Between Shost & Vindikot. The Ice Streams of Upper Yarkhun: Nine Glaciers in Parallel Decent.
Inzimam Ul Haq (mountain researcher)
In the north-eastern part of Chitral, above the Yarkhun Valley in the Hindu Raj mountain range, lies a dramatic and little-known landscape. Here, nine glaciers flow almost parallel to one another, creating a rare and striking scene of ice and rock. In their upper basins stands a natural amphitheater of towering 6000-metre peaks. Sandwiched between Upper Yarkhun in Chitral and the Yasin Valley of Gilgit, this remote area offers an exceptional setting for mountaineering and adventure trekking.
The line of glaciers begins in the south with the Madod Glacier near Shost and stretches northward to the Darkot Glacier at Chikar. In between lie the Risht, Shetor, Ponarilio, Kotalkash, Koyo, Pechus, and Chatiboi glaciers, descending side by side toward the Yarkhun Valley.
Above these glaciers rise the beautiful peaks of the Hindu Raj, including Koyo Zom (6,812 m), Thui I (6,524 m), Thui II (6,662 m), and Chikar Zom (6,110 m). Surrounding them are many unnamed peaks ranging from 5,400 to 6,200 meters.
The early exploration of this region dates back to the Indian British Survey of 1896, when the area was first properly documented and later published in the Military Gazetteer of 1904.
In 1935, Colonel R.C.F. Schomberg visited the region, travelling as far as Kurumbar Lake (known as White Lake or Akkul Lake on the Chitral side at that time) and crossing the Darkot Pass into Gilgit.
From a mountaineering perspective, the history of exploration in the Hindu Raj has been comprehensively summarized by Dr. Adolf Diemberger in his article “The Exploration of the Hindu Raj.” From his work, I quote here only the section relevant to the area between Shost and Darkot that is discussed in this article.
Tom Longstaff (1916–17) was likely the first mountaineer to survey the Hindu Raj, identifying major peaks such as Thui, Darkot, and Garmush . In 1956, Kazuo Fujita led the Punjab University–Kyoto University Joint Expedition, which achieved the first documented climb in the sector at Tausutik. A year later, in 1957, Dr. Susumu Matsushita and Abdul Hamid Beg led an expedition that crossed several high passes and made a serious high-altitude attempt on Shah Dok.
Dr. Gerald Gruber’s extensive reconnaissance in 1967 laid an important foundation for future expeditions through his detailed articles and mapping of the region.
The year 1968 proved particularly significant. Ing. Albert Stamm led the Vienna Section expedition that achieved the first ascent of Koyo Zom, the highest peak in the region. Helmut Linzbichler led the Kapfenberger expedition, successfully climbing Gainthir Chish I from the Yasin side. That same year, Sadao Karibe led a Japanese expedition to the Pechus Glacier, exploring the area and identifying new secondary summits of Koyo Zom. In 1969, Richard Isherwood led a British expedition that made the first bold attempt on the challenging Thui II (6,523 m) via the Shetor Glacier.
Although very little attention is given to mountaineering at the domestic level, this region holds great importance and offers an outstanding landscape for trekking. It presents some of the most beautiful scenery in the world, where peaks, lakes, and glaciers exist side by side in a dramatic high-mountain setting.
Unfortunately, due to its proximity to the Wakhan Corridor, the area has long remained sensitive for tourists and explorers. After 9/11 in particular, restrictions became stricter. Foreign visitors are generally not allowed to travel beyond Mastuj, and even in rare cases where permission is granted, access to the deeper parts of Upper Yarkhun remains limited.
Related:
Upper Yarkhun Ice Streams, Glacier Change, and Risk-Sensitive Tourism Development in Chitral.
Let me to express my sincere thanks and gratitue for this wonderful article about upper Yarkhun mountains and glaciers system.
Here is a Combined Policy, Scientific, and Community Perspective inputs with Reference Study: Ice Streams of Upper Yarkhun by Inzimam Ul Haq
1. Purpose of this Note.
This report responds to the important work documenting the nine parallel glaciers of Upper Yarkhun in the Hindu Raj.
1.1) It builds on that work by adding:
Climate and glacier risk analysis
Local community concerns
1.2) Field-based empirical observations over the last 20–30 years empirical research.
1.3)Policy and tourism planning guidance
The goal is to balance promotion with protection.
2. Strategic Importance of the Upper Yarkhun Glacier System
The glacial belt between Shost and Darkot in Upper Yarkhun represents:
2.1)One of the most unique clustered glacier systems in the Hindukush–Hindu Raj corridor
2.2) A high-altitude cryosphere reservoir feeding Yarkhun River systems
2.3) A fragile climate indicator zone showing rapid change
2.4) These glaciers are not only mountaineering assets, they are also:
*Water security sources
*Disaster risk drivers
*Ecological regulators
3. Field Evidence of Accelerated Glacier Change
*Case Evidence: Chikar and Chatiboi Glaciers
Based on long-term local observation and empirical field learning, the following patterns have been witnessed over the last two decades:
Chikar Glacier
*Significant retreat of the glacier tongue
*Visible thinning of ice mass
*Formation of unstable meltwater channels
*Increasing seasonal flood surges
Chatiboi Glacier
*Rapid fragmentation and shrinkage
*Disappearance of previously stable ice sections
*Formation of small moraine-dammed lakes
*Increased risk of sudden outburst discharge
Combined Impacts
These changes are leading to:
*Increased GLOF (Glacial Lake Outburst Flood) threats
(Flash floods affecting downstream settlements
*Damage to irrigation systems, pastures, and biodiversity
*Disturbance of traditional water cycles
This trend has been clearly visible over the last 20 years, and is accelerating.
4. Mountaineering and Trekking:
Opportunity with Risk
The article rightly identifies strong mountaineering and trekking potential in the region.
However, in a climate-sensitive glacier basin, unregulated tourism can create:
Additional Stress Factors
*Black carbon deposition from camps and transport
*Waste accumulation on glaciers and moraines
*Physical disturbance of fragile moraine-dammed lakes
*Increased human exposure to disaster zones
Key Policy Principle
No tourism development in high glacial basins without climate risk assessment.
5. Scientific and Research Gaps
The Upper Yarkhun glacier system currently lacks:
*Glacier mass balance monitoring
*Glacial lake inventory and hazard classification
*Hydrological discharge data
*Automatic weather stations
*Satellite-based glacier tracking programs
*This region should be declared a priority glaciological research zone in Pakistan.
6. Community Perspective and Cost–Benefit Reality
The local communities of Upper Yarkhun see both opportunity and risk.
What Communities Support
*Controlled eco-tourism
*Employment through guiding and services
*Scientific research collaboration
*Conservation-linked livelihood programs
What Communities Fear
*Glacier burst floods (GLOFs)
*Loss of crops, water channels, and land
*External tourism models with no local benefit
*Environmental degradation
*For them, glaciers are not scenery
They are life systems.
7. Integrating Empirical Knowledge with Science
While I do not claim advanced academic specialization in glaciology, my three decades of field engagement, research exposure, and community work in Chitral provide:
*Continuous observation of climate, glacier behavior, disaster and climate risk, and impacts of tourism( positive/ negative) on community, ecosystem.
*Practical understanding of risk patterns
*Insight into community resilience systems
Experience in tourism, disaster risk, and environmental governance
This empirical knowledge, when combined with scientific research, can strongly support:
*Evidence-based policy
*Risk-informed tourism planning
Community-centered conservation strategies
8. Policy and Planning Recommendations
A. Immediate Actions
*Conduct GLOF risk mapping of all nine glaciers
*Install early warning systems in Yarkhun Valley
*Establish glacier monitoring stations
*Declare high-risk glacier zones as regulated access areas
B. Tourism Governance
*Introduce permit-based controlled trekking
*Limit expedition numbers in sensitive zones
*Mandatory waste and carbon protocols
*Mandatory local guide and safety compliance
C. Research and Institutional Collaboration
*Partner with universities and global cryosphere programs
*Integrate with national bodies:
NDMA
PDMA KP
Pakistan Meteorological Department
9. Model for the Future
“Climate-Smart Mountain Tourism in Chitral”
The future of Upper Yarkhun should be built on:
*Community-based eco-tourism
*Glacier conservation zones
*Climate research expeditions
*Education and awareness tourism
This model ensures:
Livelihoods + Conservation + Risk Reduction
10. Concluding Statement
The work of Inzimam Ul Haq has opened an important window into a remarkable glacial landscape.
But today, in the era of rapid climate change, the glaciers of Upper Yarkhun must be approached with:
*Scientific responsibility
*Community wisdom
*Environmental ethics
*Risk-informed planning
The experience of Chikar and Chatiboi glaciers is a clear warning.
If managed wisely, these glaciers can support sustainable livelihoods, research, and global recognition.
If ignored, they may become sources of increasing disaster risk.
11. Closing Note for Policy Makers and Partners
Chitral offers a rare opportunity:
*To demonstrate how a high mountain region can combine tourism, conservation, and climate resilience into one integrated development model.
*With the right approach, Upper Yarkhun can become:
*A global example of responsible mountain stewardship.