In 2019, on my 35th expedition since 1993, I was able to get a permit to lead a group (11 French, two Poles, and one Pakistani) to visit the upper eastern end of the Chiantar Glacier. In 1967 a German expedition penetrated the upper Chiantar, where they climbed the highest peak, Koh-i- Chiantar (6,416m). Since that time, in more than 50 years, no climbers have reached the head of the glacier. [While it is true that no climbers appear to have traveled up the Chiantar to its head since that era, a series of Italian expeditions, starting in 1997, climbed numerous mountains surrounding the Chiantar basin, approaching from Karambar Lake to the north or via passes from the south.]

Traveling by road from Chitral, on April 27 we reached Chikar in the Boroghil Valley, close to the route that leads north, over Boroghil Pass, to Afghanistan. The following day we used porters to help us move to 3,500m on the Darkot Glacier. For the next 13 days we moved autonomously on skis, pulling everything we needed in pulks.

Once we reached Darkot Pass, we began exploring glacier corridors that would take us eastward to the Chiantar Glacier, the biggest glacier of either the Hindu Kush or Hindu Raj (30km in length). We crossed four passes and then descended the Garmush Glacier, arriving on the Chiantar on May 6. It had been an exciting journey but a logical route.

We then continued east and reached a point at the head of the glacier at around 5,100m, not far from Koh-i-Chiantar. From there we skied back down the glacier and out to the Boroghil Valley, reaching the village of Lashkargaz on May 11.

We found the mountains and glaciers impressive—there is still a lot to do in this area. I hope our expedition will contribute to a resurgence of interest in this remote area of Pakistan. The locals are all Wakhis—peaceful Ismaili Muslims—and the area is far from any Taliban.

– Pierre Neyret, France