K12 (mountain)
K12 | |
---|---|
Highest point | |
Elevation | 7,428 m (24,370 ft)[1][2] Ranked 61st |
Prominence | 1,978 m (6,490 ft)[2] |
Listing | Ultra |
Coordinates | 35°17′42″N 77°01′18″E / 35.29500°N 77.02167°E[2] |
Geography | |
Location | Saltoro Ridge, Siachen, Actual Ground Position Line |
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 of the union territory of Ladakh, India. Its name comes from its designation given during the original survey of the Karakoram range. In 1984, an Indian army expedition under Colonel Prem Chand took hold of this peak, from the side of Siachen glacier by traversing from the west.[3]
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 was used for training for the Mount Everest expedition of the Indian Army in 1985.[4] Apart from this, K12 has seen little climbing activity, partly because of the unsettled political situation and the continued military presence in the area linked to the Siachen conflict. 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.[4]
See also
[edit]- List of Ultras of the Western Himalayas
- Siachen conflict
- Actual Ground Position Line
- Indira Col
- Sia La
- Ghent Kangri
- Saltoro Kangri
- Bilafond La
- Chumik Glacier
- Gyong La
- NJ9842
References
[edit]- ^ "Topographic map of K12". opentopomap.org. Retrieved 2023-06-19.
- ^ a b c "High Asia I: The Karakoram, Pakistan Himalaya and India Himalaya (north of Nepal)". Peaklist.org. Retrieved 2014-05-27.
- ^ Kapadia, Harish (1999). Across Peaks & Passes in Ladakh, Zanskar & East Karakoram. ISBN 9788173871009.
- ^ a b "Ascent of K12 (7428 m) in Saltoro Hills (Range)". Himalayan Journal. 41. The Himalayan Club. 1985. Retrieved 2020-06-15.
Sources
[edit]- Wala, Jerzy (1990). Orographical Sketch Map of the Karakoram (Map). Swiss Foundation for Alpine Research.
- Neate, Jill (1989). High Asia: an illustrated history of the 7,000 metre peaks. The Mountaineers.