This summer, I took a journey that transformed me, a trek to the base camp of Tirich Mir, the highest peak in the Hindu Kush range, towering at 7,708 meters. This wasn’t just a physical challenge, rather, it was an inward journey into shedding fear, reinforced resilience, and self-belief.
I was one of 16 women across Pakistan who traversed and trekked to explore new horizons. Although, We all hailed from different cities, backgrounds, and cultures but as it is rightly said that for a bigger cause, you have to solidify your ranks. We surmounted this challenge like a force embedded in spirit of sisterhood and bounded by shared struggle and strength of the mountains.
The trek was organized with the support of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) Government, part of a tourism initiative to promote the breathtaking and underexplored region of Chitral. Although, it was a small effort to promote tourism but i would define it a sleek effort to promote women’s empowerment. For someone like me, a woman from Balochistan, where women’s voices are often unheard or suppressed, this journey meant far more than just reaching a destination.
Our adventure began with an eight-hour drive to Shagroom, a remote village surrounded by rivers, towering peaks, and silence that spoke louder than words. However, the real challenge began next morning when we embarked on a three-day trek to Babu Camp, situated at 4,700 meters above sea level.
It was my first trek ever. It was rigorous, challenging but with a sting of festivity. The terrain was rough and steep. My legs trembled with exhaustion and breathing became a struggle as the altitude took its toll. I fell multiple times and had to use oxygen just to keep moving. More than once, I asked myself, “Can I really do this?”
The nights were the hardest. Bitter cold wrapped around us like a second skin. The wind howled and trembled our tents. The roar of distant glaciers reminded us how small we were in this vast wilderness. Every morning as the sun rose, we too rose although fatigued but not defeated. Unwavering will and determination to conquer the peak made us a force to reckon with.
As a Pashtun woman from Balochistan, I’ve grown up in a culture that often limits how far women can go, not just physically, but in their dreams. We carry tradition, and often, invisibility. Opportunities for women, especially in leadership and adventure, are rare.
when I stood at the base of Tirich Mir, I didn’t just feel pride. I felt seen. I felt like I belonged.
I wasn’t climbing just for myself. I was climbing for every girl back home who’s ever been told to be quiet, to shred her dreams and stay in her place of obscurity.
“We are not weak. We are not behind. We are just waiting for the door to open, and when it does, we rise.”
What made this journey unforgettable was the bond we developed as women. Although, we came from Islamabad, Lahore, Gilgit, Quetta but laughed together, cried together and encouraged each other when someone wanted to give up. We started as strangers but we returned as a community.
Reaching the base camp of Tirich Mir was more than a trek. It was a symbol of resistance, courage, and unity. A reminder that women can rise, not just to peaks, but to possibilities once thought unreachable.
To every young woman from my land:
You are not too small. Your dreams are not too bold. And your time is not too far.?The mountains are waiting. And you can reach them with confidence.
The writer is a travel blogger