After 5 decades, Koh-e-Noor peak sees three Kashmiri ascents

Srinagar, Sep 22: A 5,146-metre peak in remote Marwah Valley in Jammu and Kashmir has returned to the region’s mountaineering map nearly five decades after its last recorded summit, with three local teams, including a five-member team led by professional mountaineer Nahida Manzoor, successfully reaching there this month.
Mount Koh-e-Noor (South-West), which as per the available climbing history was last recorded as summited in 1976 by a Japanese expedition. It witnessed three successful ascents by Kashmiri climbers on September 6, 9 and 14 this year.
The first local team, comprising Yasir Khan, Leo Saqib, Muzakir and Faik, reached the summit on September 6. Kashmir’s second team, consisting of Waseem Hassan, Chandan and Zaid, completed the ascent on September 9.
Manzoor’s five-member team made the third successful ascent of the recent period on September 14. The team also included Showkat Lone, Mudasir Lone, Sheikh Farzan and Irfan Lone.
For Manzoor, the expedition carried significance beyond the technical challenge of climbing the peak.
“To the best of our knowledge and based on the climbing history available to us, no woman had previously summited Mt Koh-e-Noor (SW),” she said.
“I am deeply honoured to become the first female climber to successfully summit Mt Koh-e-Noor (SW) and to add my name to the history of this mountain,” she said.
Manzoor described the expedition as challenging and said every stage of the climb required determination, teamwork, patience and the ability to continue despite difficult conditions.
“A mountain does not distinguish between men and women — it simply tests your determination, preparation and spirit,” she said.
She said the ascent was also a tribute to women who aspire to climb mountains and to mountaineers who explore remote peaks while respecting the natural environment.
The renewed climbing activity has also brought attention to Koh-e-Noor (SW), a relatively little-known peak compared with Kashmir’s more frequently climbed mountains.
The peak’s remote setting in the Marwah Valley adds to the logistical and physical demands of an expedition, making its recent ascents notable for local mountaineering.
Manzoor also acknowledged the efforts of Yasir Khan, who was among the climbers involved in the first successful local ascent this month, for helping reopen what she described as a long-closed chapter in the mountain’s climbing history.
“Once again, a heartfelt thank you to Yasir Khan for his efforts, support and for being among the climbers who reopened the chapter of Mt Koh-e-Noor after so many years,” she said.
With three Kashmiri teams reaching the summit within nine days, the mountain has once again become part of the region’s climbing narrative, nearly 50 years after its last documented ascent. (KNO)