Rakaposhi ( ur, ) is a mountain in the

Karakoram The Karakoram is a mountain range in Kashmir region spanning the borders of Pakistan, China, and India, with the northwest extremity of the range extending to Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Most of the Karakoram mountain range falls under the ...

mountain range of the

Gilgit-Baltistan Gilgit-Baltistan (; ), formerly known as the Northern Areas, is a region administered by Pakistan as an administrative territory, and constituting the northern portion of the larger Kashmir region which has been the subject of a dispute bet ...

territory of Pakistan.

Geography

Rakaposhi is a mountain in the

mountain range in the

territory of Pakistan, about north of the city of

Gilgit Gilgit (; Shina: ; ur, ) is the capital city of Gilgit–Baltistan, Pakistan. The city is located in a broad valley near the confluence of the Gilgit River and the Hunza River. It is a major tourist destination in Pakistan, serving as a h ...

. It is ranked 27th-highest in the world. Rakaposhi rises over the Bagrot, Nagar, and

Danyor ''Dayyor'' , native_name_lang = ur , other_name = , nickname = , image_skyline = File:Bridge Danyor.jpg , settlement_type = City , image_caption ...

Rakaposhi is the only mountain in the world with more than 5,000 meters height between base camp and the summit; by contrast all of the other tallest mountains in the world have less than 5,000 meters from base camp to top. The first successful recorded ascent by non-natives was in 1958 by Mike Banks and

Tom Patey Thomas Walton Patey (20 February 1932 – 25 May 1970) was a Scottish climber, mountaineer, doctor and writer. He was a leading Scottish climber of his day, particularly excelling on winter routes. He died in a climbing accident at the age of 38. ...

, members of a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

expedition, via the Southwest Spur/Ridge route.

Park

Rakaposhi is also known as Dumani ("Mother of Mist" or "Mother of Clouds"). The people of Nagar and

Bagrot Valley Bagrote Valley ( ur, وادی بگروٹ) is a valley in the Karakoram Mountain range in the Gilgit–Baltistan region of northern Pakistan. River Bagrote flows through the valley from the north towards the southwest of the valley, supplies water ...

have dedicated the Rakaposhi range mountain area as a community park. The Minister for Northern Areas inaugurated the park. The Rakaposhi mountain range is the home of

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...

such as

Marco Polo sheep The Marco Polo sheep (''Ovis ammon polii'') is a subspecies of argali sheep, named after Marco Polo. Their habitat are the mountainous regions of Central Asia. Marco Polo sheep are distinguishable mostly by their large size and spiraling horns. T ...

snow leopard The snow leopard (''Panthera uncia''), also known as the ounce, is a Felidae, felid in the genus ''Panthera'' native to the mountain ranges of Central Asia, Central and South Asia. It is listed as Vulnerable species, Vulnerable on the IUCN Red ...

brown bear The brown bear (''Ursus arctos'') is a large bear species found across Eurasia and North America. In North America, the populations of brown bears are called grizzly bears, while the subspecies that inhabits the Kodiak Islands of Alaska is kno ...

, and

wolves The wolf (''Canis lupus''; plural, : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large Canis, canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus, subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been reco ...

Notable features

Rakaposhi is notable for its exceptional rise over local terrain. On the north, it rises in only an 11.2 km (7 mi) horizontal distance from the Hunza River. There are views of Rakaposhi from the

Karakoram Highway The Karakoram Highway ( ur, , translit=śāhirāh qarāquram; known by its initials KKH, also known as N-35 or National Highway 35 ( ur, ) or the China-Pakistan Friendship Highway) is a national highway which extends from Hasan Abdal in ...

on the route through Nagar. A tourist spot in the town of Gilgit (located in the bagrote valley ) called "Zero Point of Rakaposhi" is the closest view point of the mountain.

Rakaposhi is the only mountain in the world which rises straight from beautifully cultivated fields to the height of 25,550 feet. From many places this wonderful spectacle can be viewed right from the base to the top.''Karakuram Hunza: The Land of Just Enough''. S. Shahid Hamid. Karachi, 1979, p. 10.

Time line

* 1892 Martin Conway explores the south side of Rakaposhi. * 1938 M. Vyvyan and R. Campbell Secord make the first reconnaissance and climb a north-western forepeak (about ) via the northwest ridge. * 1947 Secord returns with

H. W. Tilman Major Harold William Tilman, CBE, DSO, MC and Bar, (14 February 1898 – November 1977) was an English mountaineer and explorer, renowned for his Himalayan climbs and sailing voyages. Early years and Africa Bill Tilman was born on 14 Feb ...

and two Swiss climbers, Hans Gyr and Robert Kappeler; they ascend via the Gunti glacier to 5,800 m (19,000 ft) on the south-west spur. * 1954

Cambridge University , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

team, led by Alfred Tissières, attempts the peak via the south-west spur but only reached 6,340 m (20,800 ft). Also, an Austro-German expedition led by Mathias Rebitsch attempted the same route. * 1956 A British-American expedition, led by Mike Banks, reaches 7,163 m (23,500 ft) on the Southwest Ridge, above the Gunti glacier. * 1958 The first successful recorded ascent by non-natives: Mike Banks and

, members of a

expedition, via the Southwest Spur/Ridge route. Both of them suffered minor

frostbite Frostbite is a skin injury that occurs when exposed to extreme low temperatures, causing the freezing of the skin or other tissues, commonly affecting the fingers, toes, nose, ears, cheeks and chin areas. Most often, frostbite occurs in the han ...

during the ascent to the summit on June 25. Another climber slipped and fell on the descent and died during the night. * 1964 An Irish expedition attempts the long and difficult Northwest Ridge. * 1971 Karl Herrligkofer leads an attempt on the elegant but difficult North Spur (or North Ridge). * 1973 Herrligkofer returns to the North Spur but is again unsuccessful due to time and weather problems. * 1979 A Polish-Pakistan expedition ascends the Northwest Ridge from the Biro Glacier. * 1979 A Japanese expedition from

Waseda University , abbreviated as , is a private university, private research university in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as the ''Tōkyō Senmon Gakkō'' by Ōkuma Shigenobu, the school was formally renamed Waseda University in 1902. The university has numerou ...

, led by Eiho Ohtani, succeeds in climbing the North Spur. Summit party: Ohtani and Matsushi Yamashita. This ascent was expedition-style, done over a period of six weeks, with 5000 m of fixed rope. * 1984 A Canadian team achieves a semi-alpine-style ascent of the North Spur, using much less fixed rope than the Japanese team had. Summit party:

Barry Blanchard Barry Blanchard (born March 29, 1959) is one of North America's top alpinists, noted for pushing the standards of highly technical, high-risk alpine climbing in the Canadian Rockies and the Himalayas. Climbing accomplishments Blanchard was born ...

, David Cheesmond, Kevin Doyle. * 1985-1987 Various unsuccessful attempts on the long East Ridge. * 1986 A Dutch team climbs a variation of the Northwest Ridge route. * 1995 An ascent via the Northwest Ridge. * 1997 An ascent via the Southwest Spur/Ridge (possibly the original route). * 2000 An attempt from the east side

Hinercha Glacier. * 2002 A Canadian caliber attempt period of 2 weeks from front side of base camp Hinercha glacier Bagrote valley gilgit east side. *2004 An attempt from the east side

Hinercha Glacier. • In 2021, it was successfully climbed by Wajidullah Nagari and two Czech climbers, Jacob Vicek and Peter Macek

Climbing routes

The routes with successful summits so far have been (see the timeline as well): * Southwest Spur/Ridge (first ascent route). Long, but not exceedingly technical. Some tricky

gendarmes Wrong info! --> A gendarmerie () is a military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. The term ''gendarme'' () is derived from the medieval French expression ', which translates to " men-at-arms" (literally, ...

(rock pinnacles). Has been repeated. * From the east side, it is short route to climb * Northwest Ridge. Long, and more technically difficult than the Southwest Spur/Ridge. Has been repeated. * North Spur (a.k.a. North Ridge). Shorter than the above two routes, but much more technically difficult. Has been repeated, including a semi-

alpine style Alpine style is mountaineering in a self-sufficient manner, thereby carrying all of one's food, shelter and equipment as one climbs, as opposed to expedition style (or siege style) mountaineering which involves setting up a fixed line of stocked ...

(capsule style) ascent. Attempts have also been made from the east side

Hinearcha Glacier, the East Ridge, and the North Face.

References

Sources

* *
Himalayan Index

(Corrected versions of SRTM data)

External links

showing Rakaposhi as the world #3.
Northern Pakistan- highly detailed place marks of towns, villages, peaks, glaciers, rivers and minor tributaries in Google EarthA Quick approach through lovely meadows leads to the base camp of RAKAPOSHI
{{Authority control Seven-thousanders of the Karakoram Mountains of Gilgit-Baltistan