At 3,488 feet: BUAC redefines adventure
From the well-worn hills of Sitakunda to harsher, wind-bitten ridgelines, the BRAC University Adventure Club (BUAC) has long been acquainted with altitude; however, never with boundaries. And on January 21st, at precisely 2.11 pm, they rose higher than ever before, standing atop Saka Haphong (3,488 feet), as if the sky itself had briefly made room for their footsteps.
An entirely different experience, Saka Haphong demanded not just stamina but strategy and months of preparation. Securing permission itself was an uphill climb. Widely considered by the trekking community as the highest peak in Bangladesh, Saka Haphong remains unofficial, as records still list Tajingdong due to outdated measurements. Located in a remote area, it stands directly on the Bangladesh-Myanmar border with high restrictions due to military sensitivity and regional instability. Every step towards the summit required paperwork and patience long before the boots even touched soil.
The expedition team of 12 trekkers, consisting of 9 males, 3 females, and 3 guides, began from Poddo Mukh via Jina Para. Fatima Sajid Kamal (Senior, ENH) shared, “Over four days, we trekked more than 80 hours, slept barely 16 hours, and crossed more than 16 mountains. Our only fuel was mostly dry foods.” Winter had reduced waterfalls to faint trickles, and for the longest time, there was no water at all. Near Saka’s base, they found a stream and filled every bottle, only for it to run out before they even reached Saka. Much of the climb unfolded in darkness, when the jungle whispered with snakes and unseen wildlife. Every step demanded nerve, each breath heavy with strain. But at 2.11 pm, exhaustion finally made way for triumph – they touched the summit.
For BUAC, Saka Haphong was a declaration; the summit was not an endpoint but rather a threshold. Because once you stand where borders blur, ordinary hills no longer feel satisfactory.
