, she added.
Till the helicopter reached there for a rescue operation, Nadeema Sahar's finger was burnt and she was seriously injured.
Nadeema Sehar started mountaineering in 2013 and has so far climbed 5 mountains that are over 5,000 meters high, including the 6,200-meter-high Value, the 6,150-meter-high Blue, the 5,300-meter-high Qaz, and the 5,800-meter Shiskan. Of these, three peaks have been climbed in a single week. Apart from this, she also has honour of mounting the Zeni Pass of Chitral.
Nadeema Sehar believes that Allah Almighty has endowed women with vast and innumerable abilities. Women can do wonders that men cannot. In our society, women still do not have their legitimate rights. “We see that Even educated women are confined to their homes, our society cannot move forward ignoring women,” she added.
She said that there is no shortage of talent and abilities among the women of Gilgit-Baltistan but due to social attitude and lack of patronage from the government, the abilities of women do not come to the fore.
Regarding the mountaineering sector, she said that it has been neglected by the government and local climbers are not encouraged due to which the sector is in decaying.
Under government sponsorships, Nadeema looks determined to climb Mount Everest and K2. She says if government provides patronage and proper support, she wishes to raise Pakistani flag on Mount Everest and K2.
In her interview, Nadeema Sehar said Gilgit-Baltistan women need to be strengthened at all levels. To date, no woman has been able to represent ladies in Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly and they have never heard of Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly taking steps for women welfare.
The young mountaineer is also discontented with social attitudes and says that there is no doubt that social media has become a necessity for everyone but she had always witnessed only negative things on social media, especially about women.
People on Social Media rush towards negativity and mock women for any slip-up, she said. Positive image of Gilgit-Baltistan women is not presented and for the reason “we women are reluctant to use social media.”
“We in Gilgit-Baltistan should also bring out the positive things and achievements of women so that women can be encouraged and they can go further in their art and craft and polish their skills,”
In her message on the occasion of International Women's Day, Nadeema Sehar said that even today women are trapped in the solving the social problems and to make things viable, awareness and mindfulness is needed. Further, women's issues need to be discussed, suppressing any issue does not solve it but makes it worse. In the present age, women are in dire need of economic and social development.
A special report by: Fahim Akhtar