For years, Brahma Sakli Peak had remained a formidable challenge for Kashmiri mountaineers. This time, three climbers not only reached its 4,722-metre summit but opened a new route on its eastern face, adding a new chapter to the documented mountaineering history of Kashmir.
Yasir Khan, Muzakir Khan and Saqib Shafi have successfully established the Baghiyar Route, graded IV, AD-, 5.3, G, on the eastern face of the peak, combining glacier travel, technical rock climbing and snow terrain.
Based on the expedition team’s review of available mountaineering journals, guidebooks and published expedition records, the climbers believe they are only the third documented team to reach the summit of Brahma Sakli and the first to do so via its eastern face.
The expedition, however, was not simply a summit attempt. The team spent nearly 10 hours on the ascent, negotiated a glacier and an active bergschrund before reaching the most technical section of the route, a 70-metre granite headwall.
Yasir Khan led the climb across the headwall’s two pitches, using traditional protection, including nuts and cams. The team then negotiated the final scramble before reaching the summit at about 2:50 pm.
The summit push had begun at 4:45 am, making it a long and demanding day in the mountains.
The team remained on the summit for around an hour before beginning the descent through the south-eastern face. A 40-metre abseil over a cliff band was followed by a descent through an upper snow couloir and another glacier crossing.
As darkness fell and visibility deteriorated, the climbers faced another challenge, navigating trackless moraine fields on their return to Base Camp.
They eventually reached Base Camp at Bramsar Lake, at around 3,600 metres, close to 11 pm, completing an approximately 18-hour continuous mountain day.
The expedition had begun at Zimastal, from where the team trekked nearly 14 kilometres through rugged terrain to establish the base camp.
After the climb, the three mountaineers spent two days recovering at Bramsar Lake before beginning their return journey.
“Our objective was not just to reach the summit but to establish a new line on the eastern face. The Baghiyar Route demanded careful route-finding, technical rock climbing and glacier travel. Successfully opening this route is a proud moment for us, and we hope it contributes to Kashmir’s growing mountaineering legacy,” Muzakir, one of the climber said.
Brahma Sakli, also known as Cathedral Dome, is regarded as one of the more technically demanding peaks in the Kashmir Valley. Muzakir Khan said the latest expedition was particularly significant because the mountain requires skills and equipment beyond those used on conventional trekking expeditions.
“Every mountain teaches you something. Since this was a different route, it required different technical skills. We had to use ropes and specialised equipment because this is a mountaineering peak, not a trekking peak,” he said.
For Muzakir Khan, the successful ascent also completed a personal journey. He had attempted Brahma Sakli two years ago but was unable to summit the mountain. The experience exposed the technical demands of the climb and prompted the mountaineers to improve their skills before returning.
Khan said that the historical record of the peak stretches back several decades.
He said according to the Himalayan Journal, Volume 46, the first documented exploration of Brahma Sakli was carried out in 1989 by a team led by veteran mountaineer Muhammad Amin. That expedition brought the peak into documented mountaineering literature and became an important reference for subsequent climbers.
The expedition team said another documented route to the summit was established last year by Kashmiri climbers Inayat Bhat and Mudasir Laway, who climbed via the south-eastern face.
The climbers said they remain open to historical records or expedition accounts that may point to an earlier ascent, saying such information would help build a more complete record of Brahma Sakli’s climbing history.
The achievement also reflects the growing ambitions of Kashmir’s local mountaineers, who are increasingly moving beyond established trekking routes to explore and document technically challenging Himalayan peaks.
Muzakir Khan, who entered adventure sports in 2017, has explored 97 alpine lakes and climbed several prominent peaks in Kashmir, including Kolahoi, Harmukh and Tatakooti.
For the climbers, the Baghiyar Route is more than a line on a mountain. It is an attempt to expand Kashmir’s mountaineering map, one difficult, technical ascent at a time.
