General Information about the Projects

Although we have occasionally been involved in Nepal and Tibet as well as in Kashmir and Hunza, our main focus is on Baltistan, the heart of the Karakoram mountains.

This remote region, situated amidst the mountains of the Karakoram, boasts breathtaking landscapes, but the living conditions are extremely harsh and poverty is widespread. The Balti people are peace-loving, friendly, and undemanding individuals who gratefully accept our support and increasingly strive for a better future themselves.

All our projects are designed for the long term. The primary goal is for our assistance unnecessary to no longer be needed. We invariably work in collaboration with the local communities, involving them in our planning processes. Our work is appreciated and gratefully received by the population, from politicians, clergy and teachers to the poorest villagers. We contribute to spreading a great sense of hope for a better future for the next generation in this extremely underdeveloped high-altitude region.

Through our projects, we provide many locals with a permanent or at least temporary income. This includes:

  • Employees in the hostels (cooks, caretakers, tutors, security personnel, etc.)
  • Drivers of vehicles
  • Construction workers
  • Staff for administration and project management
  • Teachers and tutors
  • and others

Himalaya-Karakorum e.V.

The non-profit organization supports people living in difficult conditions in the mountains of the Himalayas and Karakoram, on the edge of the settlement border and always on the edge of their livelihood. The aim is to help the villagers to survive in their ancestral homeland, based on the principle of helping people to help themselves. The primary goal is to ensure that our help will no longer be necessary in the foreseeable future.

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Annual report

The 2025 annual report will be available here shortly.

The review of 25 years of Karakoram Aid will be available here shortly.

Benefit Lecture at Karlsgymnasium

Once again, the widely traveled geography teacher Eduard Spielbauer supported the Karakoram Aid Initiative with a benefit lecture. On November 26, 2025, he spoke about his experiences in sub-Saharan Africa.
Many thanks for his commitment.

Benefit Event with Filmmaker Stefan Erdmann

For the second time, development aid worker Antonie Lindner from Neuhofen was able to enlist Chiemgau filmmaker Stefan Erdmann for a benefit event. With his impressive documentary on Iceland, he took the audience on a journey through spectacular landscapes.
The proceeds from the evening at the Sparkasse Eggenfelden’s event hall will benefit the children in the mountain villages of the Braldo Valley—a heartfelt project that Antonie Lindner has been supporting with great dedication for several years.

Laura Dahlmeier

We deeply regret the death of Laura Dahlmeier, who lost her life due to rockfall while attempting to climb Leila Peak in the Karakoram. Her expedition was organized by Shipton Treks & Tours, an agency founded by us as a self-help project of the Karakoram Aid Initiative.
The photo was taken shortly before the group set off for the Baltoro Glacier. Laura is on the far left, Rasool in the center of the image.

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Himalaya-Karakorum-Hilfe e.V.
Barbara Hirschbichler (President)
Grünsteinstraße 20
83471 Schönau am Königssee

Images:
Barbara Hirschbichler

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Himalaya-Karakorum-Hilfe e.V.
Sparkasse Berchtesgadener Land
IBAN: DE30 ‍7105 ‍0000‍ 0000 ‍1164 00
BIC: BYLADEM1BGL

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