GILGIT – The icy wind howled through steep cliffs in Gojal, Hunza, as Shah Daulat, a fearless young mountaineer from Shimshal, carefully placed his ice pick. But he was having a bad day as Daulat tumbled nearly 400 meters down the frozen mountain, leaving the world of peaks and snow forever behind.
The heartbreaking death of Shah Daulat shocked mountaineering community, as celebrated young climber from Shimshal was beloved hiker. The 31-year-old, known for his extraordinary climbing achievements, was practicing on a steep ice wall with a foreign tourist when disaster struck on Friday evening.
As per available information, Shah Daulat suddenly slipped, plunging nearly 400 meters to his death and sustaining fatal injuries. His body was recovered by local volunteers and transported to a government hospital in Sost, near the Khunjerab Pass on the Pakistan–China border, before being sent back to Shimshal for burial.
Shah Daulat was widely respected for his climbing prowess, having summited four peaks above 8,000 meters, including K2 (8,611m), Nanga Parbat (8,126m), Gasherbrum II (8,035m), and Gasherbrum I (8,080m). In 2025, he accomplished the rare feat of summiting Gasherbrum I without supplemental oxygen, cementing his reputation as one of the region’s strongest climbers. A relative of Pakistan’s renowned mountaineer Samina Baig, he had also participated in her K2 expedition in 2022.
Internet users mourned his demise, remembering him as true gem. The mountaineering world and civil society have been quick to pay tribute to Shah Daulat’s extraordinary contributions.
Shah Daulat’s untimely death is a stark reminder of the perils of high-altitude climbing, and his legacy as one of Pakistan’s finest young mountaineers will continue to inspire generations.
