First ever Winter Expedition on 7,795 meters high Batura – I peak commences
Shared by Faqir Ullah Khan
The First ever Winter Expedition to Batura-I (7,795M or 25,574 ft.) of Laila Peak Expedition moves from Passu to the Beautiful Batura Valley.
In the first phase the porters were trying to deliver the food and equipment to the base camp at Kumpirdior but because of heavy snowfall they only make it to the Shah Mohammad Shoath (S.M Avalanche) near Fatima Hill and made it their deposit camp. The trek to Batura Sar Expedition starts from Passu Village in the Upper Hunza region of Gilgit-Baltistan.
The historical expedition consists of eight climbers from Poland. Up to 80 porters belonging to Passu, Hussaini, Khyber, Zoodkhun, Shatmerg, Ispenj, Sherisabz, Shimshal and Shigar Baltistan Valley delivered the expedition’s luggage and equipment to the Batura-I base camp, locally known as Kumpir Diyor (Old woman’s village)
The mountaineers are expected to spend up to 45 days while attempting to scale Batura – I, for the very first time in winter season, from the Batura Glacier side.
The Batura-I was attempted by a group of world renown mountaineers in 1954, but the expedition met a disastrous end with all climbers disappearing under an avalanche debris.
Local experts opine that the chances for successful attempt in winter are higher, because the temperature is very low and the chances of avalanche decrease, compared to spring and summer.
Batura I, known as Bautra Sar in the local Wakhi language, is a massive peak in the mighty Karakorum Mountain range, standing 7,795 meters (or 25,574ft) high, above the Batura Glacier, the 7th longest non-polar glacier of the world.
Batura Sar is ranked as the 25th highest in the world, and 10th highest in Pakistan. It is part of the Batura Muztagh which also includes mountains such as Passu Sar and Shishpare Peak. The nearest village to the peak is Passu Village of the Gojal Valley, Gilgit-Baltistan.
It is the 2nd most prominent peak in the Karakorum. Since it lies in the far northwest end of the Karakorums, there is no higher peak North or West of it in the world. Batura Sar or Batura Sar-I is the highest of a collection of peaks referred to as the Batura Wall in the Batura Muztagh, a sub-range of the Karakorum Mountains of Pakistan. The first successful Batura Sar Expedition to the top of Batura-I took place in 1976 by Göppingen Karakoram-Himalaya Expedition while it will be the first ever scale from the Batura Glacier Side.
