12/08/2024
Italian Alpine Club President Inaugurates Cristina Castagna Community House and Climbing Center in Ghotolti valley Ishkoman Ghizer Gilgit-Baltistan
Ghizer: The President of the Italian Alpine Club, Antonio Montani, inaugurated the Cristina Castagna Community House and Climbing Center in the village of Gotholti, Ishkoman. This center is dedicated to the memory of Cristina Castagna, a renowned Italian mountaineer who tragically lost her life in 2009 while descending Broad Peak, after summiting her fifth eight-thousand-meter peak.
The newly inaugurated facility includes a dispensary, a community hall, a library, and a tourist center. It also offers mountaineering courses and training programs.
The project was made possible through the support of various organizations, including Montagne e Solidarietà and other Italian mountaineering associations.
Cristina Castagna was a trailblazer in the mountaineering community, being the first Italian woman to summit several major peaks, including Sh**ha Pangma, Gasherbrum II, Dhaulagiri, and Makalu. The community house and climbing center stands as a tribute to her passion and achievements.
The opening ceremony was attended by 60 Italian climbers, Cristina’s family members, and other supporters. Notable attendees included Pakistani mountaineer Ashraf Aman, Assembly Member Nawaz Khan Naji, along with local political and social activists, and community members. In a special tribute, climber Tarcisio Bellò has named an unclimbed peak in the Ishkoman Valley after Cristina Castagna.
The connection between the Italian climbers and the local community in Gotholti predates Cristina’s passing. Since 1997, Italian climbers have undertaken eight expeditions in the Ishkoman Valley, exploring the Chanter Glacier and making first ascents on several peaks, including Italy Peak, Marostica Peak, Haiz Peak, Renato Casarotto Kor, Jinnah Peak, and Aga Khan Peak.Over the years, Italian climbers have made significant contributions to the Gotholti community.
In 2007, they built a small bivouac near Lake Atar to assist trekkers and mountaineers. In 2009, with the help of the Somerset Sci Club of Turin and Italian volunteers, a clean spring water project was implemented, and a basic health unit with a dispensary was established. Six years later, the Italia-Ghotolti Pakistan Friendship Bridge, donated by OMBA Impianti & Engineering, was completed.
The idea for the community hall and climbing center was initially proposed by Ashraf Aman, the first Pakistani climber to summit K2. The local community of Gotholti generously offered the land, and the project was managed in collaboration with Adventure Tours Pakistan, the Italian Alpine Club (CAI), the National Alpine Association (ANA), and the Montagne e Solidarietà Association. Construction, which began in June 2017, was overseen by Venetian architect Francesco Baggio and Pakistani engineer Shahbaz Khan, with all Italian volunteers covering their own expenses.
Reported by Karim Ranjha۔۔