Mick Fowler on Shiva in 2012 with Kishtwar Kailash in the background

The president of the Alpine Club announced he is to lead an expedition to a Himalayan range not visited by climbers for 24 years.

Mick Fowler, the man dubbed the Climbing Taxman, will be accompanied by mountaineering partner Paul Ramsden on the trip to tackle a first ascent of Kishtwar Kailash.

The former HM Revenue and Customs officer will be joined on the expedition to the Indian Himalaya by Mike Morrison and Rob Smith, who will both climb and provide essential support.

The four climbers will attempt their main objective, a 6,444m (ft) peak and also explore the surrounding mountains and area in general.

As far as can be established, the valley they will travel to was last visited by mountaineers as long ago as 1989. After that, political troubles became more acute and from 1994 the area was closed to mountaineers until last year.

Mick Fowler said: “Kishtwar Kailash is now a plum objective in that part of the world and we are very pleased to have an opportunity to attempt a striking line on the west face.

“We will climb pure Alpine style which means that we will accept the true challenge of the mountain and not use fixed ropes, bolts or siege tactics.

“The mountain will be left as we find it with no trace of our passing.

“The line satisfies just about all of the criteria that I list for my perfect climb: a remote, rarely visited, ethnically diverse area, with a spectacular unclimbed peak, and of course a striking technical line leading directly to the summit, with, finally, a different descent route.

“Another great adventure beckons.”

Fowler will use the latest technical clothing and equipment from Berghaus, including new water resistant Hydrodown products that he has helped develop with the company’s MtnHaus innovation team.