Nanga Parbat

Nanga Parbat, the naked mountain is the anchor peak of the Great Himalayas is the second highest peak in Pakistan. It has a bad connotation of the ‘Killer Mountain’ prompted the name because, after Everest and Annapurna, this peak has claimed the lives of climbers. Nanga Parbat is counted the most difficult among the fourteen peaks on earth that exceed 8000 meters. The first ascent was done by Hermann Buhl of an Austro-German expedition in 1953 just after few weeks of Everest climbed by Sir Edmund Hillary. The enormity of this peak rested many memories as famous climber Reinhold Messner described Nanga Parbat’s attempt as a landmark in his life experience.

There are multiple access routes. Its sheer south flank is also called the Rupal face, which rises over 5000m from the ground culminating in an 8125m-ice summit, which is accessed via the Astor Valley.

The north or Raikot face a sheer drop of more than 7000m from the summit to the Indus River forms the world’s deepest gorge that can be approached from the Diamir valley and the Fairy Meadows. For its enormity it is unparallel and a challenge for the challengers.