ISLAMABAD: The government will open a top-notch mountaineering school in Gilgit-Baltistan to encourage environmentally friendly and sustainable climbing, according to a statement made on Sunday by Romina Khurshid Alam, the prime minister’s coordinator for climate change and environmental coordination.
With the goal of promoting top-notch, environmentally responsible climbing and tourism in the nation’s northern areas, the PM’s aide stated that this institution would provide structured training and educational facilities catered to mountaineering, Sherpa training, and sustainable tourist practices.
Ms. Alam stated that the plan is being carried out in close coordination with the Gilgit-Baltistan government to establish the first government-run mountaineering school of world-class standards in Skardu during a meeting of the Prime Minister’s Committee to Establish the Mountaineering School in Gilgit-Baltistan.
The school’s mission was to provide prospective climbers and mountaineers with the information and abilities they would need to enjoy the mountains in a safe and responsible manner while also honoring the local ecosystem, customs, and traditions.
According to her, “this initiative also seeks to promote sustainable mountaineering and climbing and create new employment opportunities for local communities.”
The advisor to the prime minister mentioned that adventurers and explorers from all over the world have long been drawn to Gilgit-Baltistan because of its breathtaking towering peaks, which include K2, the second-highest mountain in the world.
By offering facilities and training for skill development, the region’s unrealized potential for promoting climbing and mountaineering can be realized.
“We aim to foster a new generation of mountaineers and tourism professionals committed to preserving the natural and cultural integrity of Gilgit-Baltistan by providing local and international participants with the necessary skills and knowledge at the proposed mountaineering school in Skardu,” Ms. Alam stated.
The discussion also covered prospective funding and partnership prospects for the school’s establishment and management, the curriculum for climbing and mountaineering, skill development modules, rescue training, site identification for the school, and training programs for local tour guides.
Officials from the GB Planning and Development Department, the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission, and members of the climbing community attended the conference.
