Pakistani Women Mountaineers Complete First Week of Alpine Training in Italy
Three young Pakistani mountaineers from the foothill valleys of Swat and Chitral — Maria Rahim, Mehwish Syed and Mehrosh Akhtar — have arrived in Italy last week to begin an ambitious three‑week training programme designed to strengthen their mountaineering skills and support the creation of Pakistan’s first women‑only mountain association. The initiative, promoted by the Asian Desk of Mountain Wilderness International, aims to empower women through responsible engagement with the mountains, combining technical training, environmental stewardship and scientific fieldwork.
The three participants, who first encountered eco‑friendly mountaineering through recent Mountain Wilderness courses in the Karakoram, are among the most committed advocates of the idea that outdoor activities can broaden horizons, foster personal freedom and reinforce awareness of one’s life choices — even for women living in the most traditional regions of Pakistan. Their newly founded association seeks to unite climbing, trekking, hiking and scientific research with active protection of mountain environments, offering a cultural and sporting platform dedicated entirely to women.
The first week of the programme, held in the upper Aosta Valley at the foot of Mont Blanc, has just concluded with outstanding results. Organised in collaboration with the Italian Academic Alpine Club (CAAI), the Franco Piovan Mountaineering School of CAI Padua, and the Italian Army’s Alpine Training Centre, the course combined intensive rock‑climbing sessions with glacier training and rescue manoeuvres. The three Pakistani mountaineers and their instructors – all members of Mountain Wilderness Italy – were hosted at the Fior di Roccia barracks in Val Veny.
Practical rock climbing exercises took place on the crags of Morgex, Dolonne and Val Ferret/Pré de Bar, while progression, rescue and self‑rescue techniques on ice were taught at Colle del Gigante, with an overnight stay at the Torino mountain hut. A total of eleven qualified instructors – seven of them women – alternated in leading the sessions, including two provided by the Army’s Alpine Training Centre.
According to the teaching staff, the three young women exceeded expectations both on rock and ice, demonstrating remarkable speed, precision and determination. Their progress is seen as a promising sign for the future of women’s mountaineering in Pakistan, where they will soon pass on the skills acquired in Italy to other trainees who have already completed basic courses with Mountain Wilderness.
The second phase of the programme now begins, focusing on advanced scientific training. Experts from the National Research Council (CNR), the Montagna Sicura Foundation and specialist Lorenza Pratali will lead sessions on glaciology, air‑quality monitoring and high‑altitude medicine. Practical fieldwork will again take place on the Colle del Gigante glacier, where participants will study potential mitigation measures for the dramatic retreat of ice masses — a critical issue for mountain ecosystems worldwide.
Read the Asian Desk’s press release on the first of three weeks of training in Italy in Italian and English.