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Rakaposhi: The Taj Mahal of Karakorum, part 2
Nov 20, 2004 14: 58 EST
Rakaposhi, the Shining Wall, is also known as Dumani, the Mother of Mist. Towering as an impressive massif with several points, the highest of them is 7,788 m (25,550 feet) high.
The mountain, just as beautiful as both her names, poses well visible from the Karakorum Highway, her silhouette dominating the Hunza Valley, West of K2 in Pakistan. In PeakWare’s summit log, Faisal, from Lahore writes, "Rakaposhi is a ‘Taj Mahal’ of Snow. Once if you see it, You want to see it again."
Today part 2 in the ExWeb Rakaposhi series: The first dreamers.
The first dreamers
In the summer of 1938, M. Vyvyan, probably a Dutch national and R. Campbell Secord, a British national, made a first a reconnaissance of the mountain. They entered if from Jaglot and inspected its southern and northern ridges. They reached the NW point of the mountain (about 6,858m/22,500ft) through the north ridge in mid July .
In 1947, Tilman commanded a strong party to attempt the Rakaposhi peak from the Kunti glacier to a point at 6,200m/20,340ft on the south-west spur. The party was unable to reach the 2,000-foot snow slope popularly known as "The Monk's Head." Tilman and Gyr then climbed on to the NW ridge of the mountain between NW peak and the summit at about 6,096m/20,000ft.
Cambridge University
In 1954, members of the Cambridge University Karakoram expedition went to Rakaposhi. Two of the climbers, George Band and Dr. Alfred Tissieres, climbed to 6,005m/19,700ft on the NW ridge before abandoning it as a possible route. The party then tried the SW spur which connects with the southwest ridge at the Monk's Head. Base camp was set-up at Kunti glacier. The climbers went up to 6,340m/20,800ft but time and bad weather forced them to return to base camp.
1958 - summit at last
In 1956, a joint Anglo-American expedition was able to reach 7,163m/23,500ft.
In 1958, a British-Pakistan forces expedition tried their luck on Rakaposhi. The party attempted the peak through the Monk's Head. Due to severe cold, they used additional "down-filled-clothing and 136 vapour-barrier boots". Captain Michael Banks, the leader, finally climbed the peak with Lieutenant Tom Patey of the Royal Navy. Banks feet and Pateys hands suffered frostbites. The expedition did not use oxygen.
The longest ridge in the world!
To climb this beautiful mountain is great enough. But right on the Shining wall, Rakaposhi offers another serious challenge: The longest ridge in the world! The NW ridge snakes 9 km long, and spans 3000 vertical meters.
Monday: The challenge of the ridge.
Image of Rakaposhi courtesy of Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation
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