2011 Adventure Grant Winners Announced
THREE AUSTRALIAN ADVENTURERS WILL be embarking on a month-long expedition to the summit of Noshaq, Afghanistan’s highest mountain, thanks to a $10,000 Adventure Grant from The North Face, Australian Geographic Adventure, and the AG Society.
Grant recipients Tim Wood, Anthony Simms and Toby Eastoe will be undertaking their first expedition as a group. The team will be accompanied by Afghani guides Malang Daria and Afiat Khanis.
Tim says the team is excited about winning the Adventure Grant. “We’re very much looking forward to going there and attempting Noshaq,” he says. They hope to begin the expedition in July.
By conquering the 7492m peak, the team is aiming to raise awareness of Afghanistan’s potential as an adventure destination. Since the fall of the Taliban in 2001, improved security conditions have revitalised the potential for tourism in the area, says Tim.
“Our ultimate goal is to give the area a lot of exposure, so mountaineers and trekkers can see the opportunities of the area, the beauty of the area, and bring lots of tourists to the area,” he says. “It’s a good news story for Afghanistan. Lots of people associate it with doom and gloom, but the country’s not all ravaged by war. There are a lot of good things going on.”
See The North Face website and Australian Geographic Adventure for updates on the team’s mission.
