Climbing on the Himalaya and Other Mountain RangesCollie, Norman
History
Climbing on the Himalaya and Other Mountain Ranges
Collie, Norman
Himalaya Mountains; Mountaineering
On July 27 the same party, with the addition of Mummery, started for a
ridge which runs south-east towards Tashing from the peak marked 22,360
feet, which we named Chongra peak, as it is at the head of the valley
of that name above Astor. We crossed the Tashing glacier, and camped
at 15,000 feet by some rocks. Next day was spent in a ridge-wander.
Our intention was to climb a rock peak overlooking the Chongra nullah;
but laziness was in the air, the day was hot, and the ridge endless.
Finally a halt was called somewhat short of the peak that we had
intended to climb, and for a long time we basked in the sun, smoked,
ate our lunch, and enjoyed the superb view of the precipices of
Nanga Parbat on the west and of the Karakoram range far away to the
northward. Out of the masses of snow-clad giants in the remote distance
to the north-east, one rose obviously higher than all its neighbours;
in shape it resembled the view of K^{2} as seen from Turmik.[I] Since
then, however, Bruce has told me that the mountain that was seen
from Turmik was probably the Mustagh tower. These two peaks would be
about one hundred miles away, and in that clear atmosphere should be
perfectly visible from our position (about 17,000 feet), for we were
high enough to see over the range on the east of the Astor valley.
We also saw across the Indus and up the Shigar valleys, and further
still the eye was directed straight up the Baltoro with no high peaks
or ranges to intercept its view. Very much nearer and more to the
north just on the other side of the Astor nullah a really magnificent
double-headed peak, the Dichil,[J] sends up a series of perfectly
impossible precipices. Its height on the map is 19,490 feet, but I am
positive this measurement must be wrong. Much later, whilst returning
from the Rakiot nullah to Dashkin, I was at a point 16,000 feet on the
ridge just opposite across the Astor valley, and seen from there it
apparently towered at least 5000 feet above me. In the Dichil nullah at
its foot the valley cannot be more than 10,000 feet, and the view of it
from this nullah must far surpass that of Ushba in grandeur.
During the day a curious haze hung over some of the precipices at the
head of the Tashing glacier just opposite to us, due to perpetual
avalanches of stones which were partly falling, partly sliding, down
the steep slopes.
We returned to camp by a different route. A steep rock ridge led
straight down from the peak we were on to the Tashing glacier below. On
this ridge we had some delightful climbing, ultimately reaching the
upper pasturages lying on the left bank of the glacier. It was a long
tramp from there home, but just as it became dark we marched into our
camp beneath the grove of willows.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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