John Mock & Kimberley O'Neil

Shimshal's Mountaineers

As of 2001, twenty men from Shimshal village have summitted one or more of Pakistan's 8000m peaks, a feat unrivaled by any other village. In 1998, Rajab Shah at age 49 became the first Pakistani to summit all five of Pakistan's 8000m peaks, climbing Nanga Parbat in 1989, Gasherbrum I in 1990 and 1992, Broad Peak in 1993, K2 in 1995, and Gasherbrum II in 1998. Rajab's climbing partner Mehrban Shah, Mohammad Ullah, Qudrat Ali, Qurban Mohammad and Ali Mussa have multiple 8000-metre peak summits to their names. Thirteen other men have summitted one 8000m peak. In 2000 alone, eight Shimshalis reached an 8000m summit and in 2001 seven had sumitted before the season had finished! This is only the beginning of a legacy of remarkable climbing success for the young generation of Shimshali climbers.

The data in the table below does not yet reflect the results of at least seven Shimshalis who were on 8000-metre peak expeditions in late 2001. A climber's name appears in the column under a peak when he has succesfully summitted that peak. The year of the ascent appears when known.