Interview with Haider Ali

 

Haider Ali is from Gilgit, Pakistan. He is a guide who organises and leads climbing trips in Rakaposhi and Diran mountains, he also owns a trekking equipment shop. He started climbing because he grew up surrounded by mountains his whole life and started climbing at a young age. He then turned his hobby into his job. Mountaineering is important to Haider because it is his main source of income. Also, he enjoys it because it gives him peace and allows him to meet incredible people from all around the world. When climbing, the biggest challenge he faces is the weather. Sometimes when it snows or rains, it gives him and his clients a very hard time. His goal in regards to mountaineering is to showcase the beauty of the mountains in Gilgit and to let people enjoy the sport and appreciate it. He always has food, lots of water and a shelter in his backpack when climbing. The typical food he eats on a mountain is noodles and he drinks lots of water. His journey usually takes 6 hours to climb the summit of Rakaposhi and 2 hours to go back down. Many of the tourists he takes on climbs suffer from altitude sickness but he provides them with a medication to help make them feel better. However, he does not feel sick because of his experience in climbing mountains. Before climbing, he often practices on a small hill and goes to the gym. Haider's tips for anyone who is just getting started with mountaineering is to physically prepare yourself before,  enjoy the journey on a mountain, and change your mindset to be able to climb. 

Pictures he sent me from the Rakaposhi Peak base camp and Diran Peak: