The Rimo massif lies in the northern part of the remote Rimo Muztagh, a subrange of the Karakoram range. It is located about 20 km northeast of the snout of the Siachen Glacier and its main summit, Rimo I (alternatively Rimo Kangri I) is the world's 71st highest mountain with an elevation of 7,385 metres (24,229 ft). The massif heads the large Central Rimo Glacier (on the north side) and South Rimo Glacier (on the east side), as well as the smaller North Terong Glacier (on the west side).
| Rimo massif | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Simplified Chinese | 里莫I峰 | ||
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Rimo means "striped mountain".[3] The Rimo Glacier, drains to the Shyok river. Due to its remote location in the heart of the eastern Karakoram, Rimo was little-known and almost entirely unvisited until the twentieth century. Explorers Filippo De Filippi and Philip and Jenny Visser visited the area in 1914 and 1929 respectively. Adding to its isolation is the unsettled political and military situation between India and Pakistan in the region, especially the conflict around the nearby Siachen Glacier. This means that India controls access to the massif.[citation needed]
Peaks
editThe Rimo massif consists of six peaks sharing the Rimo name. In addition to Rimo I, they are:
| Peak name | Alternative name | Elevation m (ft) | Prominence m (ft) | Coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rimo II[4] | Rimo Kangri II | 7,373 m (24,190 ft) | 73 m (240 ft) | 35°21′N 77°22′E / 35.350°N 77.367°E |
| Rimo III[5] | Rimo Kangri III | 7,233 m (23,730 ft) | 615 m (2,018 ft) | 35°22′31″N 77°21′42″E / 35.37528°N 77.36167°E |
| Rimo IV[6] | Rimo Kangri IV | 7,169 m (23,520 ft) | 329 m (1,079 ft) | 35°23′N 77°23′E / 35.383°N 77.383°E |
| Rimo V[7] | Rimo Kangri V | 6,882 m (22,579 ft) | 262 m (860 ft) | 35°24′N 77°23′E / 35.400°N 77.383°E |
| Rimo VI[8] | Rimo Kangri VI | 6,846 m (22,461 ft) | 446 m (1,463 ft) | 35°25′N 77°23′E / 35.417°N 77.383°E |
Rimo II is a minor subpeak located about 150 m (490 ft) northeast of Rimo I, on its north ridge. The others are more independent peaks further north.
Rimo III is the 98th highest mountain in the world (Rimo II is unranked, lacking sufficient prominence). Rimo III has an altitude of 7,233 m. It is located about 2.4 km north of Rimo Kangri I (7385 m) and its subsidiary peak Rimo Kangri II ( 7373 m ), with which it is connected by a ridge. On its northern slope lies the Middle Rimo Glacier, on the southeast slope the Southern Rimo Glacier. On the southwest slope of the mountain flows the Northern Terong Glacier.
Rimo IV, or Rimo Kangri IV is 7,169 m high and located 1.6 km to the east of Rimo III. It is considered a secondary peak due to its low ridge height of 329 m.
Rimo V is 1.95 km beyond Rimo IV, and rises to an altitude of 6,882 m.
Rimo Kangri VI sits 2.59 km north-northwest and rises 6,846 m.
Climbing history
editThe first attempts on the Rimo massif were in 1978, by a Japanese expedition which had little success, in 1984 (first ascent of Rimo IV, by an Indian army expedition) and in 1985, by a well-organized Indian/British expedition led by famed Himalayan expert Harish Kapadia. That expedition climbed Rimo III on 14 July 1985 and was summitted by Britons Dave Wilkinson and Jim Fotheringham via the northeast ridge.[9][10][11]
The first, and only ascent of Rimo I was made in 1988 by an Indian/Japanese team led by Hukam Singh and Yoshio Ogata. They climbed the south face to the southwest ridge, starting from a significant pass called Ibex Col on the south side of the mountain. The ascent involved 1500m of significant technical climbing.[citation needed]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ India is in de facto control of this region of Kashmir; the region is claimed by Pakistan. See e.g. The Future of Kashmir on the BBC website.
- ^ a b "Rimo I, India". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2015-02-16.
- ^ "Asia, India–Karakoram, Nomenclature in the Terrong Valley". American Alpine Journal. 28 (60): 266. 1986. Retrieved 2015-02-15.
- ^ "Rimo II, India". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2015-02-17.
- ^ "Rimo III, India". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2015-02-17.
- ^ "Rimo IV, India". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2015-02-17.
- ^ "Rimo V, India". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2015-02-17.
- ^ "Rimo VI, India". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2015-02-17.
- ^ "UKC Gear - Brit Climbing Team to Climb Southwest Face of Rimo III". 2015-04-02. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2024-07-26.
- ^ "Himalayan Index - Results of Search by Group". www.alpine-club.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-07-26.
- ^ "AAC Publications - Asia, India–Karakoram, Rimo III and Other Peaks in the Terong Basin, Eastern Karakoram". publications.americanalpineclub.org. Retrieved 2024-07-26.
- Sources
- Jerzy Wala, Orographical Sketch Map of the Karakoram, Swiss Foundation for Alpine Research, Zurich, 1990.
- Fanshawe, Andy; Venables, Stephen (1995). Himalaya Alpine-Style. Hodder and Stoughton.
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