Baltistan – Askole to Concordia, August 1997
On the trail beyond Askole
Approaching Korophon (3,000m)
Scaling the steep rock wall on the North West side of the Dumordo River, before Jula
The Dumordo River flood plain, looking towards Panmah glacier
The tenuous cable way across the Dumordo River
Evening prayers at Jula camp. Mango Gusor in the distance
Mango Gusor (6,288m), from Jula
Rounding a bend in the trail, this view of the head of the Biaho Lungma appears. The peak at top right is Liligo (5,600m)
We camped a little to the North of Paiju (3,450m) on account of the crowded, filthy condition of that last outpost on the trail to Concordia. Directly above us, Paiju Peak (6,610m) catches the soft rays of the setting sun
Paiju Peak in her full glory, at dawn, from near the terminal moraine of the Baltoro glacier
Other peaks above Paiju at dawn
Sunburst below Liligo Peak
Taking a mid-morning breather, beyond Baltoro glacier’s terminal moraine
Ibrahim leaps one of the countless surface streams that appear in the heat of the day on the Baltoro glacier
Looking towards Uli Bihaho (6,417m) and the Trangos, en route to Khoburtse
A view back towards Paiju Peak from about 3,700m on the Baltoro glacier
Looking eastwards up the frozen rubble sea of the Baltoro glacier, to Broad Peak (8,047m) in the distance
Another view of Paiju Peak from the point where the Liligo glacier collides with the Baltoro. The rugged looking beast in the foreground is the companion of a Pakistani soldier returning from the frontline further up the glacier
Our camp at Khoburtse (3,930m)
Paiju Peak (left) and Uli Biaho (6,417m) at dawn, from Khoburtse
A closer look at Paiju Peak, from Khoburtse
A close look at the impossibly sheer walls of Uli Bihaho
The porters stride out on the frozen surface of the Baltoro glacier above Khoburtse
Pausing to contemplate a magnificent vista. From left, Paiju Peak, Uli Bihaho and the Trangos
Pakistani soldiers head back down the Baltoro glacier as we head up towards Goro II
Masherbrum (7,821m) and Biarchedi (6,781m) from near Urdukas on the Baltoro glacier
Biarchedi (6,781m) from near Urdukas on the Baltoro glacier
Making progress along the Baltoro glacier between Urdukas and Biango
The grey rubble of the Baltoro’s surface blends with the tan of the Lungka glacier – one of 11 glaciers that join the Baltoro from the North over a 160km stretch before Concordia
We came upon huge ice fangs as we approached Biango
The Baltoro glacier is on a grand scale. As the sun beats down upon it over the course of a day, glacial melt forms streams, that sometimes become rivers – water rivers on top of rivers of ice
A group of ice fangs near Biango, with Gasherbrum IV dominating the skyline
This ice fang was more than 5 metres tall
At Biango we were dwarfed by Biarchedi (6,781m, left) and Masherbrum (7, 821m)
A closer look at Biarchedi (6,781m)
At sunrise, looking West down the Baltoro glacier, a magnificent sunburst over Uli Biaho and the Trangos was well worth getting out of my warm sleeping bag for
A wider view of the same West-ward vista, from Biango
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