IIIF Color HighRes
National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
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| IIIF Color HighRes |
| Southern Tibet : vol.7 |
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Citation Information
HISTORY OF EXPLORATION.
469
The expedition passed two months on the Kara-korum glaciers. In the glacier basin explored by the Italian expedition, there are more than 25 peaks above 23,o00 feet. One mountain reached to over 2 7,000 feet. 15 peaks, measured for the first time, all were above 2 3,000 feet. All these belong to the upper basin of the Baltoro and Godwin-Austen Glaciers.
De Filippi regards the Kara-korum as separated from the Himalaya Proper by the upper course of the Indus. He gives some interesting historical glimpses, the most important of which may be entered here as a recapitulation of the contents in previous chapters.
The name Kara-korum was noted and introduced by WILLIAM MOORCROFT, the first European explorer to cross the chain, about 18 2 0. This statement is not quite correct as Moorcroft cannot be said to have crossed the Kara-korum Proper. The SCHLAGINTWEITS and CUNNINGHAM as, later on, the WORKMANS, regarded the Kara-korum as a separate mountain system. BURRARD'S Kara-korum, to which we shall have to return later on, includes all the mountains north of the Indus. GODWIN AUSTEN considered the Hindu-kush as the western prolongation of the Kara-korum. The Baltoro Glacier was discovered by Godwin-Austen in 186o-186i , and later on was visited by YOUNGHUSBAND and CONWAY.
The author says: »Eastward the Karakoram range is bounded by the sources of the Shyok, an important stream which, after a long and winding course through the greater part of Baltistan, flows like the Gilgit into the Indus. Between these boundaries the Karakoram chain stretches for about 450 miles». However, the Karakorum »range» cannot be said to be bounded by the sources of the Shayok!
The ECKENSTEIN, GUILLARMOD, PFANNL expedition of 1902 had obtained the nearest view of K 2 before the DUKE'S journey. In 1892 two peaks, Crystal Peak and a peak of the Golden Throne group had been climbed by Sir MARTIN CONWAY. K 2 1S, so far as is known, the second highest mountain in the world. It is only 752 feet lower than Mount Everest, or resp. 28,25o and 2 9,00 2 feet.
As to the boundaries of the system, GUILLARMOD places Kashmir between the Himalaya and the Kara-korum, the latter separating Kashmir from Tibet. Zoji-la is situated in the Himalaya. Skardu on the Indus is at the southern foot of Kara-korum.
BURRARD enumerates 33 peaks of and above 24,000 feet belonging to the Kara-korum. They are grouped around the four glaciers Chogo Lungma, Hispar, Biafo and Baltoro. To these comes the gigant glacier of Siachen with its surrounding peaks.
The expedition started in April from Srinagar and travelled the ordinary way over the Zoji-la along the Dras River to its junction with the Indus, and then down the latter to Skardu. From there they went up the Shigar and Braldoh to Askoley.
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