Amarnath Peak is a

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited Summit (topography), summit area, and ...

with a peak elevation of , in the

Ganderbal district The Ganderbal district, or more formally District Ganderdal, is a district in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India. Ganderbal town is administrative headquarters of district. It was formed in 2007 and has 6 subdistricts (tehsils): ...

of the Indian union territory of

Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir may refer to: * Kashmir, the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent * Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), a region administered by India as a union territory * Jammu and Kashmir (state), a region administered ...

, in the vicinity of

Sonamarg Sonamarg () or Sonmarg (), known as Sonamarag (; ) in Kashmiri, is a hill station located in the Ganderbal District The Ganderbal district, or more formally District Ganderdal, is a district in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, I ...

. Amarnath Peak is part of the

Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...

, and is located south of

Zojila Zoji La (sometimes Zojila Pass) is a high mountain pass in the Himalayas. It is in the Indian Union territory of Ladakh, Kargil district, Kashmir. Located in the Drass, the pass connects the Kashmir Valley to its west, with the Drass and ...

and west of

Machoi Glacier The Machoi Glacier is a 9 kilometer long glacier in the Himalayan Range in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, India. Geography It is situated 30 kilometer west from Drass, Ladakh, India and 8 kilometers east from Sonamarg on the southern side o ...

. It lies 117 km northeast from

Srinagar Srinagar (English: , ) is the largest city and the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It lies in the Kashmir Valley on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus, and Dal and Anchar lakes. The city is known for its natu ...

, 13 km from Baltal in the southeast. It lies 6 km south of

. The melt waters form a major tributary of the

Sind River The Sind River or the Sindh River is a river in the Ganderbal district of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is a major tributary of the Jhelum River and is 108 kilometres long. Geography The Sind River forms the Sind V ...

at Baltal. Amarnath mountain is considered as a sacred mountain, it has a cave at its south face at an elevation of known as Amarnath cave. The cave is believed to be the ancient and among most sacred places for pilgrimage in

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

. It is the centre for

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

pilgrims during summer.

Climbing history and routes

Due to its religious importance, Amarnath Peak is not climbed. It was first surveyed in 1912 by a British medical team headed by

Ernest Neve Ernest is a given name derived from Germanic word ''ernst'', meaning "serious". Notable people and fictional characters with the name include: People *Archduke Ernest of Austria (1553–1595), son of Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor * Ernest, ...

, who surveyed most of the peaks of this Himalayan range. The Scottish Colonel N. N. L. Watts also went through the tracks of this peak and discovered an easy route to ascend the peak in 1933, which leads from Zojila down to the south and a glacial ascent to the summit of Amarnath Peak. Apart from the Zojila side, Amarnath Peak can be reached leaving the cave on the left side and climbing through the east face. The route as discovered by Watts is from the north face which is accessible from

by road

NH 1D National Highway 1 (NH 1) in India runs between the union territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. It comprises parts of old NH1A and NH1D. The number 1 indicates, under the new numbering system, that it is the northernmost East-Wes ...

, from

and climb to the glacier of the peak.{{cite web, url=https://archive.org/stream/charmofkashmir00oconuoft/charmofkashmir00oconuoft_djvu.txt, title=The charm of Kashmir, access-date= 2012-05-01

References

Mountains of Jammu and Kashmir Geography of Ganderbal district