Chumik Kangri (6754 m) – an imposing 6754-metre mountain located in the remote Saltoro mountain region of the Karakoram, near the Siachen Glacier in Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan, known for its political instability and challenging climbs. Recently, at the end of 2025, a Polish-Slovakian team of climbers climbed it for the first time, completing a first ascent along the difficult route of the mountain’s southern slope.
In the fall of 2025, a three-person Polish-Slovakian climbing team made the first ascent of Chumik Kangri (6,754 m) in the heavily militarized Saltoro region of Pakistan. The area had been closed to climbers for years due to military conflict on the border between India and Pakistan.
Climbers Michal Czech and Wadim Jablonski from Poland, and Adam Kaniak from Slovakia, reached the summit via the previously unclimbed South Face. They reached the peak via the Gyong Glacier, an area so rarely visited that even basic maps have proven unreliable. It was a truly exploratory expedition.
The team named their 1,100-meter line The Great Gig in the Sky. The climbers rated the route M6 for mixed climbing and A1 for sections using artificial aid. The main difficulties included a pronounced rock pillar, exposed traverses, fragile rock, and steep snow and ice fields.
The trio began their ascent on the night of September 14 to avoid rockfalls and unstable snow. According to Jablonski, they were pleased to note that the approach in the dark was relatively safe and obvious. On the first day, the main objective was to reach the edge of the Chumik pillar, negotiating steep sections of ice and granite. They set up their first bivouac at an altitude of 6,250 meters, on a sharp snowy ridge.
The second day brought them the most uncertainty. Jablonski recalled that they weren’t sure if it was possible to find a way through the enormous and extremely steep upper part of the pillar.
“But by nature’s design, subtle rock formations and thin ice caps were found that allowed us to ascend to a plateau at 6,600 meters, just below the summit,” Jablonski wrote on social media. There, they set up their second bivouac.
After three days on the wall, Czech, Jablonski, and Kaniak reached the summit on September 16.
Permits and checkpoints
The team had to solve complex logistical problems. They hadThey had official permission to climb the previously unclimbed 6,000-meter peak of Gharkun Tower, another peak in the same area, but after reconnaissance, they changed their target to Chumik Kangri, as it offered a better combination of risk, technical challenge, and likelihood of summit success.
Traveling with the obligatory liaison officer, they passed through army checkpoints and became among the first foreign visitors to the valley in 45 years!
Local residents and security forces showed unexpected hospitality in a region usually associated with strict military control. Lacking reliable maps, the climbers relied on satellite imagery, hand-drawn sketches, and observations to plan their route and bivouac sites.
According to Ali Saltoro, these valleys contain numerous unclimbed peaks below 7,000 meters, offering a combination of ice and rock routes.
“Saltoro Valley is a piece of heaven on Earth and a second Patagonia for climbers seeking a first ascent,” he added.
Source: alp.org.ua