About the mountain

“Father of the ice mountains"

Mustagata lies in western China along the fabled Silk Road, in the Pamir mountain range just south of the ancient city of Kashgar and north of K2, the second highest mountain in the world. In the Kirghiz language, Mustagata means, “Father of the ice mountains,” as its glacial waters nourish the vast fields where Kirghiz and Tashik herders graze their camels, sheep, and yak. The first climber captivated by Mustagata’s stately form was the famous British explorer, Eric Shipton, who in 1947 turned back just short of the summit, not realizing how close he had come. The mountain was first successfully climbed in 1956 by a Sino-Soviet team.

A safe, straightforward Himalayan peak

As a safe and mostly non-technical mountain*, Mustagata is ideal for those wishing to get a feel for Himalayan climbing with little previous high-altitude experience and modest technical skills. The mountain has gained a reputation amongst skiers and snowboarders, because the entire route can be “skinned” up and offers a continuous run of 8,000 vertical feet (2,500 vertical meters) from summit to snowline. It is also an excellent mountain to snowshoe.

Flexible climbing style

This is a joint expedition with SummitClimb.com. Summit Climb has run nine previous Mustagata expeditions with many successful summits. We use a flexible climbing style. Our time-tested expedition style is a safe approach as you are not pressured or required to climb the same pace as everyone else and on the same schedule.

*All mountains contain a certain amount of risk, and Mustagata is no exception. Compared to other mountains at the same altitude, Mustagata is considered to be one of the safest.