Mountaineering History, which made the first ascent of K2. therefore not surprising that mighty mountains of the Karakorum’s should but attract the mighty adventurous persons from all over the world to make them feel stronger. Glaciers! Pakistan has more glaciers than any other land outside the North and South Poles. Pakistan's glacial area covers some 13,680 sq.km which represents an average of 13 per cent of mountain regions of the upper Indus Basin. The Karakoram of Pakistan alone there are glaciers whose total length would add up to above 6,160 sq. km. To put it more precisely, as high as 37 per cent of the Karakoram area is under its glaciers against Himalayas' 17 per cent and European Alps' 22 per cent. The Karakorams have one more claim to proclaim; its soother flank (east and west of the enormous Biafo glacier) has a concentration of glaciers which works out to 59 per cent of its area. There is a historical reason for the fact that we, and the world outside, are better acquainted with glaciers in the Nanga Parbat region. It is through this region, hazardous though it is, that man has trudged to and fro since the beginning of his civilized history of movement and migration. The Siachin glacier is 75 kms. The Hispar (53 kms) joins the Biafo at the Hispar La (5154.16 meters (16,910 ft) to form an ice corridor 116.87 kms (72 miles) long. The Batura, too is 58 kms in length. But, the most outstanding of these rivers of ice is the 62 kms Baltoro. This mighty glacier fed by some 30 tributaries constitutes a surface of 1291.39 sq. kms. Climate! Although the country is in
the monsoon region, it is arid; except for the southern slopes of
the Himalayas and the sub-Mountainous tracts which have a rainfall
from 76 to 127 cm. on the southern ranges of the Himalayas, 127
cm. of precipitation takes place, while under the lee of these mountains
(Gilgit and Baltistan) rainfall is hardly 16 cm. Rainfall also occurs
from western cyclonic disturbances originating in the Mediterranean.
It is appreciable in the western mountains and the immediate for
lying area; here the rainfall average ranges from 27 to 76 cm. The
contribution of these western disturbances to rainfall over the
plains is about 4 cm. A large part of the precipitation in the northern
mountain system is in the form of snow which feeds the rivers. The
all-pervasive aridity over most of Pakistan, the predominant power
on the life and habitat of the people, coupled with the climatic
rhythm, characteristic of a monsoon climate, are conducive to homogeneity
of the land.
|
||||||||
NANGA PARBAT
TRANGO TOWER
K-2
GANDOGHORO TREK
|
