University welcomes top mountaineer
Pakistani top mountaineer, Nazir Sabir, will talk about his outstanding achievements in the mountaineering world at a public lecture at the University of Bradford.
From climbing K2 to Everest, Nazir will talk about his expeditions, adventures and experiences on top of the world.
Nazir will speak at the University on Monday 15 October, 6-7.30pm in a public lecture titled ‘Looking Death in the Eye’.
Bradford born Haroon Rashid, Hon Ambassador Gilgit Baltistan UK and Europe, said: “It is a great privilege to welcome Nazir Sabir, a world class Mountaineer, to our great City of Bradford. We have some spectacular scenery within a few miles from our city centre, we have a great trekking and climbing community in Bradford and I’m sure it will be a thoroughly enjoyable evening listening to Nazir speak on his expeditions.”
Mountains fascinated Nazir Sabir from his early days in Hunza, soon this fascination became a passion and over two decades he climbed four of the five 8000m peaks in Pakistan including the inhospitable K2 (8616m) the world’s second highest via a new route – the West Ridge/SSW Ridge in 1981. On May 17, 2000 he stood on the summit of Everest becoming the first Pakistani to have touched the roof of the world.
Nazir said: “I have accepted the invitation made by the Haroon Rashid as part of my World Tour. I have heard of Bradford's outstanding beauty and am looking forward to my visit to Bradford and the surrounding area. I hope my visit will encourage Bradford’s trekking and mountaineering community to come and visit Gilgit Baltistan, the rooftop of the World.”
As a reward for years of services rendered to the people of Hunza, he was elected as their representative to the Northern Area Legislative Council in the October 1994 elections and was appointed Advisor on Education and Tourism to the government.
Apart from the adventure travel business which he is running under the name of Nazir Sabir Expeditions he has been actively involved in promotion of tourism in Pakistan and has travelled extensively around the world lecturing and promoting the country’s cultural, historical and adventure potential. He has also been raising his voice on environmental matters in the mountains of Pakistan.
Joining Nazir on Monday 15 October will be Reverend John Bavington who will talk about Gilgit Baltistan and his ancestry connexions with the region. Born in Gilgit Baltistan, when his parents were missionaries in the region, he returned this year to trace his family footsteps and made some amazing discoveries at the foothills of Nanga Parbet, 9th highest mountain in the world.