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Pakistani climber stranded on one of world's highest mountains due to snow blindness

A group of mountaineers are now preparing for a rescue mission — but Bhatti will have to come down to an altitude of around 6,000 to 6,500 metres

Published: Tue 4 Jul 2023, 4:43 PM

Updated: Tue 4 Jul 2023, 4:44 PM

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Photo courtesy: Twitter

Photo courtesy: Twitter

Pakistani climber Asif Bhatti — a professor at Air University in Islamabad — got stranded at Nanga Parbat, the ninth-highest mountain in the world, after suffering snow blindness.

The Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) on Monday said that the mountaineer is stuck at an altitude of 7,500 to 8,000 metres and needs help, reported Dawn.

The Karakoram Club, a Pakistan-based company that organises adventure trips, also confirmed that Bhatti was stranded with snow blindness on the mountain.

In a tweet shared on July 3, it said Bhatti would not be able to descend on his own and that a group of climbers are preparing for a rescue mission. “They (climbers) are currently waiting for the helicopter to transport them to the higher camps. Please share this news and keep Asif Bhatti in your thoughts and prayers,” the organisation wrote.

Who is Asif Bhatti?

According to his LinkedIn profile, Bhatti did his doctorate from the Air University in Islamabad and completed his master's from Hitec University, Taxila and Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad. Bhatti’s profile stated that he has been mountaineering for more than 13 years.

Posts before the climb

Bhatti shared a picture on June 1 in climbing gear. “It’s always time to climb,” he wrote on Facebook.

Three days later, Bhatti posted a pic with three other mountaineers who were leaving for an expedition.

He also shared a video featuring 360-degree view of the Sukai Sar summit.

Bhatti’s previous expedition to Nanga Parbat

Bhatti, along with a picture of Nanga Parbat, had said that he did the Nanga Parbat trek in 2017. Bhatti added that Nanga Parbat “is the only 8 thousander peak that has Base Camps full of flowers.”

Look at this photo from his training session:

According to ACP secretary-general Karrar Haidri, Bhatti was attempting to reach the summit of the mountain when he got stranded. Haidri added that a helicopter will be required to rescue Bhatti but “he will have to come down to the altitude of around 6,000-6,500m”.

Meanwhile, the Karakoram Club, in a tweet, confirmed that Bhatti and a climber from Azerbaijan had started their descent and will be helped by two climbers.

Another Pakistani mountaineer, Shehroze Kashif, volunteered to help rescue Bhatti. “I would like to enthusiastically volunteer for the Asif Bhatti rescue mission on Nanga Parbat. I kindly request the relevant department to consider transporting me to either the basecamp or even to higher camps for increased involvement,” Kashif wrote in a tweet.

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