The Saltoro Mountains are a subrange of 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 ...

Range Range may refer to: Geography * Range (geographic), a chain of hills or mountains; a somewhat linear, complex mountainous or hilly area (cordillera, sierra) ** Mountain range, a group of mountains bordered by lowlands * Range, a term used to i ...

. They are located in the southeast Karakoram on the southwest side of the

Siachen Glacier The Siachen Glacier is a glacier located in the eastern Karakoram range in the Himalayas at about , just northeast of the point NJ9842 where the Line of Control between India and Pakistan ends. At long, it is the longest glacier in the Kar ...

, one of the two longest

glacier A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its Ablation#Glaciology, ablation over many years, often Century, centuries. It acquires dis ...

s outside the polar regions. The name given to this range is shared with the

Saltoro Valley Saltoro valley is Pakistan's highest valley. It is part of Baltistan, and is held by Pakistan. Along with Saltoro Kangri peak and the Saltoro River, it is near the Saltoro Mountain Range. It lies near world's highest battleground Siachen, a t ...

which is located to the west of this range, downslope on the Pakistan side of the Saltoro Range which generally follows the

Actual Ground Position Line The Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL) divides current positions of Indian and Pakistani military posts and troops across the entire long front line in the disputed region of Siachen Glacier. AGPL generally runs along the Saltoro Mountains ran ...

Saltoro Kangri Saltoro Kangri, formerly known as Peak 36, is the highest peak of the Saltoro Mountains subrange of Karakoram range, also known as the Saltoro Range, which is a part of the Karakoram. Saltoro Kangri is a name generally used for the twin peaks, Sa ...

peak,

Saltoro River Saltoro River is a tributary river of Shyok River The Shyok River is a tributary of the Indus River that flows through northern Ladakh and enters Gilgit–Baltistan, spanning some . The Shyok River originates at the Rimo Glacier, one of th ...

, and

are features on this range. The

(AGPL) between Indian and Pakistan held area runs through this range, where the high peaks and passes of the

Siachen The Siachen Glacier is a glacier located in the eastern Karakoram range in the Himalayas at about , just northeast of the point NJ9842 where the Line of Control between India and Pakistan ends. At long, it is the longest glacier in the K ...

area are held by Pakistan,the peaks and valleys to the west after successfully taking back control from India in 1999 Kargil war. The Saltoro Mountains are ''Lesser Karakorams'' on the southwestern side of the large Karakoram-glaciers (

, Baltoro, Biafo and

Hispar Glacier Hispar Glacier ( ur, ) is a long glacier in the Karakoram Mountains of Gilgit–Baltistan, Pakistan which meets the long Biafo Glacier at the Hispar La (Pass) at an altitude of to create the world's longest glacial system outside of the po ...

from east to west) while the main ridge of the Karakorams lies northeast of these glaciers. The subranges of the main ridges are generally called ''Muztagh'' whereas the mountain groups of the Lesser Karakorams are denominated as ''mountains'', ''ranges'' or ''groups''. The Saltoro Range is claimed as part of

Ladakh Ladakh () is a region administered by India as a union territory which constitutes a part of the larger Kashmir region and has been the subject of dispute between India, Pakistan, and China since 1947. (subscription required) Quote: "Jammu and ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

and as part of

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 be ...

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

. Between 1984 and 1987, India assumed military control of the main peaks and passes of the range, with Pakistani forces holding the glacial valleys just to the west. Hence, despite high peaks and dramatic climbing opportunities, they are little visited except by military forces due to the ongoing

Siachen Conflict The Siachen conflict, sometimes referred to as the Siachen Glacier conflict or the Siachen War, was a military conflict between India and Pakistan over the disputed Siachen Glacier region in Kashmir. The conflict was started in 1984 by India' ...

. On the southwest side, the Saltoro Mountains drop steeply to the valleys of the Kondus and Dansam Rivers, which join to form the Saltoro River, a tributary of the

Shyok River The Shyok River is a tributary of the Indus River that flows through northern Ladakh and enters Gilgit–Baltistan, spanning some . The Shyok River originates at the Rimo Glacier, one of the tongues of Siachen Glacier. Its alignment is very ...

. This in turn flows into the

Indus River The Indus ( ) is a transboundary river of Asia and a trans-Himalayan river of South and Central Asia. The river rises in mountain springs northeast of Mount Kailash in Western Tibet, flows northwest through the disputed region of Kashmir, ...

. To the northwest, the Kondus Glacier separates the range from the neighboring

Masherbrum Mountains __NOTOC__ The Masherbrum Mountains ( ur, ) are a subrange of the Karakoram mountains, located in Ghanche District in the Baltistan region of Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Geography The Masherbrum Mountains are located on the south side of the ...

, while on the southeast, the Gyong River, Glacier, and Pass (

Gyong La Gyong La is a mountain pass situated on Saltoro Ridge southwest of the vast Siachen Glacier, some directly north of map point NJ9842 which defined the end of the 1972 Line of Control between India and Pakistan. With Pakistan controlling areas j ...

) separate the northern Saltoro Mountains from the southern Saltoro Mountains or "Kailas Mountains" (not to be confused with

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...

's sacred

Mount Kailash Mount Kailash (also Kailasa; ''Kangrinboqê'' or ''Gang Rinpoche''; Standard Tibetan, Tibetan: གངས་རིན་པོ་ཆེ; ; sa, कैलास, ), is a mountain in the Ngari Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region of China. It h ...

Background

Indo-Pakistan borders: SC, IB, LOC, AGPL

The actual India-Pakistan boundary is divided into 4 types of borders: disputed

Sir Creek Sir Creek ( ), originally Ban Ganga, is a 96-km (60-mi) tidal estuary in the uninhabited marshlands of the Indus River Delta on the border between India and Pakistan. The creek flows into the Arabian Sea and separates Gujarat state in India fro ...

(SC) riverine border, mutually agreed India–Pakistan International Border (IB) from north of ''Sir Creek'' to north of

Dhalan Dhalan is a village located on a river bank in Jammu district of Jammu and Kashmir union territory of India. Dhalan is located on the India-Pakistan LoC, which begins just north of Dahlan. The important geostrategic Chicken's Neck military ...

near

Jammu Jammu is the winter capital of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir. It is the headquarters and the largest city in Jammu district of the union territory. Lying on the banks of the river Tawi Ri ...

Line of Control The Line of Control (LoC) is a military control line between the Indian and Pakistanicontrolled parts of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir—a line which does not constitute a legally recognized international boundary, but serve ...

(LoC) across disputed Kashmir and Ladakh regions from north of Dhalan in India and west of Chicken's Neck in Pakistan to Point

NJ9842 NJ9842, also called NJ 980420 (in full: NJ 38 98000, 13 42000, yard based Indian Grid Coordinates), is the northernmost demarcated point of the India-Pakistan cease fire line in Kashmir known as the Line of Control (LoC). The India–Pakistan ...

, and

(AGPL) across

from ''Point NJ9842'' to Indira Col West. Siachen lies south of the

Shaksgam The Trans-Karakoram Tract (), also known as the Shaksgam Tract ( ur, , translit=Shaksgām), is an area of approximately north of the Karakoram watershed, including the Shaksgam River, Shaksgam valley. The tract is administered by China as part o ...

ceded by Pakistan to China via the 1963

Sino-Pakistan Agreement The Sino-Pakistan Agreement is a 1963 document between the governments of Pakistan and China establishing the border between those countries in the disputed Kashmir region. It resulted in both countries ceding over to the other. Pakistan r ...

but also claimed by India and

Aksai Chin Aksai Chin is a region administered by China as part of Hotan County, Hotan Prefecture, Xinjiang and Rutog County, Ngari Prefecture, Tibet. It is claimed by India to be a part of its Leh District, Ladakh Union Territory. It is a part of the ...

held by China since 1962 but also claimed by India. The Shaksgam Tract controlled by China is located north of the Saltoro mountain range from the

Apsarasas Kangri Apsarasas Kangri is a mountain in the Siachen subrange of the Karakoram mountain range. With an elevation of it is the 96th highest mountain in the world. Apsarasas Kangri is located within the broader Kashmir region disputed between India, ...

Range to 90 km northwest of K2.R Baghela and M Nüsserab, 2015
Securing the heights: The vertical dimension of the Siachen conflict between India and Pakistan in the Eastern Karakoram

Political Geography (journal) ''Political Geography'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal published by Elsevier covering the geographical and spatial dimensions of politics and the political. The current editor-in-chief is Kevin Grove (Florida International University). Accor ...

, Volume 48, Pages 24–36.

AGPL

The AGPL runs roughly along the Saltoro Mountains from Point

on the India-Pakistan

LoC LOC, L.O.C., Loc, LoC, or locs may refer to: Places * Lóc, a village in Sângeorgiu de Pădure, Mureș County, Romania * Lócs, a village in Vas county, Hungary * Line of Contact, meeting place of Western and Eastern Allied forces at the e ...

to near

La Yongma Ri La Yongma Ri s a mountain peak located at above sea level in the southern main ridge of the Saltoro Mountains, a sub-range of the Karakorum. Location The peak is located in the disputed border region between Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan terr ...

Gyong Kangri Gyong Kangri is a mountain peak located at above sea level, near the north end of the Saltoro Mountains, a subrange of the Karakoram range. Location Peak's west flank is drained by the Gyong Glacier, while the east flank lies in the Nubra r ...

Chumik Kangri Chumik Kangri (also known as Chumik Point 22158) is a mountain peak located at above sea level in the west of the Chumik Glacier. Location Chumik Kangri is a key peak overlooking the Chumik Glacier and Gyong La Pass, part of Pakistan's Gi ...

Bilafond La Bilafond La (meaning "Pass of the Butterflies" in Balti language, also known as the Saltoro Pass, is a mountain pass situated on Saltoro Ridge, sitting immediately west of the vast Siachen Glacier, some directly north of map point NJ 980420 wh ...

(pass) and nearby Bana Post,

Ghent Kangri Ghent Kangri (or Mount Ghent, Ghaint I) is a high peak near the north end of the Saltoro Mountains, a subrange of the Karakoram range. It is located west of the Siachen Glacier near the Actual Ground Position Line between India and Pakistan. Gh ...

, and

Sia La Sia La is a mountain pass situated on Saltoro Ridge, in Ladakh, India, some north-northwest of map point NJ9842 which defined the end of the 1972 Line of Control between India and Pakistan as part of the Simla Agreement. Sia La sits near the ...

to the India–Pakistan–China trijunction northwest of Indira Col West on the Sino-Indian

LAC Lac is the resinous secretion of a number of species of lac insects, of which the most commonly cultivated is ''Kerria lacca''. Cultivation begins when a farmer gets a stick that contains eggs ready to hatch and ties it to the tree to be infes ...

. The peaks and passes under Pakistan's control such as Gayari Camp,

Chogolisa Chogolisa ( ur, from ''Chogo Ling Sa''; literally "Great Hunt") is a trapezoidal mountain in the Karakoram range in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan. It lies near the Baltoro Glacier in the Concordia region, which is home to some of the ...

Baltoro Glacier __NOTOC__ The Baltoro Glacier ( zh, 巴爾托洛冰川, ), at in length, is one of the longest glaciers outside the polar regions.The Fedchenko Glacier in the Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan is 77 km long, the Siachen Glacier which lies so ...

Conway Saddle Conway may refer to: Places United States * Conway, Arkansas * Conway County, Arkansas * Lake Conway, Arkansas * Conway, Florida * Conway, Iowa * Conway, Kansas * Conway, Louisiana * Conway, Massachusetts * Conway, Michigan * Conway Towns ...

Baltoro Muztagh Baltoro may refer to: *Baltoro Glacier, a glacier in the Karakoram mountain range northern Pakistan. ''Baltoro'' as single expression without adjunct usually refers to this glacier. *Baltoro Muztagh, a mountain range in the Karakoram mountain range ...

, and

Gasherbrum Gasherbrum ( ur, ) is a remote group of peaks situated at the northeastern end of the Baltoro Glacier in the Karakoram mountain range. The peaks are located within the border region of Xinjiang, China and Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. The m ...

lie west of the AGPL.

Selected peaks

The following is a table of the peaks in the Saltoro Mountains which are over in elevation and have over of

topographic prominence In topography, prominence (also referred to as autonomous height, relative height, and shoulder drop in US English, and drop or relative height in British English) measures the height of a mountain or hill's summit relative to the lowest contou ...

. (This is a common criterion for peaks of this stature to be independent.)

References

{{Reflist

Sources

* Jerzy Wala, ''Geographical Sketch Map of the Karakoram'', Swiss Foundation for Alpine Research, Zurich, 1990. Mountain ranges of India Landforms of Jammu and Kashmir Mountain ranges of the Karakoram Baltistan Mountain ranges of Gilgit-Baltistan

Background

Indo-Pakistan borders: SC, IB, LOC, AGPL

AGPL

Selected peaks

See also

References

Sources