4 men on a mission to scale the Chulu Far East

Four young men from Bangladesh are going to climb the Chulu Far East, a remote region of the Himalayas, some 6,059m above the sea level. 

Their expedition, starting today, will be the first month-long winter mountaineering expedition from Bangladesh. 

The group consists of freelance web developer Abdullah Al Mahmud Intiaz, pharmacist Salehin Arshady, environmentalist Tahmid Hossain and architect and documentary film maker Samiur Rahman Turzo.

The group has nothing in common except for an interest in adventure. They all met each other on the Facebook group Travellers of Bangladesh (ToB) and they later formed the group, The Quest.

"It is our passion that serves us mental peace," Salehin said.

The expedition is going to take place in Alpine style, meaning they will be mountaineering in a self-sufficient manner, carrying food, shelter and equipment and leaving no traces behind.

Alpine style expeditions are hard as sudden changes in conditions, unpredictable weather patterns, shorter days, traversing snow-laden cornices and blasts of frigid freezing northern air can disrupt climbers. 

"People do not understand that such adventures are difficult. Passing day after day in -33°C is not easy. Yet, we go along with the hurdles because we enjoy climbing," Turzo said. 

This season, the wind speed is up to 80km/h, which can result in temperature drops of a further 7-8°C. 

In addition, breathing becomes tougher and the snow can be thigh-deep in some places.

The group has all the courage and plans to face all the challenges, but they do not have a leader.

"We do not believe in leadership, rather, working according to our expertise is our philosophy. So we are all leaders," Salehin said. 

Asked how they convinced their families and friends to take such a risky trip, Turzo said "It was not easy. We had to convince them that mountaineering is our passion. Now they understand and accept it.

The journey is expensive – from its royalty fee to attire and to rock-climbing equipment - and hence they needed sponsorship. But funding and finding sponsors is difficult. 

"We never promoted our work and do not like the limelight. Managing sponsors is harder than climbing mountains for us," Salehin said.

The title sponsor of their expedition is Go Zayaan. 'Travelers of Bangladesh' (ToB), peak69, Audree and Adventure Madness are their strategic partners. Bloodfriend and Coloring Little Smiles are supporting the expedition.

Asked why they chose mountaineering, Tahmid said they did not choose it, rather mountaineering chose them. 

"The mountains are calling and we just agreed. We did not have any other alternative," he added. 

The four have established a school named Audree where they teach keen students about mountaineering, rock climbing, long altitude, equipment and inspire them to be an adventurer, for a minimum fee.

"I touched a mountaineering gear years after I started my journey. I want enthusiasts to get introduced to all these things so their interest becomes stronger. We want more mountaineers with confidence," said Salehin.

Tahmid thinks that it is an expensive sport and cannot go to the next level without intervention from the government and the media. 

The four young mountaineers have touched every peak in Bangladesh and it is now time for them to conquer foreign peaks. 

The objective of this expedition is to make people aware about the adverse effects of global warming which is eventually affecting our country, they said.