2005 Banff Mountain Photography Competition

Best PhotoMountain Culture: "Balti Girl" by Bobby Model of Nairobi, Kenya

"This photograph of a young girl is part of a documentary project that celebrates a unique mountain culture in remote Baltistan [in the Kashmir region of Pakistan]," Model said in a statement.

"Located in the heart of the Karakoram, this area is arguably the world's most extreme and isolated region. The Kashmir dispute [between India and Pakistan] has had a significant impact on Baltistan, and as a result the Balti people face numerous social, economic, and political obstacles, which have fuelled a growing cultural-identity movement. However, the recent development in peace negotiations between Pakistan and India has resulted in the reopening of the disputed border on a limited basis. The cross-border movement could bring dramatic and positive change to the region. Baltistan may thus be on the verge of a new era."

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