Aussie climber scales Afghanistan’s highest peak – ABC Brisbane

In the 1970s, the Wakhan Corridor in which the towering mountain stands was a popular climbing destination.

Wood – who went to Afghanistan as part of the 2011 North Face Adventure Grant – hopes his feat will renew interest in the poor but peaceful area.

“When I talked about going to Afghanistan, people said ‘but there’s a war going on there’,” he said.

“But the Wakhan Corridor is untouched by war. It’s peaceful.

“The two tribes there – the Wakhi and Kyrgyz – practice a different branch of Islam, not Sunni or Shiite. They practice Ismailism– it’s a very different view.

“Getting tourists to the Wakhan Corridor was an aim of the expedition – not just for climbing but for trekking opportunities as well.”

At 7,492m, Mt Noshaq is the world’s 52nd highest peak. The world’s tallest summit, Nepal’s Mt Everest, stands 1,356m taller than Noshaq.

via Aussie climber scales Afghanistan’s highest peak – ABC Brisbane – Australian Broadcasting Corporation.