Pakistan is blessed with magnificent, lofty and challenging mountains which offer great opportunities for mountaineering, trekking and other adventure activities. It is here that three spectacular mountain ranges of the world, Karakoram, Hindukush and Himalayas meet. The vast mountain tract of Pakistan’s North, 500 kms in width and 300 kms in depth, boasts of the largest collection of mountains of awesome height on earth; over 700 peaks above 6000 metres and over 160 peaks above 7000 metres of height. These include five peaks above eight thousand metres (out of the total fourteen in the world); namely the second highest rock pyramid - the K-2 (8611 m), the killer mountain - Nanga Parbat (8125 m), the Hidden Peak - Gasherbrum I (8068 m), the Broad Peak (8047 m) and the Gasherbrum II (8035 m), all except Nanga Parbat situated within 20 kms radius of the famous glacial junction - Concordia.

Besides these high mountains, Karakoram is inhabited by the longest glaciers outside the polar regions, including Siachen (75 km), Biafo (68 km), Boltoro (62 km) Batura (58 km) and Hispar (53 km). The above mountain ranges are home to some of the most enchanting and captivating valleys like Hunza, Shigar, Khaplu, Ishkuman, Naltar, Gilgit, Skardu, Chitral, Dir, Swat and Kaghan and splendid passes like Shandur, Chilinji, Babu Sar, Lowari and Burzil. There are numerous glacial lakes in these mountain ranges which are famous for their scenic beauty, blue waters and trout fishing. Prominent among these are Phandar, Kachura, Sadpara, Lulusar and Saiful Muluk.

Besides these high mountains ranges of the Northern Pakistan, a number of smaller mountain ranges like Sulaiman, Pub, Kirthar, Mekran and coastal hills are found in other provinces of Pakistan which offer good low altitude rock climbing sites.

Pakistan’s abundant mountain wealth makes it a paradise for mountaineers, trekkers, adventure seekers and nature lovers. The grandeur, charm and challenge of Pakistan’s high mountains lure large numbers of mountaineers, adventure seekers and nature lovers from the world over.

Mountaineering, rock/ice climbing is now a well developed sports providing unparalleled adventure, challenge and thrill. Technology continues to add new dimensions to this sports, making it more safe, technical and competitive. The rock and indoor/ artificial competitive wall climbing are becoming rapidly popular amongst youth, the world over, with numerous competitions being held at international levels. Competitive climbing would soon find its way into the Olympics.

Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) was founded in 1974, by mountain lovers, as a Non Governmental Sports Organisation and national mountaineering federation, dedicated to the promotion of mountaineering and mountain related activities in Pakistan. The Club aims at providing facilities, including training, to the mountain and nature lovers to enjoy the boundless beauty of Pakistan’s mountains and participate in the healthy adventure activities of climbing and mountaineering. Since its raising it has launched several mountaineering expeditions to the high mountains of the Northern Areas and trained a large number of its members in rock climbing, mountaineering and other mountain related activities.

It is registered under the Companies Act and enjoys close support of Frontier Works Organisation (FWO). It functions under the aegis of the Ministry of Tourism and is affiliated with Pakistan Sports Board since 1982. It is Pakistan’s sole representative on the world climbing and mountaineering Federation - Union Internationale Des Associations D’Alpinisme (UIAA) and is also member on its Council. Alpine Club of Pakistan is the founding member of the Union of Asian Alpine Associations (UAAA) It maintains linkages with other outward bound organisations.

The Alpine Club of Pakistan aims at achieving following :-

• Cultivate mountaineering and outdoor culture amongst the nature lovers and interested persons, specially youth by providing facilities for climbing, mountaineering and mountain related activities.
• Promote and organise mountaineering expeditions either singly or in collaboration with other mountaineering organisations /clubs/climbers from abroad.
• Organise training in mountaineering, rock, snow/ice climbing, indoor climbing and trekking and for other Club activities.
• Organise training for liaison officers, high altitude porters, mountain and trekking guides and for other disciplines of mountain related activities.
• Organise and participate in rock, ice, indoor competitive climbing and trekking championships /tournaments, both at home and abroad.
• Organise trekking trips and summer/winter camps.
Facilitate visiting expeditions by providing liaison officers and other required support.
• Advise and provide co-ordination on mountaineering and mountain related matters.
• Maintain liaison with governmental, non governmental and sister organisations at home and abroad for promotion of mountain related activities.
• Represent Pakistan and safeguard its mountaineering interest at UIAA, UAAA and other international forums.
• Undertake measures for the preservation and protection of the environments of the mountain areas independently or in collaboration with governmental or non governmental organisations.
• Maintain archives, prepare and provide information and data on mountains and mountain related activities in Pakistan.

Patrons

• Chief of Army Staff
• Chief of Naval Staff
• Chief of Air Staff

Executive Council
Management of the Alpine Club of Pakistan is vested in the Executive Council, which is elected for three years tenure by the Annual General Meeting of the members, held once in a calendar year. It comprises a President, Vice Presidents, Secretary, Treasurer and Executive Council members. The Executive Council meets once in two months or earlier, if required, and makes decision as to the functioning and activities of the Club. The numbers of officials and members of the Executive Council are:-

• President one
• Vice Presidents (five including one Ex officio).
• Honorary Secretary one
• Honorary Treasurer (one – Ex officio)
• Council Members (10 to 15 including one Ex officio member from Ministry of Tourism).

Executive Council Committees

• Expedition, and Members Afairs.
• Training, and Competition.
• Educational institutions, Youth and Women Afairs,
• Publication, Website, Publicity and Promotion.
• Adventure Activities and Store

The Club Secretariat
The Club Secretariat, located at 509, Kashmir, RA Bazar, Rawalpindi functions under the Honorary Secretary with the help of the Club staff. The Secretariat serves as the hub for the Club activities.
Representative/ Co-ordinator
The Club has a network of ACP Representatives/ Co-ordinators in the mountainous areas and major cities of Pakistan.
Affiliation-Clubs/Associations /Organisations
Other local mountaineering/hiking and outdoor adventure clubs functioning in sympathy with the similar aim and objectives can be affiliated with the Alpine Club of Pakistan after fulfilling the required conditions.

• Founder Members Those individuals who founded the Club and are the signatories to the its Memorandum and Articles of Association.
• Life Members The interested individuals who, on approval by the Executive Council, pay up the full prescribed fee.
• Honorary Members Those members who have achieved excellence in the field of mountaineering or have made outstanding contributions for the betterment of the Club, ex officials and senior climbers, as approved by the Club AGM.
• Full Members Associate Member with minimum three years membership on approval by the Executive Council.
• Associate Member All Pakistani nationals having interest in the mountains and mountain related activities.

Facilities to Members
Following facilities are available to members:-

• Participation in various Club activities, including courses, on payment of nominal course fee and fulfilling the laid down course criteria.
• Selection as climbing members in the expeditions launched or sponsored by the Club.
• Loan of equipment, if available, for organised and approved mountaineering and trekking activities.
• Participation in various functions organised by the Club.
• Use of Club library.
• Free issue of Club Newsletters and other publications less books.
• Nomination for training abroad and participation in the international competitions on meeting the prescribed criteria.
• Recommendation to proceed as liaison officer with the visiting expeditions on meeting the prescribed criteria.
• Recommendation for suitable awards by the Government on climbing feat/achievement.

Union Internationale Des
Associations D’Alpinisme (UIAA) The Club is Pakistan’s representative on the international climbing and mountaineering federation - Union Internationale Des Associations D’Alpinisme (UIAA), which has 82 member associations from different countries. The UIAA membership to the Club was granted to Alpine Club of Pakistan in 1978. UIAA is engaged in the promotion and regulation of climbing and mountaineering activities at the international level. Besides it provides a common platform to the climbing and mountaineering community. UIAA comprises seven commissions dealing with various aspects of climbing and mountaineering. These are Safety, Expeditions, Mountain Protection, Medical, Youth, Mountaineering and Documentation and Information. ICC - the International Council for Competition Climbing is an associate body of UIAA. Alpine Club of Pakistan safeguards Pakistan’s mountaineering interests at this international UIAA forum and is actively engaged in its activities. It is a member of the UIAA Council and remained its Vice President for a long time.

Union of the Asian Alpine Associations (UAAA)
Alpine Club of Pakistan is also a founder member of the Asian mountaineering association - Union of the Asian Alpine Associations (UAAA) which has most of the Asian countries as its members. It provides opportunity for the Asian mountaineering countries to co-operate and co-ordinate in the climbing activities.

Himalayan Countries Mountaineering Association
The Alpine Club of Pakistan is also playing key role in forum of the mountaineering bodies of the Himalayan countries. Pakistan, Nepal, China and India are the Himalayan countries, which possess most of the highest mountains of the world. This forum intends to safeguard the regional and Pakistan’s mountaineering interests at the international level.

Club Library A sizeable Club library is maintained at the main office. A number of technical magazines like Mountain, Climber, Belayer, American Alpine Journal and Himalayan Mountaineering Journal are available for reading and consultation. The library also has a collection of various documentary films on mountaineering.

Publications The Club has published a large number of articles on mountaineering. Two of it’s books - one in Urdu entitled “ Pakistan - Pahar aur Koh Paimai “ written by Maj Gen (Retd) Qamar Ali Mirza, a former President, Founding and Honorary member of the Club and the other in English entitled “The Unique Mountains” written by Mr Naseer Ullah Awan, a member of the Executive Council , are indeed very popular and authentic publications. These books contains detailed information on the mountain ranges of; Karakoram, Hindukush and Himalayas. The Club also issues its Newsletters regularly. Its annual journal would be launched soon.

Documentaries The Club has produced some documentary films on different mountaineering expeditions launched by the Club; prominent being “Meeting the Paiju Challenge” an account of the first successful ACP expedition to Mt Paiju in 1976, the Joint Pak Japanese Expedition to Passu Peak - 1978 and account of the first Pakistan Everest Expedition - 1997 entitled “Man Against Nature”. It is producing its own rock and ice climbing training films.

CD on Pakistani Mountains Work on preparing a CD on the data about Pakistani Mountains is in hand. It would be available shortly for sale.

Former Presidents and Secretaries