His Head Over Clouds

Naseer Mir, the living mountaineering legend, is encouraging and helping youth to take up to extreme sports, writes Muhammad Yusuf

Participating in two Pre-Everest selection camps, reaching the summit of Mt. Kangyassy, one of the Ladakh’s highest mountains and being a member on Indo-French Sasar-Kangri climbing expedition-1986 (Siachen region) is an achievement not many can claim.

One of ‘the few’ is Naseer Ahmad Mir, now in-charge of Adventure Wing in the Department of Tourism, Kashmir. Naseer, who was born in Habba Kadal area of Srinagar city is a fully-qualified mountaineering and skiing instructor. As a member of the J&K Mountaineering and Hiking Club, he undertook five years of training before gaining his qualifications.

He was inspired to adventure in his very tender age. During early schooling he used to go for bush walking and mild hiking. After joining S.P. College Naseer started serious climbing. In the year 1974 he along with some of his friends set up a Climbing Club in the name of Kashmir Youngman’s Mountaineering and Trekking Club with its office in densely populated Habba Kadal in Srinagar.

With the passage of time he came across a great adventurer, promoter and motivator of his time, Mr. M. Ashraf, Ex-Director General Tourism who arranged his basic and advanced training in mountaineering at Nehru Institute of Mountaineering ,Utterkashi through his Club , the J&K Mountaineering and Hiking Club (JKMHC), in mid seventies. After finding more opportunities in JKMHC Nasir and his team merged their club with JKMHC. Mr. M. Ashraf encouraged many other enthusiasts, including this writer, to adventure sports. With the inclusion of young and more enthusiastic new members the JKMHC was infused a fresh blood by these youngsters, which had remained defunct for a long period. The Club President, Mr. Ashraf managed training of more than 10 other enthusiasts at different Mountaineering and Skiing Institutes of the country during that period.

With a view to acquaint trained youth to adventure tourism and to give them more exposure Mr. Ashraf arranged their deputation as Liaison Officers with foreign Mountaineering Expeditions through Indian Mountaineering Foundation, New Delhi (IMF). Among others, Naseer also got the opportunity to accompany many such foreign expeditions, undertaken in J and K State from time to time. During a British Expedition in 1981 he climbed three un-named peaks near Mount Kangyassy region in Ladakh, with the height ranging between 5,900 to 6,200 Mtrs. He later participated and led scores of major climbing expeditions in Kashmir, Ladakh, Zanaskar, Kishtwar and Garhwal Himalayas etc. He is lucky to have climbed Mount Kolahoi, the highest peak in Kashmir, five times. He then climbed Mt. Kangyassy, Mt. Harmukh, Mt. Gulap-Kangri and Mt. Stock-Kangri. Not only this, the fearless, brave and prudent mountaineer, climbed a virgin un-named, 6150 mtrs high, peak in Garhwal Himalayas and has participated in an Indo-French Sasar Kangri Expedition in the year 1986. His ascent to White Needle (Zanaskar massif), jointly organized by the Union of International Alpine Association (UIAA) and IMF, the controlling bodies of mountaineering in the world and in India respectively, was one of the highlights of his long mountaineering career.

Great credit goes to Mr. M. Ashraf for arranging training of hundreds of local youth to adventure sports. He has in fact sowed the seed of adventure in many organizations and institutions in the state. After graduating different adventure courses he helped them to seek jobs as Instructors/Guides in Youth Services, Tourism Department and Kashmir University etc with the motive to facilitate these organizations to train the youth at grass root level. He undoubtedly succeeded in his plan. Today thousands of youth are being trained to adventure by these veterans.

On the basis of his achievements the IMF selected Naseer for Pre-Everest Camp (selection trials) held in Garhwal Himalayas in 1982. During this camp he climbed Mt. Gangotri-I and was recommended for final Everest selection camp held in the consecutive year. During this camp Naseer attempted Mt. Mana Parvat and reached up to the height of 24,000 feet. Though he performed extremely well there but was dropped by IMF in the final team of 1984 Everest Expedition due to unknown reasons under mysterious circumstances and this lone Kashmiri climber lost the opportunity of reaching the world’s highest place, the Mount Everest, forever. Entire mountaineering community of the valley was shocked for his dropping. This is highly appreciating that Naseer has reached up to the height of 25,000 feet during his climbing career and has extensively trekked in entire J&K and Garhwal Himalayas. He has played a pivotal role in exploring many virgin areas in the state.

Mountaineering did not quench his thirst so he started learning other adventure sports especially snow skiing at Gulmarg during late seventies. Later he joined the J&K Youth Services and Sports Department as an Instructor with the aim to teach ski and mountaineering to youngsters in the schools. But unfortunately his services were not properly utilized by his parent department so he preferred to join the Tourism Department where Mr. M. Ashraf lured him that a separate Outward Bound School would be started in his Department for which the services of ace skiers, climbers and rafters etc. were required. He has very ably trained thousands of people to skiing and mountaineering in various remote and far-flung areas of the state

He is environment and ecology conscious as well. To safeguard our mountains and high valleys from pollution and environmental degradation he has led several mountain cleaning expeditions in Ladakh and Kashmir, organized by the JKMHC and sponsored by IMF from time to time. His teams removed tones of garbage from sensitive mountainous areas.

Naseer is presently working as in-charge of adventure wing in the Tourism Department. The present Director Tourism, Mr. Farooq Shah, being a dynamic and an innovative person, is fully and properly utilizing his services for the growth and development of adventure tourism in Kashmir. Many new adventure activities such as rafting, snow cycling, snow rugby and snow baseball etc. have been included in the tourism calendar by the Tourism Department for last some years, which not only encouraged the youth to adventure but also helped reviving adventure tourism in the state. Pertinently Naseer has played an instrumental role in holding 2 state and 2 International levels Rafting Championships in his department. He plans and designs new adventure tourism products those are later very efficiently implemented by his Director, Mr. Shah. He suggests rules and regulations for adventure tourism products those are viable for operating on commercial lines by the tourism players.

We fervently hope that this legend continues to encourage youth to climbing as it is very beneficial for today’s youth. It makes them resourceful and teaches to face difficulties. It brings about the complete mental, emotional and spiritual integration. It is a unique sport that teaches self-discipline and strengthens one’s faith and determination. It is a way of acting, thanking and living together with a fraternity of people who seek high adventure in the high places. There are lots who dream of adventure Naseer has to help some to realize their dreams.

Published in Daily Greater Kashmir on 26th Feb, 2011

Let's Pledge To Make Srinagar Greener

By Mohamad Yousuf

Did you ever think why metropolitan capital, the New Delhi looks greener than Srinagar? This is despite of the fact that our city in the picturesque valley was expected to have been much greener. Well, we need to ponder over the issue. We need to think green. Read on…

Earth is called blue planet, but ‘His Mighty Allah’ has given it green effect because almost 99% of grass, trees, plants and vegetables are green. Every color has a certain effect on human emotions. The green color gives the effect of safety, spring and fertility etc . Appreciatively many countries have opted, partially or fully, green as a color for their national flags, which depicts that green is more important for mankind than any other. (deleted in paper)

Today, the cultured societies like to grow greenery not only in their lawns but in their surrounds as well. Pertinently those who do not have space for developing gardens in their homes are growing miniature plants in the pots that shows how much love they are having towards the nature.

Amazingly, in Japan, most of the houses do not have widely opening doors like we have in Kashmir. They preferably fix the sliding doors in their houses merely to save space for installing maximum number of indoor plants at such available space.

To give fascinating view of their green compounds, the residents in Delhi are not allowed to raise their compound walling more than 5.6 feet high but contrary to it, most of the people in Srinagar raise jail like high walls. The Srinagar Municipality Corporation will have to discourage this trend, particularly to those houses situated at roadsides.

The sense of growing greenery in their homes is increasingly developing among ‘We the Srinagarites’ as well. One can find hundreds of flower vendors at Residency Road near Biscoe School and Batamaloo Bus Station in Spring and Autumn seasons. Some are seen selling seeds and seedlings even in off seasons. They sell different kinds of shrubs, flowing and vegetable seedlings, fruit and flowering plants and different kinds of bulbs like lilies, Cana, gladiolus etc, at such places.

During springs thousands of nature lovers, farmers and cultivators are seen buying the green material from them. They make a good business during this period. Their lot is not only sold to Srinagarites but scores of people from Ladakh and other districts come here to buy green material of their choice. It has in fact become a industry now and is providing employment to thousands of people but it is saddening that these poor people are not provided space by the Government at City Centre to sell their products comfortably. They are bound to lay their stalls on busy foot paths. They are not able to fix canopy to hide the delicate seedlings from rains and scorching heat which sometime cause them heavy losses. On the other hand the S.M.C officials are always raiding them and throwing away tiny live seedlings. Astonishingly killing dogs are banned in Srinagar but killing the seedlings, which too have life, has no meaning for S.M.C. It should have been the responsibility of Gardens and Parks, Social Forestry and Environment Department to take these venders under their broad wings and arrange space for them at suitable place for the sale of their products which could help ‘Go Srinagar Green’ and may help eradicate the name of ‘dirtiest city’. Plantation season is starting from second week of February so the immediate action is solicited. It is a social service.

Published in Daily Greater Kashmir on 8th Feb, 2011