K12 (mountain)

K12
K12
Location on map of India
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°E / 35.321333; 76.985361Coordinates: 35°19′16.8″N 76°59′07.3″E / 35.321333°N 76.985361°E / 35.321333; 76.985361 
Geography
Location In the Siachen area of Kashmir, disputed between India and Pakistan. India 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

Surveyed as K12, this mountain is in the Saltoro Muztagh which is a subrange of the Karakoram range in the Siachen region, near Jammu and Kashmir. 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. No subsequent climbs or attempts are recorded in the Himalayan Index. [3]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "High Asia I: The Karakoram, Pakistan Himalaya and India Himalaya (north of Nepal)". Peaklist.org. Retrieved 2014-05-27.
  2. ↑ India is in de facto control of this region of Kashmir; the region is claimed by Pakistan which controls territory immediately west of K12. See e.g. The Future of Kashmir on the BBC website.
  3. ↑ 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.
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