Mountain Project : Ali Jaffri

I am working on a doctorate in geology from Colorado State University, and Im a native of Pakistan. 5 years ago after I travelled to K2 and saw the environmental effects of large-scale expeditions on the fragile mountain environment I wanted to make a difference. I founded my own mountain guiding company: Unnamed Unclimbed Expeditions. The idea is to introduce people who have a passion for alpine activities to the mountain grandeur of the Himalayas, Karakoram and Hindukush mountains in Pakistan.

You can access these mountains in one of two ways. First, you can sign up with one of the many 'adventure outfitters' listed in the back of Outside/Rock and Ice/Climbing, or other popular magazines. Someone from the West coast will collect $5000 from you, keep $3000 and send $2000 to the person in Islamabad, Pakistan who has never seen a Himalayan peak. That person will keep $1500 and give $500 to a mountain guide. The mountain guide will keep another $300 and will distribute $200 between 10 porters. So the at the end of the day, the local Baltis/Hunzakuts who cook for you, carry all your gear, and provide entertainment through their cheerful songs at night will only get $20.

Our company does not have an office, no secretaries, no accountants, no lawyers. You pay less than half of what anyone else would charge you, I will personally guide you in Pakistan, we hire between 3-5 porters. My profits are applied towards my airfare, the rest are given to the locals who make all this possible. We dig toilet pits, follow leave-no-trace guidelines, so when your grand kids want to set an alpine route on a peak you climbed in 10 days, they will find it in the same pristine condition that you left it in.

Ali Jaffri
President and Founder
Unnamed Unclimbed Expeditions
www.unclimbed.com

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