- Baintha Brakk
Infobox Mountain
Name = Baintha Brakk
Photo = Baintha Camp Near Snow Lake.jpg
Caption = Baintha Camp near Snow Lake
Elevation = convert|7285|m|ft|0|lk=on
Location =Pakistan This region is disputed, and is claimed byIndia to be an integral part of the Indian state ofJammu and Kashmir . ]
Range =Panmah Muztagh ,Karakoram
Prominence = 1,891 m (6,204 ft) [http://www.peaklist.org/WWlists/ultras/karakoram.html Karakoram ultra-prominent peaks] on peaklist.org]
Coordinates = coord|35|56|52|N|75|45|13|E|region:PK_type:mountain|display=inline,title
First ascent =July 13 ,1977 byDoug Scott andChris Bonington
Easiest route = snow/ice climb
Listing = UltraBaintha Brakk or The Ogre is a steep, craggy mountain, convert|7285|m|ft|0|lk=on high, in the
Panmah Muztagh , a subrange of theKarakoram mountain range. It is located in theNorthern Areas ofPakistan . It is famous for being one of the hardest peaks in the world to climb: twenty-four years elapsed between the first ascent in1977 and the second in2001 .__NOTOC__Location
Baintha Brakk rises above the north side of the
Biafo Glacier , one of the major glaciers of the central Karakoram. It lies about convert|75|km|mi|0|lk=on north ofSkardu , the major town of the region, and about convert|30|km|mi|0 north of the roadhead atAskole ."Orographical Sketch Map of the Karakoram" by Jerzy Wala, 1990. Published by the Swiss Foundation for Alpine Research.]Notable features
Baintha Brakk is exceptional in its combination of altitude, height above local terrain, and steepness. It is a complex
granite tower, steeper and rockier than most other Karakoram peaks. (TheLatok peaks next to Baintha Brakk are similar, however.) For example, its South Face rises over convert|3000|m|ft|-2 above the Uzun Brakk Glacier in only convert|2|km|mi|0 of horizontal distance. [http://www.viewfinderpanoramas.org/dem3.html#himalayas DEM files for the Himalaya/Karakoram] (Corrected versions of SRTM data)]It is because of this steep, rocky nature that Baintha Brakk has been both so difficult to climb and so attractive a target for extremely high-level
mountaineer s.Climbing history
Following two unsuccessful attempts in 1971 and 1976, the peak was first climbed by two Britons,
Doug Scott andChris Bonington , in1977 . (The other members of the party were Mo Anthoine, Clive Rowland,Nick Estcourt , and Tut Braithwaite. Estcourt, Anthoine, and Rowland all reached the lower West Summit, while Braithwaite was injured early on byrockfall .Andy Fanshawe and Stephen Venables, "Himalaya Alpine-Style", Hodder and Stoughton, 1995, ISBN 0-340-64931-3.] ) They climbed via the Southwest Spur to the West Ridge, and over the West Summit to the Main Summit. The ascent of the summit block required difficultrock climbing that extended the boundaries of what had been done at over convert|7000|m|ft|-2.The descent was an epic: On the first
rappel from the summit, Scott broke both legs.Later, Bonington broke two ribs and contractedpneumonia . Also, much of the week-long descent tobase camp was in a major storm. However, they were all able to reach base camp, where they had a long wait for assistance.The second ascent of Baintha Brakk was made by Urs Stöcker, Iwan Wolf, and
Thomas Huber , on21 July 2001 , via the South Pillar route, following their first ascent of the subsidiary peak Ogre III (circa convert|6800|m|ft|-2)."American Alpine Journal ", 2001, p. 365] They note that there were more than 20 unsuccessful expeditions in the interim.The [http://www.alpine-club.org.uk/hi/index.htm Himalayan Index] lists only ten unsuccessful attempts; however the index is often incomplete. Its entry for the Ogre also mistakenly lists the second ascent as occurring in 2000.] Mountain INFO magazine characterized their ascent as "arguably the most notable mountaineering achievement during the entire 2001 season.""American Alpine Journal ", 2001, p. 366]See also
*
List of mountains in Pakistan References
* Jill Neate, "High Asia: An Illustrated History of the 7000 Metre Peaks", ISBN 0-89886-238-8.
External links
* [http://www.peakware.com/peaks.html?pk=197 Peakware World Mountaineering Encyclopedia]
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