Rimo I
Encyclopedia
Rimo I is the main summit of the Rimo massif with an elevation of 7385 metres (24,229 ft). It lies in the northern part of the remote Rimo Muztagh
, a subrange of the Karakoram
range
. It is located about 20 km northeast of the snout of the Siachen Glacier
. Rimo means "striped mountain." (AAJ 1986:266) Rimo Glacier originating here drains to Shyok river.
The Rimo massif consists of four peaks sharing the Rimo name: in addition to Rimo I, Rimo II (7,373 m/24,189 ft) is a relatively minor subpeak on the north ridge of Rimo I, while Rimo III (7,233 m/23,730 ft) and Rimo IV (7,169 m/23,520 ft) are independent peaks to the north of Rimo I. The massif heads the large Central Rimo Glacier (on the north side) and South Rimo Glacier (on the east side), as well as the smaller North Terong Glacier (on the west side).
Due to its remote location in the heart of the eastern Karakoram, Rimo was little-known and almost entirely unvisited until the twentieth century. Explorers Filippo de Filippi and Philip and Jenny Visser visited the area in 1914 and 1929 respectively. Adding to its isolation is the unsettled political and military situation between India and Pakistan
in the region, especially on the nearby Siachen Glacier. This means that India rigidly controls access to the massif.
The first attempts on the Rimo massif were in 1978, by a Japanese expedition which had little success, in 1984 (first ascent of Rimo IV, by an Indian army expedition) and in 1985, by a well-organized Indian/British
expedition led by famed Himalayan expert Harish Kapadia
. That expedition climbed Rimo III (Dave Wilkinson and Jim Fotheringham were the summit party) but did not succeed on Rimo I.
The first, and so far only, ascent of Rimo I was made in 1988 by an Indian/Japanese team led by Hukam Singh and Yoshio Ogata. They climbed the south face to the southwest ridge, starting from a significant pass called Ibex Col on the south side of the mountain. The ascent involved 1500m of significantly technical climbing.
Rimo Muztagh
The Rimo Muztagh is one of the most remote subranges of the Karakoram range. The southern part of Rimo Muztagh is in the Kashmir portion of far northwestern India, also claimed by Pakistan. The northern half, including the Rimo massif, is in the Siachen area The Rimo Muztagh is one of the most...
, a 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 is located about 20 km northeast of the snout of the Siachen Glacier
Siachen Glacier
The Siachen Glacier is located in the eastern Karakoram range in the Himalaya Mountains at about , just east of the Line of Control between India-Pakistan. India controls all of the Siachen Glacier itself, including all tributary glaciers. At long, it is the longest glacier in the Karakoram and...
. Rimo means "striped mountain." (AAJ 1986:266) Rimo Glacier originating here drains to Shyok river.
The Rimo massif consists of four peaks sharing the Rimo name: in addition to Rimo I, Rimo II (7,373 m/24,189 ft) is a relatively minor subpeak on the north ridge of Rimo I, while Rimo III (7,233 m/23,730 ft) and Rimo IV (7,169 m/23,520 ft) are independent peaks to the north of Rimo I. The massif heads the large Central Rimo Glacier (on the north side) and South Rimo Glacier (on the east side), as well as the smaller North Terong Glacier (on the west side).
Due to its remote location in the heart of the eastern Karakoram, Rimo was little-known and almost entirely unvisited until the twentieth century. Explorers Filippo de Filippi and Philip and Jenny Visser visited the area in 1914 and 1929 respectively. Adding to its isolation is the unsettled political and military situation between India and 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...
in the region, especially on the nearby Siachen Glacier. This means that India rigidly controls access to the massif.
The first attempts on the Rimo massif were in 1978, by a Japanese expedition which had little success, in 1984 (first ascent of Rimo IV, by an Indian army expedition) and in 1985, by a well-organized Indian/British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
expedition led by famed Himalayan expert Harish Kapadia
Harish Kapadia
Harish Kapadia is a distinguished Himalayan Mountaineer from India. He has been awarded the Patron's Medal of the Royal Geographic Society, UK and the Life Time Achievement Award for Adventure by the President of India and the King Albert Mountain Award presented by The King Albert I Memorial...
. That expedition climbed Rimo III (Dave Wilkinson and Jim Fotheringham were the summit party) but did not succeed on Rimo I.
The first, and so far only, ascent of Rimo I was made in 1988 by an Indian/Japanese team led by Hukam Singh and Yoshio Ogata. They climbed the south face to the southwest ridge, starting from a significant pass called Ibex Col on the south side of the mountain. The ascent involved 1500m of significantly technical climbing.