K12 (mountain)
| K12 | |
|---|---|
  K12 Location on map of Pakistan | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation |
7,428 m (24,370 ft) [1] Ranked 61st |
| Prominence | 1,978 m (6,490 ft) [1] |
| Listing | Ultra |
| Coordinates | 35°19′16.8″N 76°59′07.3″E / 35.321333°N 76.985361°ECoordinates: 35°19′16.8″N 76°59′07.3″E / 35.321333°N 76.985361°E |
| Geography | |
| Location | In the Saltoro Ridge area of Gilgit Baltistan, disputed between India and Pakistan. Pakistan is in de facto control.[2] |
| Parent range | Saltoro Mountains, Karakoram |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 1974 by Shinichi Takagi, Tsutomu Ito (Japanese) |
| Easiest route | snow/ice climb |
K12 is the second highest peak in the Saltoro Mountains, a subrange of the Karakoram range in the Siachen region, near Gilgit Baltistan. It lies near the Line of Control. Its name comes from its designation given during the original survey of the Karakoram range.
K12 lies to the southwest of the Siachen Glacier; the K12 glacier heads on its northeast slopes and feeds the Siachen. The western slopes of K12 drain to the Bilafond Glacier system, and thence to the Dansam River, and eventually the Indus River.
K12 has seen little climbing activity, partly because of the unsettled political situation and the continued military presence in the area. It was first attempted in 1960, after a reconnaissance visit by famed explorer Eric Shipton in 1957. After a further unsuccessful attempt by a Japanese party in 1971, another Japanese expedition put two climbers, Shinichi Takagi and Tsutomu Ito, on the summit. They fell and died on the descent, and their bodies were not recovered. Another Japanese expedition returned in 1975 and made the second ascent. In 1984 the Indian army took hold of this peak as part of its plan to block any claims on the Siachen Glacier by Pakistan on the undemarcated portion of the Line of Control. After this Pakistan launched the operation and recaptured it. No subsequent climbs or attempts are recorded in the Himalayan Index.[3]
See also
References
- 1 2 "High Asia I: The Karakoram, Pakistan Himalaya and India Himalaya (north of Nepal)". Peaklist.org. Retrieved 2014-05-27.
- ↑ Pakistan is in de facto control of this region of Gilgit_Baltistan; the region is claimed by India which controls territory immediately east of K12. See e.g. The Future of Kashmir on the BBC website.
- ↑ Himalayan Index
Sources
- Jerzy Wala, Orographical Sketch Map of the Karakoram, Swiss Foundation for Alpine Research, 1990.
- Jill Neate, High Asia: an illustrated history of the 7,000 metre peaks, The Mountaineers, 1989.