The Ogre (mountain)
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| The Ogre | |
|---|---|
 Baintha Camp near Snow Lake |
|
| Elevation | 7,285 metres (23,901 feet) |
| Location | Pakistan[1]) |
| Range | Karakoram |
| Coordinates | |
| First ascent | July 13, 1977 by Doug Scott and Chris Bonington |
| Easiest route | snow/ice climb |
The Ogre or Baintha Brakk is a steep, craggy mountain, 7,285 m high, in the Karakoram range in Northern Areas of Pakistan[1]. It is famous for being one of the hardest peaks in the world to climb; 23 years elapsed between the first ascent in 1977 and the second in 2000.
[edit] Location
The Ogre rises above the north side of the Biafo Glacier, one of the major glaciers of the central Karakoram. It lies about 75km north of Skardu, the major town of the region, and about 30km north of the roadhead at Askole.
[edit] Notable Features
The Ogre 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. (The Latok peaks next to the Ogre are similar, however.) For example, its South Face rises over 3000m above the Uzun Brakk Glacier in only 2km of horizontal distance.
It is because of this steep, rocky nature that the Ogre has been both so difficult to climb and so attractive a target for extremely high-level mountaineers.
[edit] Climbing History
The peak was attempted unsuccessfully in 1971 and 1976.
The Ogre was first climbed by two Britons, Doug Scott and Chris Bonington in 1977. (The other members of the party were Mo Anthoine and Clive Rowland.) 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 difficult rock climbing that extended the boundaries of what had been done at over 7000m.
The descent was an epic: on the first rappel from the summit, Scott broke both ankles. Later, Bonington broke two ribs and contracted pneumonia. Also, much of the week-long descent to base camp was in a major storm. However, they were all able to reach base camp, where they had a long wait for assistance.
The Himalayan Index lists ten unsuccessful attempts between the first ascent and the second one in 2000, via the South Pillar. It also lists a third ascent in 2001 by the same route.
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b This region is disputed, and is claimed by India to be an integral part of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir
[edit] See also
[edit] Sources
- Jill Neate, High Asia: An Illustrated History of the 7000 Metre Peaks, ISBN 0-89886-238-8.
- Andy Fanshawe and Stephen Venables, Himalaya Alpine-Style, Hodder and Stoughton, 1995.
- Himalayan Index
- Orographical Sketch Map of the Karakoram by Jerzy Wala, 1990. Published by the Swiss Foundation for Alpine Research.
- DEM files for the Himalaya/Karakoram (Corrected versions of SRTM data)
