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 Its
fissured rocks specially characterize Karakoram, gendarme
like vertical features and steep slopes presenting great
challenge to climbers, trekkers and adventure lovers. The
K-2, of all the world’s second only to Everest, shreds
the jet stream at 8611 meters, at its foot stretches another
wonder of the world, Concordia, a rippling, pitted,
pockmarked river of ice, where great glaciers slide and
slither together before separating to go their different
ways. Like a proscenium, Concordia is part of the main stage
of a natural amphitheatre that has no equal. Within a radius
of twenty-four kilometers, stand ten of the world’s thirty
highest peaks, including K-2 (8611m), Broad Peak (8047m),
Gasherbrum-I (8068m), and Gasherbrum-II (8035m).
 The
Karakoram contains also some of the greatest glacier system
outside the polar region, the longest is all is Siachen,
about 75 kms, Biafo, 68 kms, Baltoro, 62 kms, Batura, 58 kms,
Hisper, 53 kms, Rimo, 45 kms, Chogo Lungma 47 kms, Panmah,
44 kms, Khurdopin, 41 kms and Saropo Laggo, 33kms in length.
The
temperatures in the area are extreme and there is a large
difference between lowest and highest temperatures during a
day. The monsoons do not affect the Karakoram. The best
climbing and trekking season is from May to till end of
September each year. However, Climbing and trekking can be
possible during winter.
For
centuries explorers have been allured by the splendor and
massiveness of the Karakoram and Himalayas. One of the first
to climb along the eaves, cornices, and slopes of the
Karakoram was the great Chinese travelers and Buddhist
pilgrim, Huan Tsang, remark that the most splendid place on
earth. The thirteenth century Venetian traders and
travelers, Marco Polo, who left his name behind on the
magnificent horned wild sheep of the these reaches, may have
well trod the same path and marveled, too, at the glory of
this place. Later many European visited the Karakoram for
adventure, scientific studies, mountain climbing,
exploration and adventure in the late nineteenth century
explorers like Mr. G T Vinge and Mr. J Henderson traveled to
Skardu in 1836 and 1834. Serious Mountaineering Expeditions
in Karakoram began in 1892 when Mr. Martin Conway, while
carrying out survey of the upper Indus, attempted to Climb
Peaks in the Karakoram including Rakaposhi (7788 M). He
returned to the region in 1902 when he tried to climb K2. In
1909 the European mountaineers and explorers including
American, British and Italians visited the region. Even
today, much of the region has yet to be fully explored and
mapped. From earliest accounts down to the present days, the
Karakoram Range, remote, isolated, and largely uninhabited,
remains an enigma.
HINDUKUSH:
 The
Hindukush rises South West of Pamirs. It is considered to
extend from Wakhjir pass at the junctions of the pamirs and
Karakoram to Khawak pass North of Kabul. Its first region
extends from Wakhjir pass separating Hunza from Wakhan up to
Dorah pass (320 kms in length). Its second region lies
beyond Dorah pass in Afghanistan. The third region which
runs for 240 kms lies in Pakistan and extends into Swat and
Kohistan. On the East it is separated from Karakoram by
Mighty Indus River. Highest of Hindukush is Trich Mir (7708
M). Other peaks are Istor-o-Nal (7403 M), Saraghar (7349 M),
Noshaq (7492 M), Langar Zom (7070 M), Langar Zom-SE (7062M),
and Darban Zom (7219 M). Few glaciers exist in the range but
less significant.
The area
due to geographic features had access from Afghanistan and
first explored by the European in 1830, followed by the
British survey teams. Attempts were also made by British
survey teams to scale Trich Mir and other peaks in the area
as early as 1927. Trichmir was, howver climbed in 1950 by a
Norwegian expedition led by Mr. Arne Naess. Since then it
has been climbed by numerous expeditions from different
nationalities including Pakistanis. Other peaks in the area
were climbed later in 60’s and 70’s. Although all peaks
above 7000 meters in the Hindukush stand climbed yet the
area continue to lure climbers and nature lovers. In the
recent years other adventure tourism activities like
trekking & jeep safaris have increased in the area.
WESTERN HIMALAYS:
 The
Western Himalayas is located between Kashmir valley in the
East to Indus River in the North and West, and is dominated
by Nanga Parbat massif with high peak rising at 8125 meter.
The range comprises the regions of Kashmir, Kaghan, Kohistan,
Deosai and Chilas. The range is also dominated by the Deosai
Plains situated at the height if about 4500 meters which is
filled with flowers in the summer months, presenting the
most rewarding scenic view. The monsoons penetrate the area,
climbing season being the summer.
Here the
mighty Himalayas, seemingly overshadowed, fade away. But the
range hold one final, stupendous surprise to spring one of
the unsuspecting Nanga Parbat, westernmost anchor of the
greatest mountain range in the world, huge, vast, and
deadly, climbing 8125 meters into the clinging reticular clouds which characterize “The Naked Mountain”. These misty
phantoms, on a mountain massif which makes its own weather
and is often mistaken as an entire range, were described by
the late Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, conqueror of Everest with
Sir Edmund Hillary, as ‘a cloud of fear of death. Only 190
kilometers separates the crest of Nanga Parbat from that of
K-2.
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