Muztag-Ata Peak (7546m), Kun-Lun. Fixed dates (EXP 04)
The itinerary: Bishkek - Naryn - Torugart Pass - Kashgar – Subashi- Base Camp - Muztag-Ata - Kashgar – Torugart Pass - Naryn – Bishkek
Muztagh Ata (7546 m) is second-highest summit of Chinese Pamir situated in Kun-Lun Range on the territory of Xinjiang National Autonomous Region of China. In Turkic languages "Muztagh Ata" means "Ice Mountain`s Father". The huge snow-covered mountain massif raised beetling over the Karakul Lake attracts mountaineers all over the world. The route to the top is not technically difficult with its slopes of 25°-30° steepness, yet it demands from climbers to be in high physical conditions. Muztagh Ata is nearly perfect for continuous and most enjoyable ski downhill from the top. First ascent to the Muztag Ata had been made in 1956 by joint China-Soviet mountaineering expedition.
"Easy" and popular
Muztagh Ata is one of the most popular 7000m peaks, probably only second to Pik Lenin in the neighbouring country Kyrgyzstan. There are many reasons for its popularity:
- The access is very easy. In a few hours you can reach the BC from the asphalted Karakoram Highway.
- The mountain is located in an interesting part of the world, close to the old Silk Road and the beauty of nature is stunning.
- The main reason is probably Muztagh Ata"s reputation being the easiest 7000m peak. The normal route is easy, technically speaking and there are few objective dangers. The high altitude, the deep snow on the enormous wind swept slopes and the biting winds over 7000 meters still make it a hard target. The bottom line is; there"s no easy peak of that altitude.
Name and location
The name Muztagh Ata means Father of Ice Mountain in the local language Uygyr. It"s easy to understand why it got its name as it really dominates its surroundings. It"s not only a high peak; it"s also large in terms of the circumference of the base. Its glaciated summit looms about 4 kilometres over the beautiful Subashi Valley and the deep blue Karakol Lake completes the picture.
There has been a debate about which range the peak belongs to, but nowadays most consider it to mark the western end of the mighty Kunlun Shan Range. Some are still placing Muztagh Ata in The Pamirs, but those are in small minority. The sub range it belongs to is named Kongur Shan, which refers to its higher neighbour a bit further north. Muztagh Ata is the third highest peak in the Kunlun, second to Kongur.
Climbing History
The first recorded attempt to climb the peak dates back to 1894. It was famous explorer and cartographer Sven Hedin who first tried to ascend on the back of a yak. The yak died and Hedin continued on foot towards the summit. He failed and so did other expeditions in 1900, 1904 and 1947. The last was lead by famous and experienced climbers Bill Tilman and Eric Shipton. They got close to the summit but had to turn back due to deep snow and extreme cold. Muztagh Ata was finally climbed by a huge Soviet-China team in 1956. Beletskiy was the formal leader and they used the west ridge.
Routes, a brief
There are two routes on the western side of the peak.
The normal route, located on the northernmost of the two snow and glacier slopes of Muztagh Ata. It"s a straight forward climb without any technical section. There"s an icefall in between 5500 and 6100m. There are some crevasses, but in general free of objective danger.
On the more southern slope on the west side of the peak, you can find the much less used Traditional Route. It is slightly longer, but equally easy. Some say the crevasse danger is lower, but as it is used by far less climbers, route finding can be a concern. It passes just under Muztagh Ata"s south summit Kalaxong, therefore many use the name "Kalaxong Ridge Route".
These two routes are never steep, possibly up to 40 degrees. Snow shoes or skis are recommended as you usually have to battle deep snow.
