From Girls in Action to Sheen Alpine Association: Pakistan’s first women-led mountaineering and environmental association takes shape
Sheen Alpine Association, born from the success of the Girls in Action trainings held by the Asian Desk of Mountain Wilderness International within the framework of the Swat Project, held their first hiking trip in June. A group of young women from Swat and Chitral spent a Sunday blending science with environmental action during a hike near the Malam Jabba forest, where they cleaned a popular tourist spot and carried out initial research on local medicinal plants.
Sheen Alpine Association, a grassroots initiative, is the first local women-led outdoor body in the region, and promotes women’s participation in unconventional fields and outdoor activities, including hiking, eco-tourism, mountain exploration, trekking, rock and glacier climbing, climate change awareness and STEM education.
Girls in Action, developed by the Asian Desk with Italian partners and supported by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial government, has trained dozens of young women in rock climbing, glacier traversing, trekking, environmental education and first aid. Beyond technical skills, the initiative has challenged deep‑rooted cultural barriers that traditionally limit women’s access to outdoor activities.
Girls in Action fits within the broader Swat Project and an agreement, signed last year in the form of an MoU between Mountain Wilderness International and the Pakistani government, to train local guides according to sustainable and environmentally responsible standards.
Sheen Alpine Association aims to become a reference point for women in Pakistan’s mountain valleys, engaging them in glacier monitoring, biodiversity protection and advocacy for a protected area between Swat and Chitral, an objective aligned with Mountain Wilderness International long‑term strategy in the region.
A crowdfunding campaign has been launched, with the aim of financing equipment and further training, including the international internship described below.
Mountain Wilderness International’s triple internship: three young women from Pakistan will spend three weeks in Italy
The initiative aims to help Sheen Alpine Association’s founders become a reference point for female hiking and climbing and encourage them to act as environmental guardians of their natural heritage. Training in Europe will enable the selected interns to share the skills acquired in Italy with their peers in Pakistan and strengthen the new association’s visibility and credibility with provincial and national authorities.
The Asian Desk of Mountain Wilderness International has chosen three young women from Swat and Chitral, selected among the most motivated participants in previous courses and those most actively involved in setting up and running the new association.
The internship will take place in September 2026 and is divided into three training sessions:
First Session — 4–10 September Held in Courmayeur at the foot of Mont Blanc, and organized by the Italian Academic Alpine Club, the Alpine Training Centre of the Italian Army, the CNR, and Mountain Wilderness International. The program includes high‑altitude rescue and self‑rescue on ice, and traditional multi‑pitch climbing on granite.
Second Session — 11–16 September A theoretical and practical course organized by the CNR, Fondazione Montagna Sicura, and ARPA Valle d’Aosta. It covers advanced techniques for monitoring glaciers, air pollutants, and high‑altitude medicine. Lessons will take place near Courmayeur (Veny Valley) and on the Plateau Rosa glacier. Weather permitting, instructors will guide the group to the summit of the Breithorn (over 4,000 m).
Break — 17 September
Third Session — 18–24 September Hosted by the Gran Paradiso National Park. The trainees will join wildlife monitoring activities and take part in a long scenic crossing from the Aosta Valley to Piedmont, with overnight stays in ranger refuges. The course base will be in Degioz, in Valsavarenche.
After completing the three sessions, participants will spend a few days visiting major cities in Northern Italy. They will receive appropriate equipment for the climate and the planned mountaineering activities, as well as formal certificates of attendance.
We are delighted that the seed we have sown is beginning to sprout, nourished by those who have already experienced the mountains first-hand, alongside Mountain Wilderness International, and we hope that the new women-led association will not only sprout, but flourish and spread.