Batura Sar
Encyclopedia
Batura Sar, also referred to as Batura I, is the 25th highest mountain on earth and the 10th highest in Pakistan
. It is the highest peak of the Batura Muztagh
, which is the westernmost subrange of the Karakoram
range
. It forms the apex of the Batura Wall, which is a continuously high part of the backbone of the Batura Muztagh.
Alternate forms of the name of this peak are Batura, Batura I, and Batura I East.
only part of the Karakoram which is west of the Hunza River
. The river curves around the southwest, west, and northwest sides of the Batura Muztagh.
In turn, the Hunza Valley
lies in the Gilgit District
of the Gilgit-Baltistan area of Pakistan
.
peak in the Karakoram range. Since it lies at the northwest end of the Karakoram, there is no higher peak north or west of it in the world.
The Batura Wall is notable for being a long (approximately 10 km) and imposing ridge over 7000m. Batura is a very ridgelike peak, not a pointed spire.
Although it is just slightly higher (according to the usual figures) than nearby Rakaposhi
, it is not nearly as famous, since it is set back much further from the Hunza Valley.
, and
despite Batura Sar's height, it has seen little climbing activity.
A climber named Matthias Rebitsch is recorded (by Neate) as having been in the icefall area
(this is presumably the Batura First Ice Flow on the north side of the peak) in 1954.
The peak was attempted in 1959 by three British and two German climbers, but they all
died, probably in an avalanche. Some of the climbers may have gotten near the summit.
The first ascent of the peak was in 1976 by the Göppingen Karakoram-Himalaya Expedition, led by
Dr. Alexander Schlee. They placed their base camp on the Baltar Glacier, below the South Face of the peak, on May 21. Hubert Bleicher and Herbert Oberhofer reached the summit on June 30.
The first ascent route climbed first from the Eastern Baltar Glacier up and over
Batokshi Peak (called "Saddle Peak" by the first expedition) to Batokshi Pass (called the
"Batura Saddle"). It then climbed diagonally up and northeast to East Ridge, and thence to
the summit. The route used five camps above base camp.
The second ascent of the peak was in 1983 by an Austrian group, who climbed a new route, to
the left of the first ascent route.
The Himalayan Index lists an ascent in 1984, but this is contradicted by Neate's book, so the status of this is unclear.
The year 1988 saw the third or fourth ascent of Batura Sar, by another Polish-German expedition, led by Piotr Mlotecki. They used the first ascent route; however they failed in an additional goal of reaching Batura I West.
The Himalayan Index lists five other failed attempts on the peak; these include a winter attempt by an Austrian group in 1981. However there seems to have been little or no activity on the north side of the mountain since the 1950s.
but they do not record the use of any extensive fixed rope
s. They noted the weather and repeated storms as the primary difficulty.
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. It is the highest peak of the Batura Muztagh
Batura Muztagh
The Batura Muztagh mountains are a sub-range of the Karakoram mountain range. They are located west of the Hunza Valley in the Gilgit District of the Gilgit-Baltistan province in northern Pakistan....
, which is the westernmost subrange of the Karakoram
Karakoram
The Karakoram, or Karakorum , is a large mountain range spanning the borders between Pakistan, India and China, located in the regions of Gilgit-Baltistan , Ladakh , and Xinjiang region,...
range
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
. It forms the apex of the Batura Wall, which is a continuously high part of the backbone of the Batura Muztagh.
Alternate forms of the name of this peak are Batura, Batura I, and Batura I East.
Location
Batura Sar and the Batura Wall lie near the middle of the Batura Muztagh, which is theonly part of the Karakoram which is west of the Hunza River
Hunza River
Hunza River is the principal river of Hunza, in the Northern Areas of Pakistan. It is formed by the confluence of the Kilik and Khunjerab nalas which are fed by glaciers. It is joined by the Gilgit River and the Naltar River before it flows into the Indus River.The river cuts through the...
. The river curves around the southwest, west, and northwest sides of the Batura Muztagh.
In turn, the Hunza Valley
Hunza Valley
The Hunza Valley is a mountainous valley in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan. The Hunza valley is situated to the north of the Hunza River, at an elevation of around . The territory of Hunza is about...
lies in the Gilgit District
Gilgit District
Gilgit District is one of the districts of the federal territory of Gilgit-Baltistan in northern Pakistan. It was formed in 1970 when Gilgit-Baltistan was federally administered as the "Northern Areas". It is bounded by the Wakhan Corridor to the north; Xinjiang to the northeast and east; Skardu,...
of the Gilgit-Baltistan area of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
.
Notable Features
In addition to being one of the highest mountains in the world, Batura Sar is also the second most prominentTopographic prominence
In topography, prominence, also known as autonomous height, relative height, shoulder drop , or prime factor , categorizes the height of the mountain's or hill's summit by the elevation between it and the lowest contour line encircling it and no higher summit...
peak in the Karakoram range. Since it lies at the northwest end of the Karakoram, there is no higher peak north or west of it in the world.
The Batura Wall is notable for being a long (approximately 10 km) and imposing ridge over 7000m. Batura is a very ridgelike peak, not a pointed spire.
Although it is just slightly higher (according to the usual figures) than nearby Rakaposhi
Rakaposhi
Rakaposhi , is a mountain in the Karakoram mountain range in Pakistan. It is situated in the Nagar Valley approximately 100 km north of the city of Gilgit in the Gilgit District of the Gilgit-Baltistan province of Pakistan. Rakaposhi means "Snow Covered" in the local language. Rakaposhi is...
, it is not nearly as famous, since it is set back much further from the Hunza Valley.
History
Climbing began in the Batura Muztagh later than in other parts of the KarakoramKarakoram
The Karakoram, or Karakorum , is a large mountain range spanning the borders between Pakistan, India and China, located in the regions of Gilgit-Baltistan , Ladakh , and Xinjiang region,...
, and
despite Batura Sar's height, it has seen little climbing activity.
A climber named Matthias Rebitsch is recorded (by Neate) as having been in the icefall area
(this is presumably the Batura First Ice Flow on the north side of the peak) in 1954.
The peak was attempted in 1959 by three British and two German climbers, but they all
died, probably in an avalanche. Some of the climbers may have gotten near the summit.
The first ascent of the peak was in 1976 by the Göppingen Karakoram-Himalaya Expedition, led by
Dr. Alexander Schlee. They placed their base camp on the Baltar Glacier, below the South Face of the peak, on May 21. Hubert Bleicher and Herbert Oberhofer reached the summit on June 30.
The first ascent route climbed first from the Eastern Baltar Glacier up and over
Batokshi Peak (called "Saddle Peak" by the first expedition) to Batokshi Pass (called the
"Batura Saddle"). It then climbed diagonally up and northeast to East Ridge, and thence to
the summit. The route used five camps above base camp.
The second ascent of the peak was in 1983 by an Austrian group, who climbed a new route, to
the left of the first ascent route.
The Himalayan Index lists an ascent in 1984, but this is contradicted by Neate's book, so the status of this is unclear.
The year 1988 saw the third or fourth ascent of Batura Sar, by another Polish-German expedition, led by Piotr Mlotecki. They used the first ascent route; however they failed in an additional goal of reaching Batura I West.
The Himalayan Index lists five other failed attempts on the peak; these include a winter attempt by an Austrian group in 1981. However there seems to have been little or no activity on the north side of the mountain since the 1950s.
Climbing
The first ascent route is outlined above. The first ascent party reported ice up to 50 degrees,but they do not record the use of any extensive fixed rope
Fixed rope
Fixed rope is the practice of fixing in place bolted ropes to assist climbers and walkers in exposed mountain locations. They are used widely on American and European climbing routes but disdained by purist mountaineers. Many guided expeditions to any of the eight-thousanders normally set up fixed...
s. They noted the weather and repeated storms as the primary difficulty.
Books/pamphlets/maps about Batura Sar
- High Asia: An Illustrated History of the 7000 Metre Peaks by Jill Neate, ISBN 0-89886-238-8
- Batura Mustagh (sketch map and pamphlet) by Jerzy Wala, 1988.
- Orographical Sketch Map of the Karakoram by Jerzy Wala, 1990. Published by the Swiss Foundation for Alpine Research.
- American Alpine Journal 1977, p. 273-274
- American Alpine Journal 1989, p. 262
External links
- Himalayan Index
- A clickable map of the Batura Muztagh
- DEM files for the Himalaya (Corrected versions of SRTM data; look for the "Batura Sar" tile)
- Northern Pakistan - highly detailed placemarks of towns, villages, peaks, glaciers, rivers and minor tributaries in Google Earth