Tirich Mir
Encyclopedia
Tirich Mir is the highest mountain
in the Hindu Kush
region and the highest mountain outside of the Himalaya-Karakoram
range, located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
. The mountain was first climbed in 1950 by a Norwegian
expedition consisting of Arne Næss
, P. Kvernberg, H. Berg, and Tony Streather.
Tirich Mir overlooks Chitral
town. It can easily be seen from the main bazaar. It can also be seen from Afghanistan
. According to a local legend, it is impossible to climb it, because of all the Jinns, demon
s, witches and fairies
who live up there. Locals also believe that Tirich Mir is an abode of fairies. From all over the Hindu Kush, fairies are said to come here for special meetings, washing and grinding rice.
Almost every year, a few tourists are killed while hiking
and trekking around Tirich Mir. Often, they fall down into deep crevasse
s and their bodies are never found.
The last village in Chitral before reaching Tirich Mir is Village Tirich. It is located in Mulkow. The people there speak the Khowar language
. The residents are available for hire as porters
and tourist guide
s and will lead trekkers part way up the mountain, but there is a point beyond which they will not go.
It is believed the origin to the name Tirich Mir is "King of Tirich" as Tirich is the name of a side valley of the Mulkhow valley of Chitral which leads up to Tirich Mir. An alternatively etymology derives its name from the Wakhi language
. In Wakhi trich means shadow or darkness and mir means king so Tirich Mir means king of darkness. It could have got this name as it causes long shadows on the wakhan
side of its face.
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
in the Hindu Kush
Hindu Kush
The Hindu Kush is an mountain range that stretches between central Afghanistan and northern Pakistan. The highest point in the Hindu Kush is Tirich Mir in the Chitral region of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.It is the westernmost extension of the Pamir Mountains, the Karakoram Range, and is a...
region and the highest mountain outside of the Himalaya-Karakoram
Karakoram
The Karakoram, or Karakorum , is a large mountain range spanning the borders between Pakistan, India and China, located in the regions of Gilgit-Baltistan , Ladakh , and Xinjiang region,...
range, located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. The mountain was first climbed in 1950 by a Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
expedition consisting of Arne Næss
Arne Næss
Arne Dekke Eide Næss was a Norwegian philosopher, the founder of deep ecology. He was the youngest person to be appointed full professor at the University of Oslo....
, P. Kvernberg, H. Berg, and Tony Streather.
Tirich Mir overlooks Chitral
Chitral
Chitral or Chetrar , translated as field in the native language Khowar, is the capital of the Chitral District, situated on the western bank of the Kunar River , in Pakistan. The town is at the foot of Tirich Mir, the highest peak of the Hindu Kush, high...
town. It can easily be seen from the main bazaar. It can also be seen from Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. According to a local legend, it is impossible to climb it, because of all the Jinns, demon
Demon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
s, witches and fairies
Fairy
A fairy is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, a form of spirit, often described as metaphysical, supernatural or preternatural.Fairies resemble various beings of other mythologies, though even folklore that uses the term...
who live up there. Locals also believe that Tirich Mir is an abode of fairies. From all over the Hindu Kush, fairies are said to come here for special meetings, washing and grinding rice.
Almost every year, a few tourists are killed while hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
and trekking around Tirich Mir. Often, they fall down into deep crevasse
Crevasse
A crevasse is a deep crack in an ice sheet rhys glacier . Crevasses form as a result of the movement and resulting stress associated with the sheer stress generated when two semi-rigid pieces above a plastic substrate have different rates of movement...
s and their bodies are never found.
The last village in Chitral before reaching Tirich Mir is Village Tirich. It is located in Mulkow. The people there speak the Khowar language
Khowar language
For the ethnic group, see under Chitrali people.Khowar , also known as Chitrali, is a Dardic language spoken by 400,000 people in Chitral in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in the Ghizer district of Gilgit-Baltistan , and in parts of Upper Swat...
. The residents are available for hire as porters
Porter (carrier)
A porter, also called a bearer, is a person who shifts objects for others.-Historical meaning:Human adaptability and flexibility early led to the use of humans for shifting gear...
and tourist guide
Guide
A guide is a person who leads anyone through unknown or unmapped country. This includes a guide of the real world , as well as a person who leads someone to more abstract places .-Guide - meanings related to travel and recreational pursuits:There are many variants of...
s and will lead trekkers part way up the mountain, but there is a point beyond which they will not go.
It is believed the origin to the name Tirich Mir is "King of Tirich" as Tirich is the name of a side valley of the Mulkhow valley of Chitral which leads up to Tirich Mir. An alternatively etymology derives its name from the Wakhi language
Wakhi language
Wakhi is an Indo-European language in the branch of Eastern Iranian language family and is intimately related to other Southeastern Iranian languages in the Pamir languages group.-Classification and Distribution:...
. In Wakhi trich means shadow or darkness and mir means king so Tirich Mir means king of darkness. It could have got this name as it causes long shadows on the wakhan
Wakhan
Wakhan or "the Wakhan" is a very mountainous and rugged part of the Pamir and Karakoram regions of Afghanistan. Wakhan District is a district in Badakshan Province.-Geography:...
side of its face.
See also
- Khyber-Pakhtoonkhwa
- List of mountains in Pakistan
- List of highest mountains
- List of Ultras of the Western Himalayas
Books
- Keay, John, "The Gilgit Game": The Explorers of the Western Himalayas, 1865-95, Oxford University Press, 1985, ISBN 0-19-577466-3
- Robertson, Sir George Scott, The Kafirs of the Hindukush, Oxford University Press, (1896, OUP edition 1986), ISBN 0-19-577127-3