High Altitude Sustainability Pakistan

A joint press conference on outcomes of the "Sustain Baltoro 2017" cleanup expedition with the Central Karakorum National Park (CKNP) is to be held in Skardu at the Press Club on December 4th, 2017. Along with HASP and Khurpa Care Pakistan (KCP) representatives, CKNP Director Raja Abid Ali and CKNP Ecologist Yasir Rizvi will also be on the panel. 

Please attend if in Skardu for a presentation of this year's cleanup expedition and a question and answer session. 

High Altitude Sustainability Pakistan is holding the first clean up competition for individuals and teams. If you plan to be on the Baltoro this summer take part in our "Baltoro Sustainability Challenge" and bring down as much solid waste as you can on your way down. Every Kg weighed and deposited in Skardu or at our partner camp at Paju will receive one Sustain Baltoro point. The individual or team to deposit the highest amount between 15 June 2017 and 15 September 2017 will receive a special prize. All registered individuals or teams receive a "Sustain Baltoro 2017" t-shirt and a High Altitude Sustainability Backpack/ Jacket patch. 

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Information required: 

Name(s)

Contact information 

Planned dates of traversing the Baltoro

Physical address for mailing of materials

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Register your team now at programs@highaltitudesustainabilty.org

The Second Joint porter stakeholder meeting was held in collaboration with Khurpa Care Pakistan on 10 March 2016, Skardu tourism hall. 

33 of the most experienced High Altitude Porters, Guides and Cooks in the Baltistan area gathered for the “Second Porter Welfare Stakeholder Meeting” held by High Altitude Sustainability Pakistan (HASP) and Khurpa Care Pakistan (KCP) in Skardu on 10th March 2016. The group was honored to have in attendance Ali Sadpara, first Pakistani to successfully summit Nanga Parbat in the winter; Alex Txiikon first person from Spain to successfully summit Nanga Parbat in the winter and Igone Mariezkurrena, camp manager for the Nanga Parbat winter summit. Other notable stakeholders attending included Ali Raza, 30 years of experience on Broad Peak, G1 and G2; Mr. Essa Ali, Tourism Department; as well as representatives of the Gilgit-Baltistan Mountaineering School, the Central Karakorum national Park (CKNP), Pakistan National Television (PTV) and local guides and tour operators.

The participants had gathered to congratulate Ali Sadpara in wake of the successful summit and to discuss the challenges being faced by the local climbing community. On the occasion Mr. Sadpara and Mr. Txiikon shared some thoughts on porter welfare including the dire need for better wages, more advanced training and unity among the different regions and villages.

Launch of The Lyceum School's improvisational comedy troupe, LyProv on Saturday, 23rd January, at 7 PM.  All proceeds from the show case to go to High Altitude Sustainability - Pakistan.

The showcase performance will feature 3 different improvisational comedy troupes playing Improv games. 

Venue :The Lyceum, Karachi78 Clifton, Karachi, Pakistan-75600
Tickets Rs. 200 (Tickets will be available from Lyceum (10 am to 4pm) starting Wednesday). 
A valid CNIC or school ID is required for entry to the event.

Village community meetings were held in 6 climbing villages picked by the participants in the porter welfare stakeholder meeting. The villages of: 

1. Hushay
2. Kanday
3. Machulu
4. Gulabpur
5. Tisar
6. Satpara

Through the project 2 women per village have been nominated by the village organisations to receive Traditional Birth Attendant (TBA) training in Skardu including 1 month of classroom training and 2 months of practical training. HASP will partner with Rahnuma Family Planning Association of Pakistan as implementing partners for the TBA Training. The training will begin in March 2015.

These villages are suffering from a severe provision gap in maternal health with 1 LHW (Lady Health Worker) often serving each Union council. Due to this a large amount of births are either unattended or supervised by untrained members of the community. Support in case of complications is limited resulting in high maternal and child mortality rates. 

Many thanks to Shahriyar Asdar Ahmad, Director Development & Systems and Student Life Coordinator at the Karachi Lyceum School for mobilizing their student body in relation to their volunteer programs and 

helping to fund-raise for “Sustain Baltoro 2016”. HASP CEO Hanniah Tariq addressed the student body at The Lyceum on 12th  November. A society, the HASP-Lyceum school chapter has been set up in Lyceum. This great initiative is being organized by 2 students at the school, students Usman Khan and Sameer Alam.

The First Porter Welfare Stakeholder Meeting and dialogue held jointly by HASP and Khurpa Care Pakistan was carried out in Skardu on 1st October 2015. The aim of to help assess the extent of the need for vocational and welfare support from within their community. Participants included 22 High Altitude porters from Baltistan with experience ranging from 4- 30 years (they included Hasan Sadpara, first Pakistani to climb 6 over 8000 m peaks; Ali Raza, 30 years of experience on Broad Peak, G1 and G2; Ali Durrani, youngest Pakistani on K-2; and Mohammad Hasan, member of the first all Pakistan team to attempt K-2 among other notable members of the local climbing community) and observers included representatives from the Agha Khan Rural Support Program (AKRSP) and Pakistan Red Cross Society (PRCS). Some of the issues brought to the table and discussed as a community for the first time included safety, training, insurance and the need for collective bargaining.