NANGA PARBAT (9th highest mountain of the world)

Pakistan boasts number of mountains peaks. Nanga Parbat is the ninth highest mountain of the world located in the in Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan. It is also Pakistan’s 2^nd highest peak, first is K2.  It is at the elevation of 8,126 meters (26,660 ft . It has Coordinates: 35°14′15″N 74°35′21″E/ 35.2375°N 74.58917°E. The Prominence of Nanga Parbat  is 4,608 m (15,118 ft) which is Ranked 14^th in the world. Nanga Parbat is included in the list of the Eight-Thousanders.( The eight-thousanders are the fourteen independent mountains on Earth that are more than 8,000 metres (26,247 ft) high above sea level. They are all located in the Himalayan and Karakoram mountain ranges in Asia)

Nanga Parbat means "Naked Mountain" in English. Parpat means "mountain, rock", and nanga means "naked". It’s original and appropriate name, however, is Diamir, which means “the King of the Mountains”. Nanga Parbat is also called the “Killer Mountain”.

 

Nanga Parbat was one of the deadliest of the eight-thousanders for climbers in the first half of the twentieth century. Lot of mountaineers had died on Nanga Parbat.  It has claimed a heavy toll of human lives of mountaineers, who were in search of adventure and thrill. Its sufferers have included those in search of new and absolutely un-climbed routes leading to its summit. Although with time it has been less deadly but still the climbing is harder and very time consuming. Nanga Parbat has an extremely serious and hazardous climb and been connected with tragedies and tribulations. Amongst the highest mountains Nanga Parbat being one of the most feared mountains in the world.

The Himalayas are a great mountain range. The Nanga Parbat massif is the western corner pillar of the Himalayas. It is a huge, remarkable peak that rises far above its surrounding terrain. It is a massive peak. One can never get enough of the sight of Nanga Parbat, due to its hugeness. Nanga Parbat has tremendous vertical relief over local terrain in all directions. The mountain is glorious and eye-catching with its vast face of ice-hung precipices. It lies just south of the Indus River in the Astore District of Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan administered Kashmir and  is an isolated range of peaks that rises far above its surrounding terrain. Not far to the north is the western end of the Karakoram Range.

The center of Nanga Parbat is a long ridge trending southwest-northeast. The edge is an enormous bulk of ice and rock. Nanga Parbat has three vast faces. First the Rakhiot (Ra Kot) face, second the Diamir face and third the Rupal face.  

 

The first face Rakhiot (Ra Kot) is dominated by the north and south silver rock faces and silver plateau  Main ridge arc is northeast at Rakhiot Peak (7,070 m / 23,196 ft). Rakhiot Flank rises 7,000 m (23,000 ft) from the Indus River valley to the peak in just 27 km (16.8 miles). It is one of the 10 greatest elevation gains in so short a distance on Earth.

The second face, Diamir face” is rocky in the beginning than it converts itself into ice fields around Nanga Parbat peak.

The third face “Rupal face” is the highest precipice in the world. Every one who has ever stood at the foot of this face (4500 meters) up above the 'Tap Alpe', studied it or flown over it, could not help but have been amazed by its sheer size, it has become known as the highest rock and ice wall in the world   It is the highest mountain face in the world.The Rupal Face rises 4,600 m (15,000 ft) above its base. Near the base of the Rupal Face is a beautiful glacial lake called Latbo, above a seasonal shepherds' village of the same name.

Easiest route to climb Nanga parbat peak is Diamir (West) Face. This route is now the standard route on the mountain. The middle of the Diamir Face is endangered by avalanches from massive hanging glaciers.

Nanga Parbat was first climbed on July 3, 1953 by Austrian climber Hermann Buhl, a member of a German-Austrian team. Buhl is the only man to have made the first ascent of an 8000 m peak alone. The climbing had being harder and more time consuming. Buhl‘s companions had turned back. Buhl continued alone. His descent was slowed because he was trapped by darkness and was exhausted by standing upright on a narrow ledge, holding a small handhold with one hand. He dozed from time to time, but managed to maintain his balance. He was also very fortunate to have a calm night, so he was not subjected to wind chill. He finally reached his high camp the next day, 40 hours after setting out. But finally he made the attempt and recorded his name in the history to be a person that made the first ascent of an 8000 m peak alone.

Only two peaks in the world rank in the top twenty of both the highest mountains in the world, and the most prominent peaks in the world. They are Nanga Parbat and Mount Everest only. Nanga Parbat ranking is ninth and fourteenth. Mount Everest is first on both lists.

 

Nanga Parbat have difficult and dangerous climb due to its more inclement weather. The mountain is threatened by avalanches and severe storm. It had claimed more lives than any others mountain. Therefore it is nickname by “Killer Mountain”. Nanga Parbat has never been climbed in winter.