Adventures in the Alps of Afghanistan

Afghanistan is home to the fabled Hindu Kush mountains, a westward extension of the Himalaya. This rugged mountain chain hosts ice-clad peaks of unparalleled beauty, running through the remote provinces of Badakshan and Nooristan, first explored and chronicled by Marco Polo.  The country, originally established as a buffer between the Russian and British empires, has had a tumultuous history.  Not least in the last forty years, that saw US-backed local mujahideen battle Soviet troops in the 80’s, civil war consume the country in the 90’s, and its emergence as the centrepiece of the “War on Terror” in the 00’s.  Alan North twice visited Afghanistan in calmer times (1968 and 1970), before the horror that came to engulf much of the country. Times when one could marvel at the hospitality of its people, enjoy the embrace of its culture, and stare open-mouthed at the beauty of its landscape and the grandeur of its mountains.  North, as part of two Scottish amateur mountaineering expeditions, set out to explore unknown valleys and ascend unclimbed mountains.  His account reflects the ecstasy of success and the heart-break of failure, and provides many clues as to why the world’s great mountains continue to attract and inpsire our most intrepid travelers. It paints an evocative picture of the rewards of adventure on a backcloth of one of the world’s most intriguing countries.