K12 Inc.

K12 is a high peak in the Saltoro Mountains, a subrange of the Karakoram range. It lies near the disputed border between the Northern Areas of Pakistan and the Kashmir region of India. Its name comes from its designation given during the original survey of the Karakoram range.

K12 lies to the southwest of the Siachen Glacier; the K12 glacier heads on its northeast slopes and feeds the Siachen. The western slopes of K12 drain to the Bilafond Glacier system, and thence to the Dansam River, and eventually the Indus River.

K12 has seen little climbing activity, partly because of the unsettled political situation and the continued military presence in the area. It was first attempted in 1960, after a reconnaissance visit by famed explorer Eric Shipton in 1957. After a further unsuccessful attempt by a Japanese party in 1971, another Japanese expedition put two climbers, Shinichi Takagi and Tsutomu Ito, on the summit. Unfortunately they fell and died on the descent, and their bodies were not recovered. Another Japanese expedition returned in 1975 and made the second ascent. In 1984 an Indian Army expedition climbed the peak again. No subsequent climbs or attempts are recorded in the Himalayan Index.

Sources

• Jerzy Wala, Orographical Sketch Map of the Karakoram, Swiss Foundation for Alpine Research, 1990.
• Jill Neate, High Asia: an illustrated history of the 7,000 metre peaks, The Mountaineers, 1989.

See also

• List of mountains in Pakistan
• Northern Areas, Pakistan
• Highest Mountains of the World

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