The North Face, the world's premier supplier of authentic, innovative, and technically advanced outdoor apparel, equipment, and footwear, today announced the winners of The North Face/AG Outdoor Adventure Grant, reached the summit of Noshaq, 7492m, the highest mountain in Afghanistan.

Looking at the summit from base camp, 3 climbers barely visible.

The expedition team, made up of Australians Tim Wood and Anthony Simms, and Afghanis Aziz Beg, Malang Daria and Abdul Hakim, departed Base Camp at 4400m on Monday 25^th July. For the next 10 days they climbed into the oxygen deprived atmosphere, negotiating steep, exposed rocky ridges, ice fields and ploughing through deep snow while carrying their food supplies and equipment, and establishing a series of camps along the way.

Upon reaching Camp 3 at 6700m on Wednesday 3^rd August, Abdul and Malang were forced to return to base camp as Malang was suffering from severe altitude sickness. The next morning Tim Wood, Anthony Simms, accompanied by Afghan climber Aziz Beg began their summit push. Tim and Aziz successfully reached the summit at 1:00pm local time that same day.

Tim is the first Australian, and one of the few mountaineers in the world, to summit Noshaq. Tim sums up his experience by saying "It has been a real pleasure to climb in such a beautiful, unspoilt and culturally rich area of the world. Summiting Noshaq has been an amazing although very tough adventure."

Noshaq is the highest peak in the Hindu Kush Mountains, located in the Wakhan Corridor North Eastern Afghanistan, a narrow panhandle of land connecting Afghanistan with China, bordered along its length by Tajikistan and Pakistan. It is one of the world's most isolated and beautiful mountain landscapes, and one of the few peaceful and secure places in Afghanistan.

Location and ethnic areas of the Wakhan Corridor and Noshaq.

Noshaq became a popular destination for foreign mountaineering expeditions in the years between its first ascent in 1960 and Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. Since then, ongoing political turmoil and violence have restricted foreign access to the region. With improved security conditions since the fall of the Taliban, Noshaq is once again attracting the attention of the international mountaineering community. The North Face expedition is among only a handful of expeditions to attempt the peak since the Soviet invasion.

It is an aim of Tim and Anthony's expedition to develop and promote tourism as an alternative form of sustainable development for the two ethnic minorities, the Wakhi and Kyrgyz, who live in the Wakhan corridor. They are in desperate need of economic development, and with greater promotion of the world class outdoor and eco destinations Wakhan has to offer, tourism growth will continue and activities such as mountaineering can inject large amounts of cash into the local economy. At the conclusion of the expedition much of the team's equipment will be donated to the local guides and support crew who have assisted with the climb.

Tim and Tony with locals.

About The North Face/AG Outdoor Adventure Grant:

The North Face, AG Outdoor and the AG Society have teamed up to help turn your adventure dreams into a reality. The grant gives budding adventurers and explorers an opportunity to win $8000 cash, $2000 worth of The North Face gear and an exclusive feature on your trip in AG Outdoor magazine, you'll not only be equipped with the world's most technically innovative apparel and equipment, you will be able to fulfill your adventure dream. For more information about the grant visit:
http://www.thenorthface.com.au/tnf_grant.php