tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36313532536689891362024-03-06T00:33:27.500+07:00Great MountainWorld Mountain databaseUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger192125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631353253668989136.post-20873793650051037122012-03-12T19:35:00.001+07:002012-03-12T19:38:57.590+07:00Mount Kerinci (3,805 m), the highest point of Sumatra<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF6nAHi1v0wmIWKsX3Q29sa4LqMp5MF1_-5luVmXy_peo5xUQmeNNk27KYCM2lQ9DfsK0hb3QgAz4ihfyYpJkV7vE9gBZX9z_485_wqvzpwN3KB0ESQDvuhdAa4PctZ11Tkf8fxtpqjDzX/s1600/23878551.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF6nAHi1v0wmIWKsX3Q29sa4LqMp5MF1_-5luVmXy_peo5xUQmeNNk27KYCM2lQ9DfsK0hb3QgAz4ihfyYpJkV7vE9gBZX9z_485_wqvzpwN3KB0ESQDvuhdAa4PctZ11Tkf8fxtpqjDzX/s320/23878551.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Mount Kerinci (also spelled Kerintji, among several other ways, and referred to as Gunung Kerinci, Gadang, Berapi Kurinci, Kerinchi, Korinci, or Peak of Indrapura as well) is the highest volcano in Indonesia, and the highest peak on the island of Sumatra. It is surrounded by the lush forest of Kerinci Seblat National Park, home to the endangered species of Sumatran Tiger and Sumatran Rhinoceros.<br />
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<b>Geography</b><br />
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Kerinci is more active than most Indonesian volcanoes, with nearly annual phreatic eruptions. Kerinci last erupted in 2004, and continues to spew clouds of sulphurous smoke, with plumes reaching as high as 1,000 m (3,281 ft) above the summit. While there is farmland in the area, and a tea plantation on its southern slope, Kerinci, being located in an Indonesian national park, and perhaps out of respect for its frequent growlings as well, sits in an area that is sparsely populated by Indonesian population-density standards.<br />
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<b>Climbing</b><br />
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Kerinci can be climbed from the village of Kersik Tuo, 6 or 7 hours away from Padang by car or bus. The climb and descent normally takes 3 days and 2 nights, when choosing to go all the way to the summit. Climbers may also choose to go up only as far as Camp 2 or 2.5, skipping the summit attempt which is a night climb, taking 2 days and 1 night instead.<br />
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Kerinci's terrain consists of thick jungle, and can get muddy and slippery even if there are only mild drizzles, which may occur occasionally even during the dry season. To climb the volcano a guide is needed, as there have been rare cases of people disappearing after attempting to trek alone.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisOTHoQAF95JsJxwbhoaN0_hfIuGLMw-PLMWXfDR27vYzx5A5ecWs6EjIpSOSEw_wZ1914yUBKrvSwAR7v8IgHM4LLJ2g25dHzbDr28u8CqrxtAvrWH0Wh6NR4No_NGSBA_V4kVvmNGD8Y/s1600/DANAU+KERINCI+%2528BAMBANG+W%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisOTHoQAF95JsJxwbhoaN0_hfIuGLMw-PLMWXfDR27vYzx5A5ecWs6EjIpSOSEw_wZ1914yUBKrvSwAR7v8IgHM4LLJ2g25dHzbDr28u8CqrxtAvrWH0Wh6NR4No_NGSBA_V4kVvmNGD8Y/s400/DANAU+KERINCI+%2528BAMBANG+W%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<b>Lakes</b><br />
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The mountain has 15 lakes which the biggest are Kerinci Lake and Gunung Tujuh Lake. The 4,200-hectare of Kerinci Lake lies at a height of 650 meters, is the host of annual July Kerinci Lake Festival. While Gunung Tujuh Lake means Seven Mountains Lake which there are 7 peaks surrounding the lake. It is also the highest lake in Southeast Asia at 1,996 meters.<br />
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<b>Kecik Wok Gedang Wok</b><br />
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Based on research in 1973, 'Kecik Wok Gedang Wok' people is recognized as the first tribe to settle at a plateau around Mount Kerinci 10,000 years ago. It was older than Indian Inca civilization. Today, Kecik Wong Gedang Wok people is so limited due to many of them has assimilated with Proto-Malay tribe which come later. There are around of 135 dialects uses only along the valley makes ethnography analysis is difficult to conduct.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-M7gA_eyKMPPcqoPG7AEt3V1K2XqEznn8eiDlvD9SlOx5QfhugYRfsBi2H2LrbCfk1cpKe56Bh0_yvp1wVNSpuSQeZ9Ux_eOkPLDk2nq8jVI9osC2kR3jCbRaySxXf362R6Xam4eetn_O/s1600/MtKerinchi_view_into_crater.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-M7gA_eyKMPPcqoPG7AEt3V1K2XqEznn8eiDlvD9SlOx5QfhugYRfsBi2H2LrbCfk1cpKe56Bh0_yvp1wVNSpuSQeZ9Ux_eOkPLDk2nq8jVI9osC2kR3jCbRaySxXf362R6Xam4eetn_O/s400/MtKerinchi_view_into_crater.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631353253668989136.post-57112801137129869672012-03-03T22:08:00.001+07:002012-03-03T22:11:42.536+07:00Gunung Rinjani (3,726 m), an active volcano on the island of Lombok<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDQbiPWNFFj7m40yGQ76UUSzGtWPqAb57Ore93R2cMj63PvMNn14AY1rhTLL9NL9niFIUk53GTfKLPDF_XGW1D0rKegMpIa2mTaHRRcLaxreP-w1nEx_yMBogrJ1zxNl93yRMQr_icBF_0/s1600/Rinjani-from-Sanur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDQbiPWNFFj7m40yGQ76UUSzGtWPqAb57Ore93R2cMj63PvMNn14AY1rhTLL9NL9niFIUk53GTfKLPDF_XGW1D0rKegMpIa2mTaHRRcLaxreP-w1nEx_yMBogrJ1zxNl93yRMQr_icBF_0/s320/Rinjani-from-Sanur.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Mount Rinjani or Gunung Rinjani is an active volcano in Indonesia on the island of Lombok. Administratively the mountain is in the Regency of North Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (Indonesian: Nusa Tenggara Barat, NTB). It rises to 3,726 metres (12,224 ft), making it the second highest volcano in Indonesia.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">On the top of the volcano is a 6 km by 8.5 km caldera, which is filled partially by the crater lake known as Segara Anak (Child of the Sea). This lake is approximately 2000 metres above sea level and estimated at being around 200 metres deep; the caldera also contains hot springs.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Geography</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Lombok is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, a small archipelago which, from west to east, consists of Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Flores, Sumba and the Timor islands; all are located at the edge of the Australian continental shelf. Volcanoes in the area are formed due to the action of oceanic crusts and the movement of the shelf itself. Rinjani is one of at least 129 active volcanoes in Indonesia, four of which belong to the volcanoes of the Sunda Arc trench system forming part of the Pacific Ring of Fire – a section of fault lines stretching from the Western Hemisphere through Japan and South East Asia. The islands of Lombok and Sumbawa lie in the central portion of the Sunda Arc. The Sunda Arc is home to some of the world's most dangerous and explosive volcanoes. The eruption of nearby Mount Tambora on Sumbawa is known for the most violent eruption in recorded history on 15 April 1815, with a scale 7 on the VEI.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The highlands are forest clad and mostly undeveloped. The lowlands are highly cultivated. Rice, soybeans, coffee, tobacco, cotton, cinnamon, cacao, cloves, cassava, corn, coconuts, copra, bananas and vanilla are the major crops grown in the fertile soils of the island. The slopes are populated by the indigenous Sasak population. There are also some basic tourist related activities established on Rinjani primarily in or about the village of Senaru.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Rinjani volcano on the island of Lombok rises to 3,726 metres (12,224 ft), second in height among Indonesian volcanoes only to Sumatra's Kerinci volcano. Rinjani has a steep-sided conical profile when viewed from the east, but the western side of the compound volcano is truncated by the 6 x 8.5 km, oval-shaped Segara Anak caldera. The western half of the caldera contains a 230 metre-deep lake whose crescentic form results from growth of the post-caldera cone Barujari at the eastern end of the caldera.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjICtvdeKoakBnqhyQe9kXr-PlPE9KjTofdXuvmF2_cE388SII6TEkWyFOoBeaRWzplfwFDhLSddIqA9puJ3QhtNJgI9nMANsoLMSqzdwFRNH3I0VGKvQ8sXEA3SPXWbzv83kHRS8Dm3wp-/s1600/lakeabove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjICtvdeKoakBnqhyQe9kXr-PlPE9KjTofdXuvmF2_cE388SII6TEkWyFOoBeaRWzplfwFDhLSddIqA9puJ3QhtNJgI9nMANsoLMSqzdwFRNH3I0VGKvQ8sXEA3SPXWbzv83kHRS8Dm3wp-/s400/lakeabove.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Geologic summary<b></b></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">On the basis of Plate Tectonics Theory, Rinjani is one of the series of volcanoes built in the Lesser Sunda Islands due to the subduction of Indo-Australian oceanic crust beneath the Lesser Sunda Islands, and it is interpreted that the sources of melted magma is at about 165–200 km depth.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The geology and tectonic setting of Lombok (and nearby Sumbawa) are described as being in the central portion of the Sunda Arc. The oldest exposed rocks are Miocene, suggesting that subduction and volcanism began considerably later than in Java and Sumatra to the west, where there are abundant volcanic and intrusive rocks of Late Mesozoic age. The islands are located on the eastern edge of the Sunda shelf, in a zone where crustal thickness is apparently rapidly diminishing, from west to east.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The seismic velocity structure of the crust in this region is transitional between typical oceanic and continental profiles and the Mohorovičić discontinuity (Moho) appears to lie at about 20 km. These factors tend to suggest that there has been limited opportunity for crustal contamination of magmas erupted on the islands of Lombok and Sumbawa. In addition, these islands lie to the west of those parts of the eastern-most Sunda and west Banda arcs where collision with the Australian plate is apparently progressing.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The volcano of Rinjani is be located between 165 and 190 km above the Benioff Zone. There is a marked offset in the line of active volcanoes between the most easterly Sumbawa Volcano (Sangeang Api) and the line of active volcano in the Flores. This suggests that a major transcurrent fault cut across the arc between Sumbawa Island and Flores. This is considered to be a feature representing a major tectonic discontinuity between the east and west Sunda Arcs (the Sumba Fracture). Further. A marked absence of shallow and intermediate earthquake activity in the region to the south of Lombok and Sumbawa is a feature interpreted to represent a marked break in the Sunda Arc Zone. Faulting and folding caused strong deformation in the eastern part of Lombok Basin and is characterized by block faulting, shale diapirs and mud volcano.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Volcanology</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Rinjani caldera forming eruption is thought to have occurred in the 13th century. Eruption rate, eruption sites, eruptiion type and magma composition have changed during the last 10,000 years before the caldera forming eruption. The eruptions of 1994 and 1995 have presented at Gunung Baru (or 'New Mountain' - approximately 2300 metre above sea level) in the center of this caldera and lava flows from subsequent eruptions have entered the lake. This cone has since been renamed Gunung Barujari (or 'Gunung Baru Jari' in Indonesian).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The first historical eruption occurred in September 1847. The most recent eruption of Mount Rinjani was in May 2010 and the most recent significant eruptions occurred during a spate of activity from 1994 to 1995 which resulted in the further development of Gunung Barujari. Historical eruptions at Rinjani dating back to 1847 have been restricted to Barujari cone and the Rombongan dome (in 1944) and consist of moderate explosive activity and occasional lava flows that have entered Segara Anak lake. The eruptive history of Rinjani prior to 1847 is not available as the island of Lombok is in a location that remained very remote to the record keeping of the era.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">On 3 November 1994, a cold lahar (volcanic mudflow) from the summit area of Rinjani volcano traveled down the Kokok Jenggak River killing thirty people from the village of Aikmel who were caught by surprise when collecting water from the river in the path of the flow.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">In connection with the eruption of the cone Gunung Barujari the status for Gunung Rinjani has been raised from Normal (VEI Level 1) to 'be vigilant' (VEI Level 2) since May 2, 2009 . In May 2010 Gunung Rinjani was placed in the standby status by Center for Volcanology & Geological Hazard Mitigation, Indonesia with a recommendation that there be no activity within a radius of 4 km from the eruption at Gunung Barujari.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Volcanic composition</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">In Lombok, Rinjani volcano lies approximately 300 km north of the Sunda Trench (also known as Java trench) and is situated about 170 km above the active north dipping Benioff zone. Based on the composition of andesites which have very low Ni concentrations and low Mg/Mg+Fe It is suggested that the Rinjani suite is of mantle origin, but that all the andesites and dacites as well as many of the basalts have probably been modified by fractional crystallization processes. It is concluded that the Rinjani calc-alkaline suite, which in many respects is typical of many suites erupted by circum-pacific volcanoes, probably originated by partial melting of the peridotite mantle-wedge overlying the active Benioff Zone beneath Lombok Island. The Pleistocene-Recent calcalkaline suite from the active volcano, Rinjani is composed of a diverse range of lavas. These include: ankaramite, high-Al basalt, andesite, high-K andesite and dacite. Sr-isotopic and geochemical constraints suggest that this suite was derived from the sub-arc mantle. Geochemical models suggest that fractional crystallization is an important process in the suite's differentiation, although the series: ankaramite-high-Al basalt-andesite-dacite does not represent a continuously evolving spectrum of liquids.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Recent activity</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Rinjani erupted three times on May 22, 2010 with activity continuing until early on May 23. According to the volcano's official monitoring agency, ash from Mount Barujari was reported as rising up to two km into the atmosphere and damaged crops. The volcano did not threaten villagers at that time. Lava flowed into the caldera lake, pushing its temperature up from 21°C to 35°C, while smoke spread 12 km.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">In February 2010 observers at the Gunung Rinjani Observation Post located 12.5 km (4000 feet) NE northeast of G. Rinjani saw one whitish-colored plume that rose 100 metres (328 ft) from the volcano. Dense whitish plumes (and possibly brown) rose 500 metres (1,640 ft) - 900 metres (2,953 ft) in March 2010 on 26 occasions and as high as 1,500 metres (4,921 ft) in April 2010 on 41 occasions. Plumes seen on 1 and 2 May 2010 were "chocolate" in color and rose a maximum height of 1,600 metres (5,249 ft). From February 2010 through April 2010 seismicity decreased, although the maximum amplitude of earthquakes increased. CVGHM (Center of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation) also noted that ash eruptions and ejected incandescent material fell within Rinjani caldera, but some ash was blown out of the caldera.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The activity in early 2010 centred about Gunung Barujari a post-caldera cone that lies within the Rinjani's caldera lake of Segara Anak. The Volcanological Survey of Indonesia reported on 1 May 2010, that a column of smoke was observed rising from G. Rinjani "issuing eruptions 1300-1600 metres tall with thick brown color and strong pressure". Their report Evaluasi Kegiatan G. Rinjani of 4 May also stated that on 1 May 2010 at 10:00 four events of Explosve Earthquake were recorded with a maximum amplitude of 6–53 mm and 110 seconds long earthquake, earthquake tremor events with a maximum amplitude of 1 mm and 55 second long duration, 15 Local Tectonic earthquake events and two events of tectonic earthquake.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) Alert Level was raised to 2 (on a scale of 1-4) on 2 May 2010. Level 1 is "Normal" and Level 2 is "Advisory" with an Aviation Alert color of Yellow-Advisory. Based on analysis of satellite imagery, the Darwin VAAC (Volcanic Ash Advisory Center) reported that on 5 May a possible ash plume from Rinjani rose to an altitude of 5.5 km (18,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted 150 km NW. The plume was not seen in imagery about six hours later. CVGHM (Center of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation) advised the VAAC that intermittent activity could produce ash plumes to 1.5 km (5,000 ft) above the caldera.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">On 27 April 2009 Gunung Barujari became active with activity continuing through to May 2009. The mountain was closed at that time as the eruptions intensified with plumes of smoke and ash as high as 8,000 m (26,250 ft). A Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI):2 rating was issued for the activity between 2 May 2009 and 20 December 2009. The activity during this period was described as having the characteristics:of central vent eruption, flank (excentric) vent, explosive eruption and lava flow.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUbMTvxr9XLLhmPB7ScpLmg38S7ZgitXqj7Q6YE3y2Np4G_n-HVmqlHML5rS3K6A3yap7PtEuqKI11rxFNquhJPHDE8Je3UmsM9i_nfwT-s2S-ofZT1dKFfVL8upMSt2PhXX464xGNZCwO/s400/fil541.jpg" width="400" /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<b>Previous activity</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">On 27 September 2004 a DVGHM (Directorate of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation) report noted the decision to increase Rinjani's hazard status to Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) Alert Level 2 (Yellow). During the last third of 2004, the number of volcanic and tectonic earthquakes had increased. Their increase followed a rise in the number of tectonic earthquakes that began 18 August 2004. Tremor registered on 23, 24, 25, and 26 September 2004. Tremor amplitudes ranged between 12 and 13.5 mm, and the duration of the tremor stood between 94 and 290 seconds.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">In September 1995 an aviation report was issued concerning an unconfirmed ash cloud from Rinjani. A NOTAM about volcanic activity from Rinjani was issued by the Bali Flight Information Region on the morning of 12 September. An ash cloud was reportedly drifting to the south west with the cloud top around 4 km altitude.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">On 3 November 1994, a cold lahar (volcanic mudflow) from the summit area of Rinjani volcano traveled down the Kokok Jenggak River killing thirty people from the village of Aikmel who were caught by surprise when collecting water from the river in the path of the flow. One person remained missing as of 9 November 1994. No damage to the village was reported. Local volcanologists noted that additional lahars could be triggered by heavy rainfall.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">During 4 June 1994-January 1995 the DVGHM (Directorate of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation) noted that explosions occurred on Rinjani. Those explosions came from the Barujari volcano. At 0530 on 1 October 2004 Rinjani erupted. The eruption caused authorities to immediately raise the hazard status to Alert Level 3 (Orange). Details regarding the initial 1 October 2004 eruption are indistinct. During 2–5 October 2004 explosions sent ash columns ~300 to 800 metres above the summit. Gray, thick ash columns drifted to the north and detonation sounds accompanied every explosion. Successive explosions occurred at intervals of 5 to 160 minutes. Explosions vented on the north eastern slope of Barujari volcano. Some material also vented from Barujari's peak and fell down around its edifice. A press report in the Jakarta Post indicated that evacuations were not considered necessary. A Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI):2 rating was issued for the activity between 1 May 2004 through to (on or after) 5 October 2004.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Between 3 June 1994 and 21 November 1994 records of Rinjani's eruptive history indicate activity accorded Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) with a rating of 3 with the area of activity described as Gunung Barujari. Eruptive characteristics documented for the events of that time are described as, central vent eruption with an explosive eruption, with pyroclastic flow(s), lava flow(s), fatalities and mudflow(s) (lahars).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">In May 1994 a glow was noticed on the crater floor of Barujari cone, which at this time had undergone no significant activity since August 1966. A portable seismograph (PS-2) and telemetry seismograph (Teledyne) were put into operation on 27 May and 9 June, respectively. One volcanic earthquake event/day was recorded on 27, 28, 30, and 31 May. After 4 June, however, volcanic tremor with a maximum amplitude of 35 mm was recorded, presumably associated with the upward movement of magma. At 0200 on 3 June1994, Barujari cone began erupting by sending an ash plume 500 m high. One 8 June 1994 press report described emission of "smoldering lava" and "thick smoke," as well as ashfall in nearby villages from an ash cloud rising 1,500 m above the summit. Between 3 and 10 June 1994, up to 172 explosions could be heard each day from the Sembalun Lawang volcano observatory (~15 km NE). During this period, seismic data indicated a dramatic increase in the number of explosions per day, from 68 to 18,720. Eruptions were continuous at least through 19 June 1994, with maximum ash plume heights of 2,000 m on 9–11 June 1994.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Between 28 March 1966 and 8 August 1966 records of Rinjani's eruptive history indicate activity accorded a Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) rating of 1. Lava volume of 6.6 x 106 m3 and a tephra volume of 2 x 104 m3 was recorded. The area of activity described was the east side of Barujari (2250 m). Eruptive characteristics were documented as a central vent eruption, explosive eruption and lava flow(s).[42]</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">In December 1944 Rinjani appears to have had a significant event. Between December 25, 1944 and 1 January 1945 eruptive activity is rated 2 on the Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) The event has been listed in the historical records of the Global Volcanism Program indicating a lava volume: of 7.4 x 107 m3 occurring in an area of activity on the north west flank of Barujari (Rombongan). The eruptive characteristics are described a central vent eruption on the flank (excentric) vent, a crater lake eruption, explosive eruption, lava flow(s) and a lava dome extrusion with associated damage to land, property.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Monitoring program</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Gunung Rinjani Observation Post Rinjani Sembalun is located in the village of Lawang, Sub Sembalun 12.5 km (4000 feet) northeast of G. Rinjani) in the Regency of East Lombok. Observers at this post monitor G.Rinjani, G.Barujari/G.Tenga within the Segara Anak Caldera.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiizFcgZVsS-horQE8SdOwmSrWaLg_OQC6JjfOulQHkEH9eqwvN-2O5LuYO5QV85jqrd5GyuhKYdmeRspbeCdGC2R4-btJkrvklLdaQHPv0KNQ7_g_eAv0AlCfyoQ_vgwZRC4Dc0ChV3xCi/s1600/RinjaniSummit_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiizFcgZVsS-horQE8SdOwmSrWaLg_OQC6JjfOulQHkEH9eqwvN-2O5LuYO5QV85jqrd5GyuhKYdmeRspbeCdGC2R4-btJkrvklLdaQHPv0KNQ7_g_eAv0AlCfyoQ_vgwZRC4Dc0ChV3xCi/s400/RinjaniSummit_web.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Rinjani National Park</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The volcano and the caldera are protected by the Gunung Rinjani National Park established in 1997. Tourism is increasingly popular with trekkers able to visit the rim, make their way into the caldera or even to make the more arduous climb to the highest point; fatalities, however, are not uncommon. In July 2009 the summit route was closed due to volcanic activity at that time and subsequently reopened when the activity decreased. During early 2010 up to and including May 2010 access to Rinjani was at times again restricted due to volcanic activity.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The park is popular for mountain climbs and trekking and represents an important nature reserve and water catchement area. The park is officially 41,330 hectares within the park boundaries and includes a further 66,000 hectares of protected forest outside. The mountain and its satellites form the Mount Rinjani National Park (Taman Nasional Gunung Rinjani) - officially 41,000 hectares within the park boundaries and a further 66,000 hectares of protected forest outside. In 2008, the Indonesian government proposed to UNESCO that Mount Rinjani be one of the world's official geoparks. If this was approved by UNESCO, Mount Rinjani would become the first such geological park in Indonesia.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">It has been claimed that the preliminary documentation required for UNESCO registration has not received sufficient support from the Nusa Teggara Barat government offices. Among the requirements to become a geo-park sufficient information must be supplied to show that the location has sufficient and appropriate management, information services, access to educational instruction to facilitate "knowledge-based geotourism", the implementation of a sustainable regional economy, biodiversity conservation, and to have established public access to the park area.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mount Rinjani has obtained the World Legacy Award from Conservation International and Traveller (2004), and was a finalist for Tourism for Tomorrow Awards (2005 dan 2008) from the World Travel Tourism Council (WTTC).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Eruption history of Rinjani</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><table border="1" class="wikitable"><tbody>
<tr><th>VEI</th> <th>Date <span class="nowrap">Start-Stop</span></th> <th>Lava Volume</th> <th>Tephra Volume</th> <th>Area of Activity</th> <th>Eruptive Characteristics</th> <th>Note<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-52"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Rinjani#cite_note-52"></a></sup></th> </tr>
<tr> <th style="background-color: white;">2</th> <td>2010 February<br />
<span class="nowrap">2010 May 23</span></td> <td><br />
</td> <td><br />
</td> <td>Gunung Barujari</td> <td>Smoke Plumes <span class="nowrap">ash eruptions</span> <span class="nowrap">ejected incandescent material<br />
fell within Rinjani caldera</span><br />
<span class="nowrap">some ash was blown out of the caldera</span><br />
possible ash plume rose to an altitude of 5.5 km<br />
<span class="nowrap">further ash plumes to 2km, lava flows, crop damage</span></td> <td>SI / USGS Weekly Volcanic <span class="nowrap">Activity</span> Report-Rinjani<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-53"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Rinjani#cite_note-53"></a></sup><br />
<span class="nowrap">PVMGV-Evaluasi</span> <span class="nowrap">Kegiatan G. Rinjani</span><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-volcano.si.edu_31-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Rinjani#cite_note-volcano.si.edu-31"></a></sup> ABC Asia Pacific News Service 24 may2010<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Volcano_erupts_in_Indonesia_25-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Rinjani#cite_note-Volcano_erupts_in_Indonesia-25"></a></sup></td> </tr>
<tr> <th style="background-color: white;">2</th> <td>2009 May 2<br />
<span class="nowrap">2009 Dec 20 (?)</span></td> <td><br />
</td> <td><br />
</td> <td>NE flank of <span class="nowrap">Gunung Barujari</span></td> <td><span class="nowrap">Central vent eruption</span> <span class="nowrap">Flank (excentric) vent</span> <span class="nowrap">Explosive eruption</span> <span class="nowrap">Lava flow(s)</span></td> <td>Historical Records<br />
GVP-Rinjani</td> </tr>
<tr> <th style="background-color: white;">2</th> <td>2004 Oct 1<br />
<span class="nowrap">2004 Oct 5<br />
(on or after)</span></td> <td><br />
</td> <td><br />
</td> <td>Summit and NE flank of <span class="nowrap">Gunung Barujari</span></td> <td><span class="nowrap">Central vent eruption</span> <span class="nowrap">Central vent eruption</span> <span class="nowrap">Flank (excentric) vent</span> <span class="nowrap">Explosive eruption</span></td> <td>Historical Records<br />
GVP-Rinjani</td> </tr>
<tr> <th style="background-color: white;">0</th> <td>1995 Sep 12</td> <td><br />
</td> <td><br />
</td> <td><br />
</td> <td>Explosive eruption (?)</td> <td>Historical Records<br />
GVP-Rinjani<br />
<span class="nowrap">Eruption "Uncertain"</span></td> </tr>
<tr> <th style="background-color: white;">3?</th> <td>1994 Jun 3<br />
<span class="nowrap">1994 Nov 2</span></td> <td><br />
</td> <td><br />
</td> <td>Gunung Barujar</td> <td>Central vent eruption <span class="nowrap">Explosive eruption</span> <span class="nowrap">Pyroclastic flow(s)</span> <span class="nowrap">Lava flow(s)</span> <span class="nowrap">Fatalities</span> <span class="nowrap">Mudflow(s) (lahars)</span></td> <td>Historical Records<br />
GVP-Rinjani<br />
<span class="nowrap">(VEI): 3</span></td> </tr>
<tr> <th style="background-color: white;">1</th> <td>1966 Mar 28<br />
<span class="nowrap">1966 Aug 8</span></td> <td>6.6 x <span class="nowrap">10⁶ m³</span></td> <td>2 x <span class="nowrap">10⁴ m³</span></td> <td>Eastern side of <span class="nowrap">Gunung Barujari (2250 m)</span></td> <td>Central vent eruption <span class="nowrap">Explosive eruption</span> <span class="nowrap">Lava flow(s) </span></td> <td>Historical Records<br />
GVP-Rinjani</td> </tr>
<tr> <th style="background-color: white;">0?</th> <td>1965 Sep<br />
<span class="nowrap">(end) Unknown</span></td> <td><br />
</td> <td><br />
</td> <td>Gunung Barujari</td> <td>Flank (excentric) vent eruption<br />
<span class="nowrap">Lava flow(s) </span></td> <td>Historical Records<br />
GVP-Rinjani</td> </tr>
<tr> <th style="background-color: white;">0?</th> <td>1953 Oct 15<br />
<span class="nowrap">± 45 days</span><br />
(end) Unknown</td> <td><br />
</td> <td><br />
</td> <td>Gunung Barujari</td> <td>Central vent eruption</td> <td>Historical Records<br />
GVP-Rinjani<br />
<span class="nowrap">(VEI): 0?</span></td> </tr>
<tr> <th style="background-color: white;">0?</th> <td>1949<br />
1950 <span class="nowrap">(months uncertain)</span></td> <td><br />
</td> <td><br />
</td> <td>NW flank of Gunung Barujari</td> <td>Central vent eruption <span class="nowrap">Explosive eruption</span> <span class="nowrap">Lava flow(s)</span></td> <td>Historical Records<br />
GVP-Rinjani</td> </tr>
<tr> <th style="background-color: white;">2</th> <td>1944 Dec 25<br />
<span class="nowrap">1945 Jan 1 (?)</span></td> <td>7.4 x <span class="nowrap">10⁷ m³</span></td> <td><br />
</td> <td>NW flank of Barujari (Rombongan)</td> <td><span class="nowrap">Central vent eruption Flank (excentric) vent</span> <span class="nowrap">Crater lake eruption</span> <span class="nowrap">Explosive eruption</span> <span class="nowrap">Lava flow(s)</span> <span class="nowrap">Lava dome extrusion</span> <span class="nowrap">Damage (land, property, etc.)</span></td> <td>Historical Records<br />
GVP-Rinjani</td> </tr>
<tr> <th style="background-color: white;">0</th> <td>1941 May 30<br />
<span class="nowrap">(end) Unknown</span></td> <td><br />
</td> <td><br />
</td> <td>Rinjani summit</td> <td>Central vent eruption</td> <td>Historical Records<br />
GVP-Rinjani<br />
<span class="nowrap">Eruption is Uncertain</span></td> </tr>
<tr> <th style="background-color: white;">2</th> <td>1915 Nov 4<br />
<span class="nowrap">(end) Unknown</span></td> <td><br />
</td> <td><br />
</td> <td>Gunung Barujari<br />
(Segara Munjar)</td> <td>Central vent eruption <span class="nowrap">Explosive eruption</span></td> <td>Historical Records<br />
GVP-Rinjani</td> </tr>
<tr> <th style="background-color: white;">2</th> <td>1909 Nov 30<br />
<span class="nowrap">1909 Dec 2</span></td> <td><br />
</td> <td><br />
</td> <td>Gunung Barujari</td> <td><span class="nowrap">Central vent eruption Explosive eruption</span><br />
<span class="nowrap">Mudflow(s) (lahars)</span></td> <td>Historical Records<br />
GVP-Rinjani</td> </tr>
<tr> <th style="background-color: white;">1</th> <td>1906 Apr 29<br />
<span class="nowrap">(end) Unknown</span></td> <td><br />
</td> <td><br />
</td> <td>Gunung Barujari</td> <td>Central vent eruption Explosive eruption</td> <td>Historical Records<br />
GVP-Rinjani</td> </tr>
<tr> <th style="background-color: white;">2</th> <td>1901 Jun 1<br />
<span class="nowrap">1901 Jun 2</span></td> <td><br />
</td> <td><br />
</td> <td>Gunung Barujari</td> <td>Central vent eruption Explosive eruption</td> <td>Historical Records<br />
GVP-Rinjani</td> </tr>
<tr> <th style="background-color: white;">2</th> <td>1900 Nov 30<br />
1900 Dec 2</td> <td><br />
</td> <td><br />
</td> <td>Gunung Barujari</td> <td>Central vent eruption <span class="nowrap">Explosive eruption</span> <span class="nowrap">Lava flow(s)</span></td> <td>Historical Records<br />
GVP-Rinjani</td> </tr>
<tr> <th style="background-color: white;">2</th> <td>1884 Aug 8<br />
1884 Aug 10<br />
<span class="nowrap">± 1 day</span></td> <td><br />
</td> <td><br />
</td> <td>Gunung Barujari</td> <td>Central vent eruption <span class="nowrap">Explosive eruption</span></td> <td>Historical Records<br />
GVP-Rinjani</td> </tr>
<tr> <th style="background-color: white;">2<span style="background-color: white;"></span><span style="background-color: white;"></span></th> <td>1847 Sep 10<br />
1847 Sep 12</td> <td><br />
</td> <td><br />
</td> <td>Gunung Barujari</td> <td>Central vent eruption <span class="nowrap">Explosive eruption</span></td> <td>Historical Records<br />
GVP-Rinjani</td> </tr>
<tr> <th style="background-color: white;">n/a</th> <td>13th century (?)<br />
exact date unknown</td> <td><br />
</td> <td><br />
</td> <td>Gunung Rinjani</td> <td>Possible caldera forming eruption</td> <td>Speculative date<br />
Refer to scientific literature<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-55"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Rinjani#cite_note-55"></a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-56"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Rinjani#cite_note-56"></a></sup></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYrRClOXi4DUopC4PQnhMqr4fFRp4_InI1K63aTtup7jhe2ZrT9paLzMEP1pQ6mLGBual0uhAFS3AKb826ttSxO5Lg-Gig_2bZjg-cTYVm3KgG8UO33CUfQIjtgl9aL-KBob0YUWp13kkB/s1600/Segara_anak_lake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYrRClOXi4DUopC4PQnhMqr4fFRp4_InI1K63aTtup7jhe2ZrT9paLzMEP1pQ6mLGBual0uhAFS3AKb826ttSxO5Lg-Gig_2bZjg-cTYVm3KgG8UO33CUfQIjtgl9aL-KBob0YUWp13kkB/s400/Segara_anak_lake.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631353253668989136.post-83253297643842601802012-02-06T00:39:00.000+07:002012-02-06T00:39:04.623+07:00Mount Doi Inthanon (2,565 m), the highest peak in Thailand<div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI1mVfZl16gxV8Mpqc0DTRo4x3b0b8pLOldmpJQU5yOfbNarcyeEBMxFBraCZAve7BWTNpXEBLUlsMmLQYKlJWdWjO2EbC7fNiG-9-ecJ_SiUnP5oKWpP19fP_dI3u5vUMsc4dFtAnWGfl/s1600/img_23561.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI1mVfZl16gxV8Mpqc0DTRo4x3b0b8pLOldmpJQU5yOfbNarcyeEBMxFBraCZAve7BWTNpXEBLUlsMmLQYKlJWdWjO2EbC7fNiG-9-ecJ_SiUnP5oKWpP19fP_dI3u5vUMsc4dFtAnWGfl/s320/img_23561.jpg" width="240" /></a>Doi Inthanon is the highest mountain in Thailand. It is located in Mae Chaem District, Chiang Mai Province. The mountain was also known in the past as Doi Luang (meaning big mountain) or Doi Ang Ka, meaning the crow's pond top. Near the mountain's base was a pond where many crows gathered. The name Doi Inthanon was given in honour of the king Inthawichayanon, one of the last kings of Chiang Mai, who was concerned about the forests in the north and tried to preserve them. He ordered that after his death his remains shall be placed at Doi Luang, which was then renamed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Today, the summit of Doi Inthanon is a popular tourist destination for both foreign and Thai tourists, with a peak of 12,000+ visitors visiting the summit on New Year's Day. In addition to a range of tourist facilities on the summit, there is also a Royal Thai Air Force weather radar antenna on the summit.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<b>Geography</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Doi Inthanon is part of the Thanon Thong Chai Range, a mountain range of the Thai highlands stretching southwards from the Daen Lao Range. This range, the southwesternmost of the Shan Highland system, separates the Salween watershed from the Mekong watershed. Other high peaks of the Loi Lar Mountain Range are Doi Luang Chiang Dao (2,175 m), Doi Pui (1,685 m), and Doi Suthep (1,601 m).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">In 1954, the forests around Doi Inthanon were preserved, creating Doi Inthanon National Park, as one of the original 14 National parks of Thailand. This park now covers 482.40 km² and spreads from the lowlands at 800 m altitude up to the peak at 2565 m. The summit experiences average year-round temperatures in the low to mid teens (Celsius) and high humidity. It is not uncommon for the temperature to drop below zero during the winter months. Given the varied climatic and ecological areas regions, the park supports a range of animal species including over 360 bird species.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">On the lower slope of Doi Inthanon, near the Karen hill tribe village Ban Sop Had, are the Wachirathan waterfalls, where the Wachirathan tumbles over a granite escarpment.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6NE8pFiphDcOAfNvu2NII8HEYknrd8YD5QNxmYSKl70PrdaV-iCWiwXcKqy3LKZEjbBR60yV-lVk-rg87CnVrKR6hs2UiXcjXxbf89yK-A-_Ei5J7sFeRfbB_2setPbQq7WHQL3e1G4xC/s1600/north-thailand-great-views-05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6NE8pFiphDcOAfNvu2NII8HEYknrd8YD5QNxmYSKl70PrdaV-iCWiwXcKqy3LKZEjbBR60yV-lVk-rg87CnVrKR6hs2UiXcjXxbf89yK-A-_Ei5J7sFeRfbB_2setPbQq7WHQL3e1G4xC/s400/north-thailand-great-views-05.jpg" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Napamaytanidol Chedi</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">On the main road to the summit of Doi Inthanon stand the two Napamaytanidol Chedi. These temples were built to honour the 60th birthday of the King and Queen in 1987 and 1992 respectively.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Geology</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Geologically the mountain is a granite batholith in a north-south oriented mountain range. The second-highest peak of this range is Doi Hua Mod Luang at 2,340 m.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGuKEqLVJtUqpAYH6ZY8eEQ93nv8rhw4siLKUlqrvzBx1MLXN3jKpzfDQOG4YUYzc-xf-5oKnOiVx1fK4IjoWWIFi8_14cBAc4vWRn5ugAG_aI8R4G4wQD4ZSctK7ON4ZWDB_1magDORWP/s1600/DSCF4008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGuKEqLVJtUqpAYH6ZY8eEQ93nv8rhw4siLKUlqrvzBx1MLXN3jKpzfDQOG4YUYzc-xf-5oKnOiVx1fK4IjoWWIFi8_14cBAc4vWRn5ugAG_aI8R4G4wQD4ZSctK7ON4ZWDB_1magDORWP/s400/DSCF4008.jpg" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631353253668989136.post-27051076620665155202012-01-23T00:24:00.000+07:002012-01-23T00:24:17.036+07:00Mount Apo (2,954 m), the highest point in the Philippines<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggJNDrUU3xJdHMMdgmNff1Egzda-8uovprqQU_CnF5d20DZTWJM4icow0wk5hFlbfG-cbhWws3KnCQHOGNgJLTplB-e5MS0OhCWp4nZCiGDR7I2W2IfXlB7UN27YPcF_G7K8sbx_9sUHBD/s1600/_DSC0641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggJNDrUU3xJdHMMdgmNff1Egzda-8uovprqQU_CnF5d20DZTWJM4icow0wk5hFlbfG-cbhWws3KnCQHOGNgJLTplB-e5MS0OhCWp4nZCiGDR7I2W2IfXlB7UN27YPcF_G7K8sbx_9sUHBD/s320/_DSC0641.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="rg_ctlv">Mount Apo - Philippines' Highest Peak</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Mount Apo is a large solfataric, potentially-active stratovolcano in the island of Mindanao, Philippines. With an altitude of 2,954 metres (9,692 ft), it is the highest mountain in the country and is located between Davao City and Davao del Sur province in Region XI and Cotabato province in Region XII. The peak overlooks Davao City 40 kilometres (25 mi) to the northeast, Digos City 25 kilometres (16 mi) to the southeast, and Kidapawan City 20 kilometres (12 mi) to the west.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Apo, which means "ancestor", is flat-topped mountain with three peaks and is capped by a 500-metre-wide (1,600 ft) volcanic crater containing a small crater lake. The date of its most recent eruption is unknown, and none are verified in historical times.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The volcano is one of the most popular climbing destinations in the Philippines with the summit, on the average, takes two days to reach. The first recorded climb was on October 10, 1880, by a party led by Joaquin Rajal, then Spanish governor of Davao.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><u><b>Conservation</b></u></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Mount Apo Natural Park</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">On May 9, 1936, Mount Apo was declared a national park with Proclamation no. 59 by President Manuel L. Quezon, followed by Proclamation no. 35 of May 8, 1966 then Proclamation no. 882 of September 24, 1996. On February 3, 2004, the approval of Republic Act no. 9237 established Mount Apo as a protected area under the category of natural park with an area of 54,974.87 hectares (135,845.9 acres); with two peripheral areas of 2,571.73 hectares (6,354.9 acres) and 6,506.40 hectares (16,077.7 acres) as buffer zones, provided for its management and for other purposes.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Although a declared a Natural Park, the current climbing trails are littered with rubbish by irresponsible climbers, opening paths for soil erosion across the already denuded mountain sides. Some mountain and social climbing groups conduct climbs after the Holy Week/Easter, the peak climbing season, to clean the affected areas.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4RSuQdVwngtl2EpJB8w7kEAsjeJntb0z7EayAxEAH-g4NvYO03SC-OmDVp7ove1F299pkZX9_ctjM3XoUIt6J33MuS0-uZNZf4IYJou05cNbTmL8ZTGBNfRINcNjbnuKx1dCrSDODhoUH/s1600/kapatagan+marianne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4RSuQdVwngtl2EpJB8w7kEAsjeJntb0z7EayAxEAH-g4NvYO03SC-OmDVp7ove1F299pkZX9_ctjM3XoUIt6J33MuS0-uZNZf4IYJou05cNbTmL8ZTGBNfRINcNjbnuKx1dCrSDODhoUH/s400/kapatagan+marianne.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>UNESCO World Heritage list</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) submitted Mount Apo on December 12, 2009 for inclusion in the UNESCO world heritage list. The mountain is considered by DENR as the center of endemism in Mindanao. It has one of the highest land-based biological diversity in terms of flora and fauna per unit area. It has three distinct forest formations, from lowland tropical rainforest, to mid-mountain forests, and finally to high mountain forests.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">A portion of the eastern slopes are also within the scope of the UNESCO Hydrology Environment Life and Policy (HELP) Network. The Davao HELP Network is focused on building collaboration among watershed stakeholders.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Flora and Fauna</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The mountain is home to over 272 bird species, 111 of which are endemic to the area. It is also home to one of the world's largest eagles, the Philippine Eagle, which is the country’s national bird.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Fruits like durian, the king of fruits, grow abundantly in Mt. Apo.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtaMHmtP5TfuG1to2bDpPMdR8lXJg1mtKg1wZv05rWj9TOIzV45FBkaECj7RsN5pIUx0Mv4GRKTjXqHOjPpJyf2r7TffVVrlDiBJ94aEvPQT6FsmBnZ2ZI1IvEYkpHD6qd4neOPKf6NpYA/s1600/Mount_Apo_sulfur_vent3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtaMHmtP5TfuG1to2bDpPMdR8lXJg1mtKg1wZv05rWj9TOIzV45FBkaECj7RsN5pIUx0Mv4GRKTjXqHOjPpJyf2r7TffVVrlDiBJ94aEvPQT6FsmBnZ2ZI1IvEYkpHD6qd4neOPKf6NpYA/s400/Mount_Apo_sulfur_vent3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><u><b>Geothermal energy</b></u></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mount Apo is an excellent source of geothermal energy. Located in Barangay Ilomavis, Kidapawan City, North Cotabato is the Mindanao Geothermal Production Field with a power output of 106 MW, currently the only power plant of its kind in Mindanao.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Philippine National Oil Company geothermal plant supplies electricity to Kidapawan and its neighboring provinces, its completion boosted the city's economy.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><u><b>Indigenous peoples</b></u></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Six indigenous peoples - Manobos, Bagobo, Ubos, Atas, K’Iagans and the Tagacaolo consider Mt. Apo as their ancestral domain and their home. These tribes have lived since time immemorial, around the mountain that they also consider as sacred ground, their place of worship and burial ground of Apo Sandawa, their great forefather. A number of genealogies of known Lumad leaders in South Central Mindanao trace their roots to Mt. Apo. For the Lumads, the term Apo was coined from the name of their great grandparent Apo Sandawa. Mt. Apo is the source of their continual supply of food and medicine, their spiritual and cultural way of life.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><u><b>Hiking activity</b></u></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">At 2,954 meters (9,692 ft), Mount Apo is the highest mountain in the Philippines. This majestic peak is one of the country's most popular climbing destinations.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Several trails lead to the summit, coming from North Cotabato and Davao provinces. Arguably the easiest route to the National Park is through Kidapawan City with an average hike taking 3–4 days roundtrip. In the classification system used by local popular mountaineering website PinoyMountaineer.com, the difficulty of the hike is 7 out of 9. Various sights along the trail include Lake Venado, one of the highest lakes in the Philippines, the solfataras and the old crater near its summit. The mountain may be climbed year-round or one can register and join the city's Summer Climb or the Annual October Trek / Climb.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9F1cngOwcyN7likb6N42ydAsIcMbsDoUzTIfDbPMrOjpwW6gCRLtAOd1s3NVXckQ5ryI64Ijged714tHjUqHcN8YHY6TeXwCUGzkZEE5a4owY20NEXb1X-mk7xx8-NFPNwahl3ZaUqbWK/s1600/F1010008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9F1cngOwcyN7likb6N42ydAsIcMbsDoUzTIfDbPMrOjpwW6gCRLtAOd1s3NVXckQ5ryI64Ijged714tHjUqHcN8YHY6TeXwCUGzkZEE5a4owY20NEXb1X-mk7xx8-NFPNwahl3ZaUqbWK/s400/F1010008.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631353253668989136.post-73574675602637068562012-01-23T00:05:00.000+07:002012-01-23T00:05:01.099+07:00Mount Ramelau (2,963 m), the highest mountain in East Timor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghVuMDFC5v-nmMSq58zT1nIW2Y3X4dnP2MKYJwGNDZZFaTeVlupBBLSUp_9M4RgNq4002_807kF3UbkMmfsr0NLND3w0_dd0MFvgAcjxT91sfJ72cCVx-UrMD_u3cjHzPrtfM1Nq4meIV2/s1600/East+rise+resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghVuMDFC5v-nmMSq58zT1nIW2Y3X4dnP2MKYJwGNDZZFaTeVlupBBLSUp_9M4RgNq4002_807kF3UbkMmfsr0NLND3w0_dd0MFvgAcjxT91sfJ72cCVx-UrMD_u3cjHzPrtfM1Nq4meIV2/s320/East+rise+resized.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Tatamailau (Tetum: Foho Tatamailau), sometimes referred as Mount Ramelau, is the highest mountain in East Timor and also of Timor island at 2,963 m (9,721 ft). The mountain is located approximately 70 km (43 mi) of the capital Dili in the district of Ainaro. In Portuguese colonial days it was considered the highest mountain of Portugal, and indeed of the whole Portuguese colonial empire, since the highest mountain of Portugal is of a more modest height. The name "Tatamailau" is Mambai-origin, the local language and means "Grandfather of all". "Ramelau" is the name of the massif of the mountain. The Tatamailau is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and the subject of an annual pilgrimage commemorating the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, on or around March 25. There is a three meter high statue of the Virgin Mary on the peak, which came from Italy and was erected during the Indonesian rule in 1997.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Tatamailau can be climbed from the town of Hato Bulico 3 km (1.9 mi) to the northeast or from the village of Aimeta 6 km (3.7 mi) to the north; there is about 910 m (2,990 ft) of climbing from either. The track from Hato Bulico to the summit is very well formed having originally been cut to create a pilgrimage trail to the Virgin Mary figure on the summit and was once negotiable by four wheel drive vehicle. A map is not required once on the track. The track is now very severely degraded with massive washouts requiring major detours to negotiate. Because the track was cut for vehicular access the constant gradient is monotonous, the poor engineering has caused major environmental damage and the route affords few views of note. The route from Aimeta is via a network of goat herders' tracks, it does not appear on current maps and a local guide is needed. However, the Aimeta track is varied, traverses unspoilt country, is extremely interesting with many unfolding mountain views and consequently presents by far the most enjoyable climb. A fit person should allow four hours from Hato Bulico to the summit, six hours from Aimeta, nine hours from Aimeta to Hato Bulico. Assume no water is available en route. There is no human habitation above Hato Bulico or Aimeta. It is possible to camp on the saddle below the summit in the dry season and experience the sunset and sunrise from the same location. The summit can freeze in the dry season; in the wet season the summit can be sufficiently cold, wet and windy to pose a risk of hypothermia.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8sewU2eOUE_f5yS99dyPr3eCeZ8xmtX10QctX2PSCyn36p67JfGwIALVengputnlD40RM5GfNMLEpoI0NhtUCwZPsWdUSPwSEeYePbDytz7dZAT8l5oUHiyHqBs_DsfXLpRPr6KTZoQWY/s1600/mana+maria+resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8sewU2eOUE_f5yS99dyPr3eCeZ8xmtX10QctX2PSCyn36p67JfGwIALVengputnlD40RM5GfNMLEpoI0NhtUCwZPsWdUSPwSEeYePbDytz7dZAT8l5oUHiyHqBs_DsfXLpRPr6KTZoQWY/s400/mana+maria+resized.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Hato Bulico is a 1½ - 2 hour drive from Maubisse on a sealed road but requires a four wheel drive. In the wet season it can be dangerous and periodically impassable but never for long. There is an excellent resting place at Hato Bulico close to the start of the track.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Aimeta can be reached from Letefoho in about 1½ hours. Shelter, but not food, may be negotiated at Aimeta with local assistance but it is advisable to arrive entirely self sufficient. The nearest accommodation is at the Saint Bakhita, Eraulo, via Vila Ermera and an excellent, easy walk is to be had from there to Aimeta in about four hours. Horses for baggage can be hired at Aimeta and this is useful if camping on the summit or to assist stragglers. Aimeta can be a logistical challenge, which is why almost all summit bids are launched from Hato Bulico but it is possible, with care, for supporting transport to drive from Aimeta directly to Hato Bulico if the road is navigable otherwise, in the Wet season, via Gleno and Aileu in about five hours. An ideal route is to do the summit from Aimeta to Hato Bulico taking in both sides of the mountain; local assistance is essential for those without fluent Tetum and local knowledge.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4VdSGhj7DL0eMz2RXZn3ayCHiA_vDv16KwV90nPjUl7I-0OLmuLS1UGFZQKKtHucfYPt_c4u6upOC4bkiYBvxE6MMSIb20HoUQgpus2Zs0zujOfFr3drXOL-5vuJEVAgDh8wjqhvtn3Fl/s1600/nice+pic+B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4VdSGhj7DL0eMz2RXZn3ayCHiA_vDv16KwV90nPjUl7I-0OLmuLS1UGFZQKKtHucfYPt_c4u6upOC4bkiYBvxE6MMSIb20HoUQgpus2Zs0zujOfFr3drXOL-5vuJEVAgDh8wjqhvtn3Fl/s400/nice+pic+B.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631353253668989136.post-68616048784826420632012-01-22T23:41:00.001+07:002012-01-22T23:44:50.257+07:00Mount Kinabalu (4,093 m) the highest mountain of Malaysia and Borneo<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiixDxMM-Rf73rlYC2pg3u7SgTPZ4Vjx6dlEPV-XwxYOaGc01t9_xAGLlBhAbnH4BslY3HphAyCCxN0Y9XkSoIecmKciho7ucgFIGZL28CpbXPvjT6U0ByA8FbasDyMYqF77gj4Irdiy39O/s1600/29_Mt_Kinabalu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiixDxMM-Rf73rlYC2pg3u7SgTPZ4Vjx6dlEPV-XwxYOaGc01t9_xAGLlBhAbnH4BslY3HphAyCCxN0Y9XkSoIecmKciho7ucgFIGZL28CpbXPvjT6U0ByA8FbasDyMYqF77gj4Irdiy39O/s320/29_Mt_Kinabalu.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="rg_ctlv"><b>Mountain Kinabalu</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Mount Kinabalu (Malay: Gunung Kinabalu) is a prominent mountain on the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. It is located in the East Malaysian state of Sabah and is protected as Kinabalu National Park, a World Heritage Site. Kinabalu is the tallest peak in Borneo's Crocker Range and is the tallest mountain in the Malay Archipelago. Mount Kinabalu is also the 20th most prominent mountain in the world by topographic prominence.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">In 1997, a re-survey using satellite technology established its summit (known as Low’s Peak) height at 4,095 metres (13,435 ft) above sea level, which is some 6 metres (20 ft) less than the previously thought and hitherto published figure of 4,101 metres (13,455 ft).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mount Kinabalu includes the Kinabalu montane alpine meadows ecoregion in the montane grasslands and shrublands biome. The mountain and its surroundings are among the most important biological sites in the world, with over 4500 species of plant, 326 species of birds, and 100 mammalian species identified. Among this rich collection of wildlife are famous species such as the gigantic Rafflesia plants and the orangutan. Mount Kinabalu has been accorded UNESCO World Heritage status.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Low's Peak can be climbed quite easily by a person in good physical condition and there is no need for mountaineering equipment at any point on the main route. Other peaks along the massif, however, require rock climbing skills.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Biology</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Significantly, Mount Kinabalu along with other upland areas of the Crocker Range is well-known worldwide for its tremendous botanical and biological species biodiversity with plants of Himalayan, Australasian, and Indomalayan origin. A recent botanical survey of the mountain estimated a staggering 5,000 to 6,000 plant species (excluding mosses and liverworts but including ferns), which is more than all of Europe and North America (excluding tropical regions of Mexico) combined. It is therefore one of the world's most important biological sites.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRBT4d7H_wlYBEWXLWfF7uQNCWBn5xB8oAAkvHNZWO87B4wcYlHwUVod7Uis5h9iPwK6P-DosR4Zg9NPWeL317SGKSVugF6fjXnxvc42_ySG-n4KEDYinEcIqHpxxBSn0Yo3SLx-W-cmtx/s1600/Nepenthes_rajah.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRBT4d7H_wlYBEWXLWfF7uQNCWBn5xB8oAAkvHNZWO87B4wcYlHwUVod7Uis5h9iPwK6P-DosR4Zg9NPWeL317SGKSVugF6fjXnxvc42_ySG-n4KEDYinEcIqHpxxBSn0Yo3SLx-W-cmtx/s400/Nepenthes_rajah.png" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Large lower pitcher of <i><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3631353253668989136" title="Nepenthes rajah">Nepenthes rajah</a></i></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Flora</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The flora covers the mountain in zones of different types of habitat as one climbs up, beginning with a lowland belt of fig trees and insectivorous pitcher plants. Then between 2,600 to 3,200 m (8,530 to 10,499 ft) is a layer of short trees such the conifer Dacrydium gibbsiae and dwarf shrubs, mosses, lichens, liverworts, and ferns. Finally many of the world's richest variety of orchids are found on the high rockier slopes.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">These plants have high levels of endemism (i.e. species which are found only within Kinabalu Park and are not found anywhere else in the world). The orchids are the best-known example with over 800 species including some of the highly-valued Paphiopedilum slipper orchids, but there are also over 600 species of ferns (more than the whole of Africa’s 500 species) of which 50 are found nowhere else, and the richest collection in the world for the Nepenthes pitcher plants (five of the thirteen are found nowhere else on earth) which reach spectacular proportions (the largest-pitchered in the world being the endemic Nepenthes rajah). The parasitic Rafflesia plant, which has the largest single flower in the world, is also found in Kinabalu (particularly Rafflesia keithii whose flower grows to 94 centimetres (37 in) in diameter), though it should be noted that blooms of the flower are rare and difficult to find. Meanwhile another Rafflesia species, Rafflesia tengku-adlinii, can be found on the neighbouring Mount Trus Madi and the nearby Maliau Basin.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Its incredible biodiversity in plant life is due to a combination of several unique factors: its setting in one of the richest plant regions of the world (the tropical biogeographical region known as western Malesia which comprises the island of Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula, and the island of Borneo), the fact that the mountain covers a wide climatic range from near sea level to freezing ground conditions near the summit, the jagged terrain and diversity of rocks and soils, the high levels of rainfall (averaging about 2,700 millimetres (110 in) a year at park HQ), and the climatic instability caused by periods of glaciation and catastrophic droughts which result in evolution and speciation. This diversity is greatest in the lowland regions (consisting of lowland dipterocarp forests, so called because the tree family Dipterocarpaceae are dominant). However, most of Kinabalu’s endemic species are found in the mountain forests, particularly on ultramafic soils (i.e. soils which are low in phosphates and high in iron and metals poisonous to many plants; this high toxic content gave rise to the development of distinctive plant species found nowhere else).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibedA1TW6qSMVqDT0iacNZX7cUM7gxkY-PysoLRu_jaJoFwWAEbHUfUBQwzPkMg6k4vElnQR3uQPTj1rNuQcXjqva6WUmbdhQRvNy6pZxvbloWjkSHg7unHSu8P2pMYVpDe49Zwhcts0Z_/s1600/1280px-Borneo_Mount_Kinabalu_Moutain_Squirrel_Rat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibedA1TW6qSMVqDT0iacNZX7cUM7gxkY-PysoLRu_jaJoFwWAEbHUfUBQwzPkMg6k4vElnQR3uQPTj1rNuQcXjqva6WUmbdhQRvNy6pZxvbloWjkSHg7unHSu8P2pMYVpDe49Zwhcts0Z_/s400/1280px-Borneo_Mount_Kinabalu_Moutain_Squirrel_Rat.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>A mountain squirrel, probably <i>Sundasciurus tenuis</i>, from Mount Kinabalu</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Fauna</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The variety of plant life is also habitat for a great variety of birds and animals. There are some 326 species of birds in Kinabalu Park, including the spectacular Rhinoceros Hornbill, Mountain Serpent-eagle, Dulit Frogmouth, Eyebrowed Jungle Flycatcher, and Bare-headed Laughingthrush. Twenty-four birds are mainly found on the mountain and one, the Bornean Spiderhunter, is a pure endemic. The mountain is home to some 100 mammalian species mostly living high in th trees, including one of the four great apes, the orangutan (though sightings of these are uncommon; estimates of its numbers in the park range from 25 to 120). Other mammals include three kinds of deer, the Malayan Weasel (Mustela nudipes), Oriental Small-clawed Otter (Aonyx cinerea), and Leopard Cat (Felis bengalensis). Endemic mammals include the Black Shrew (Suncus ater) and Bornean Ferret-badger (Melogale everetti).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Endemic annelids number less than a dozen known species but include the Kinabalu giant red leech that preys on various earthworms, including the Kinabalu giant earthworm.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Threats and preservation</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The steep mountainsides with poor soil are not suitable for farming or for the timber industry so the habitats and animal life of Kinabalu remain largely intact, with about a third of the original habitat now degraded. Kinabalu Park was established in 1964 and the nearby mountains were protected as the Crocker Range National Park in 1984. However even national park status does not guarantee full protection, as logging permits were granted on Trus Madi in 1984.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb3oM08jGQOg2QJbf-X4usvwryIxDgfnDlagLeGrrYtzdDbVRAmYd67BGRrRl8jLl60wJsQWXhLMdbWwuX9oK5o6HbgbDr1prkKh_KdFUk8sFSocTDvOGOu-pPEH0zQ0B1pN77s26Pl56h/s1600/Summit_of_Mount_Kinabalu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb3oM08jGQOg2QJbf-X4usvwryIxDgfnDlagLeGrrYtzdDbVRAmYd67BGRrRl8jLl60wJsQWXhLMdbWwuX9oK5o6HbgbDr1prkKh_KdFUk8sFSocTDvOGOu-pPEH0zQ0B1pN77s26Pl56h/s400/Summit_of_Mount_Kinabalu.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Summit of Mount Kinabalu</b></td></tr>
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Geology</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mount Kinabalu is essentially a massive pluton formed from granodiorite which is intrusive into sedimentary and ultrabasic rocks, and forms the central part, or core, of the Kinabalu massif. The granodiorite is intrusive into strongly folded strata, probably of Eocene to Miocene age, and associated ultrabasic and basic igneous rocks. It was pushed up from the earth’s crust as molten rock millions of years ago. In geological terms, it is a very young mountain as the granodiorite cooled and hardened only about 10 million years ago. The present landform is considered to be a mid-Pliocene peneplain, arched and deeply dissected, through which the Kinabalu granodiorite body has risen in isostatic adjustment. It is still pushing up at the rate of 5 mm per annum. During the Pleistocene Epoch of about 100,000 years ago, the massive mountain was covered by huge sheets of ice and glaciers which flowed down its slopes, scouring its surface in the process and creating the 1,800 metres (5,900 ft) deep Low's Gully (named after Hugh Low) on its north side. Its granite composition and the glacial formative processes are readily apparent when viewing its craggy rocky peaks.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>History</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">British colonial administrator Hugh Low made the first recorded ascent of Mount Kinabalu's summit plateau in March 1851. Low did not scale the mountain's highest peak, however, considering it "inaccessible to any but winged animals". In April and July 1858, Low was accompanied on two further ascents by Spenser St. John, the British Consul in Brunei. The highest point of Mount Kinabalu was finally reached in 1888 by zoologist John Whitehead. British botanist Lilian Gibbs became the first woman and the first botanist to summit Mount Kinabalu in February 1910.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Botanist E. J. H. Corner led two important expeditions of the Royal Society of Great Britain to the mountain in 1961 and 1964. Kinabalu National Park was established in 1964. The park was designated a natural World Heritage Site in 2000.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpPbzGI9BVP88xpz1bkcl1-z8m49aRjwne_6dxf7H3GB6K3kVVlVMhH9eVHDQubL2bWoz-7KVvYojcbOu3FbGjnUXSmnlxnweoXsey12xCiAbt-A55C4irFJ5vpRu5ncloqYzqyDeD-NEr/s1600/3-wires-cable-bridge-on-the-Worlds-Highest-Via-Ferrata1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpPbzGI9BVP88xpz1bkcl1-z8m49aRjwne_6dxf7H3GB6K3kVVlVMhH9eVHDQubL2bWoz-7KVvYojcbOu3FbGjnUXSmnlxnweoXsey12xCiAbt-A55C4irFJ5vpRu5ncloqYzqyDeD-NEr/s400/3-wires-cable-bridge-on-the-Worlds-Highest-Via-Ferrata1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Climbing route</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Climbers must be accompanied by accredited guides at all times due to national park regulations. There are two main starting points for the climb: the Timpohon Gate (located 5.5 km from Kinabalu Park Headquarters, at an altitude of 1,866 metres (6,122 ft)), and the Mesilau Nature Resort. The latter starting point is slightly higher in elevation, but crosses a ridge, adding about two kilometres to the ascent and making the total elevation gain slightly higher. The two trails meet about two kilometres before Laban Rata.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Accommodation is available inside the park or outside near the headquarters. Sabah Parks has privatized Mount Kinabalu activities to an organization called Sutera Sanctuary Lodges (also known as Sutera Harbour). The mountain may be climbed on a single day drip, or hikers may (usually) stay one night at Laban Rata Resthouse at 3,270 metres (10,730 ft) in order to complete the climb in 2 days, finishing the ascent and descending on the second day. The majority of climbers begin the ascent on day one of a two day hike from Timpohon gate at 1,866 metres (6,122 ft), reaching this location either by minibus or by walking, and then walk to Laban Rata. Most people accomplish this part of the climb in 3 to 6 hours. Since there are no roads, the supplies for the Laban Rata Resthouse are carried by porters, who bring up to 30 kilograms of supplies on their backs. Hot food and beverages, hot showers and heated rooms are available at Laban Rata. The last 2 kilometres (6,600 ft), from the Laban Rata Resthouse at 3,270 metres (10,730 ft) to Low's Peak (summit) at 4,095.2 metres (13,436 ft), takes between 2 and 4 hours. The last part of the climb is on naked granite rock.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Given the high altitude, some people may suffer from altitude sickness and should return immediately to the bottom of the mountain, as breathing and any further movement becomes increasingly difficult.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Tales</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">There are two stories that led to the main beliefs in the origin of the mountain's name.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The first derivation of the word Kinabalu is extracted from the short form for the Kadazan Dusun word 'Aki Nabalu', meaning "the revered place of the dead".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The second source states that the name "Kinabalu" actually means "Cina Balu" (which would fully mean "A Chinese Widow"). Due to the lingual influence among the Kadazan Dusun of Sabah, the pronunciation for the word "cina" (chee-na) was changed to "Kina" (kee-na).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was told that a Chinese prince, was cast away to Borneo when his ship sank in the middle of the South China Sea. He was subsequently rescued by the natives from a nearby village. As he recovered, he was slowly accepted as one of the people of the village. Eventually, he fell in love with a local woman, and married her. Years went by, and he started to feel homesick. So he asked permission from his newly-found family to go back to China to visit his parents (the Emperor and Empress of China). To his wife, he promised that as soon as he was done with his family duties in China, he would come back to Borneo to take her and their children back to China.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">When he made his return to China, he was given a grand welcome by his family. However, to his dismay, his parents disagreed with him about taking his Bornean wife back to China. Worse, they told him that he was already betrothed to a princess of a neighbouring kingdom. Having no choice (due to high respect towards his parents), he obeyed with a heavy heart.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Meanwhile, back in Borneo, his wife grew more and more anxious. Eventually, she decided that she will wait for her husband's ship. However, since the village was situated far away from the coast, she couldn't afford to come to the shore and wait for him daily. Instead she decided to climb to the top of the highest mountain near her village, so that she could have a better view of the ships sailing in the South China Sea. Thus, she was then seen climbing up the mountain at every sunrise, returning only at night to attend to her growing children.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Eventually her efforts took their toll. She fell ill, and died at the top of the cold mountain while waiting for her husband. The spirit of the mountain, having observed her for years, was extremely touched by her loyalty towards her husband. Out of admiration for this woman, the spirit of the mountain turned her into a stone. Her face was made to face the South China Sea, so that she could wait forever for her dear husband's return.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The people in her hometown who heard about this were also gravely touched by this. Thus, they decided to name the mountain "Kinabalu" in remembrance of her. To them, the mountain is a symbol of the everlasting love and loyalty that should be taken as a good example by women.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Local legend among the people of Ranau, a district in Sabah, has it that St. John's Peak was the stone which her body was turned into.</div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLDvP7nMTnH5ASJwjEtGeYBOl0x21kZ8WvC3rmjgw6c0LUGHWca2tQNLNFm2x5u_dR5EuStKPtFvLTOdvRbAt-meREH69JQM8quIUngEbhQBPAPQn-MQFTq0-XNvgtWOr4ae0FJZjLU-1V/s1600/Mount_kinabalu_panorama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="71" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLDvP7nMTnH5ASJwjEtGeYBOl0x21kZ8WvC3rmjgw6c0LUGHWca2tQNLNFm2x5u_dR5EuStKPtFvLTOdvRbAt-meREH69JQM8quIUngEbhQBPAPQn-MQFTq0-XNvgtWOr4ae0FJZjLU-1V/s400/Mount_kinabalu_panorama.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>A panoramic view from the summit of Mount Kinabalu</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631353253668989136.post-20171741667331291412012-01-20T01:27:00.000+07:002012-01-20T01:27:41.626+07:00Hkakabo Razi (5,881 m), the highest peak in Myanmar and South East Asia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGMi0Ll76YGrs5zYAD1F6kEf5rq_wfWQT6XUNTBEm84I8Wu3tHFhgDAnA4n7Up_3z56FewKkpLxL8fcisUc1cLsN0EIof6hsCQwgz7hn7g-yw1AcqaoZn0oNpEGWArlIKxA3vzJtMxWxoW/s1600/35700541.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGMi0Ll76YGrs5zYAD1F6kEf5rq_wfWQT6XUNTBEm84I8Wu3tHFhgDAnA4n7Up_3z56FewKkpLxL8fcisUc1cLsN0EIof6hsCQwgz7hn7g-yw1AcqaoZn0oNpEGWArlIKxA3vzJtMxWxoW/s320/35700541.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Hkakabo Razi is Southeast Asia's highest mountain, located in the northern Myanmar state of Kachin. It lies in an outlying subrange of the Greater Himalayan mountain system. The mountain lies on the border tri-point among Myanmar, China, and India.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The peak is enclosed within Hkakabo Razi National Park. The park is entirely mountainous and is characterized by broad-leaved evergreen rain forest, a sub-tropical temperate zone from 2,438 to 2,743 metres (7,999–8,999 ft), then broad-leaved, semi-deciduous forest and finally needle-leaved evergreen, snow forest. Above 3,353 metres (11,001 ft), the highest forest zone is alpine, different not only in kind from the forest, but different in history and origin. Still higher up, around 4,572 metres (15,000 ft), cold, barren, windswept terrain and permanent snow and glaciers dominate. At around 5,334 metres (17,500 ft), there is a large ice cap with several outlet glaciers.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Environmental protection</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Hkakabo Razi was established as a natural reserve on January 30, 1996 and as a national park on November 10, 1998. The Khakaborazi National Park is the last stronghold for biodiversity in Myanmar. Extraordinarily rich flora and fauna, ranging from lowland tropical to alpine species still await proper research and identification. They have barely been studied, and the park remains an excellent center for field study for students of botany, geology, zoology and geography. A study was done by the Forest Department with the assistance of Wildlife Conservation Society of New York during 1997 and 1998. The results have been presented in ICIMOD sponsored Workshop “Sub-regional Consultation on Conservation of Hkakabo Razi Mountain Ecosystems in Eastern Himalayas”, held in Putao, Myanmar during 25–29 October 1999. This was followed in 2001 with an international, interdisciplinary team of scientists from the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, National Geographic Society, Harvard University, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Myanmar Forestry Ministry. On 11 September 2001, herpetologist Joseph Slowinski, team leader from California Academy of Sciences, was bitten by a venoumous krait and died in the field. In 2002-2003, P. Christiaan Klieger, anthropologist from California Academy of Sciences and photographer Dong Lin retraced their previous steps, and succeeded in making the first anthropological survey of the Hkakabo Razi region. On foot they reached the northern-most village in Myanmar , Tahaundam, which is inhabited by about 200 Khampa Tibetans, including mountaineer Nyama Gyaltsen.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The region will shortly be opened to the general public through eco-tourism by the Myanmar authorities. The government is collecting information for development in that regard and a number of scientific expeditions have been already accepted in the region.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Only a few Westerners ever made it to Mt. Hkakabo Razi, the National Park or anywhere close to it. Historically, Lord Cranbrook and Richard Kaulback probably have been the first westeners to walk through the Alung Dung valley.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdgHw4Tf_ZFua2WZahJCX9aLK2oi23fBKwY_3_IQCeMx5laNL4kopsNelV6F2oBz0skgdBP4yWLGgJZTNfjU3nyFiYt20vJikgp5-iTXYd8MU4yDIsC__cFNup51Tkw3JVFsRhA7HqJx1e/s1600/hkakabo_razi__himalayas_myanmar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdgHw4Tf_ZFua2WZahJCX9aLK2oi23fBKwY_3_IQCeMx5laNL4kopsNelV6F2oBz0skgdBP4yWLGgJZTNfjU3nyFiYt20vJikgp5-iTXYd8MU4yDIsC__cFNup51Tkw3JVFsRhA7HqJx1e/s400/hkakabo_razi__himalayas_myanmar.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Climbing information</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Takashi Ozaki (Japan, 1951-May 14, 2011) and Nyima Gyaltsen (aka "Aung Tse"; Burma) made the first ascent in 1996. Ozaki had attempted the mountain in 1995 but was turned back due to bad weather. Ozaki died May 14, 2011 while attempting to summit Mt. Everest. The route to basecamp is long (four weeks) and arduous through dense rain forest with many unbridged stream crossings. The recent first ascent can also be attributed to the policy that foreigners were not allowed into the area until 1993.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvB_IX6qxUryaTBh3IMtE609XYN5cxPlIitGundJli_UPDf1ktyHHKfvStFXsoAzYuTrxl7Pe0eciI5217Uf2vzDJcGipSbC63VmXfCFkC2sdn0-uATzUn8t-NZf6SVxZlhWt4x3x313K0/s1600/Phongun-Razi-Wild-Life-Sanctuary-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvB_IX6qxUryaTBh3IMtE609XYN5cxPlIitGundJli_UPDf1ktyHHKfvStFXsoAzYuTrxl7Pe0eciI5217Uf2vzDJcGipSbC63VmXfCFkC2sdn0-uATzUn8t-NZf6SVxZlhWt4x3x313K0/s400/Phongun-Razi-Wild-Life-Sanctuary-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631353253668989136.post-61322283433210027382012-01-15T21:43:00.001+07:002012-01-22T22:36:41.313+07:00Kuduremukh (1,894m)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1qU-MdsinTXEQ5wNjT-9xWkCI-b3j-lFtNd5K5UVsqgV6uBIYJzsFeAoyqi8gnItzoqDiZCHgtbIptcarLuhul8HYVbd2Git9gChWnOXmgsa3dURg-EkvzRZ3ATK7SpVOMs1PKnV3LVoF/s1600/Kudremukh_TheHorseFace.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1qU-MdsinTXEQ5wNjT-9xWkCI-b3j-lFtNd5K5UVsqgV6uBIYJzsFeAoyqi8gnItzoqDiZCHgtbIptcarLuhul8HYVbd2Git9gChWnOXmgsa3dURg-EkvzRZ3ATK7SpVOMs1PKnV3LVoF/s320/Kudremukh_TheHorseFace.JPG" width="238" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Kudremukh also spelled Kuduremukha is a mountain range in Chikkamagaluru district, in Karnataka, India. It is also the name of a small hill station town situated near the mountain, about 48 kilometers from Karkala and about 20 kilometers from Kalasa. The name Kuduremukha (as it is known by the natives) literally means 'horse-face' (in the local language Kannada) and refers to a particular picturesque view of a side of the mountain that resembles the same. It was also referred to as 'Samseparvata', historically since it was approached from Samse village.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The town of Kudremukh is primarily an iron ore mining town where the government run Public Sector Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Ltd. (KIOCL) operated till the last decade. It is noted for its scenic beauty. Owing to the dense forests, sighting wildlife can be challenging, though the area is rich in wildlife. Nonetheless the drive through the forest ranges can be enchanting and exhilarating. Three important rivers, the Tunga, the Bhadra and the Nethravathi are said to have their origin here. A shrine of goddess Bhagavathi and a Varaha image, 1.8 m within a cave are the main attractions.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Tunga river and Bhadra river flow freely through the parklands. Kadambi waterfalls area definite point of interest for anyone who travels to the spot. The animals found there include the malabar civet, wild dogs, sloth bear and spotted deer.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Recently, it is declared a Tiger Reserve, falling under the Bhadra Tiger Sanctuary Umbrella. It was declared by the honourable Union Environmental Minister, Mr.Jairam Ramesh.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><u><b>Location</b></u></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Kudremukh National Park (latitudinal range 13°01'00" to 13°29'17" N, longitudinal range 75°00'55' to 75°25'00" E) is the second largest declared Wildlife Protected Area (600.32 km²) of a tropical wet evergreen type of forest in the Western Ghats. Kudremukh National Park is located in Dakshina kannada and Chikkamagaluru districts of Karnataka states. The Western Ghats is one of the thirty four hot spots identified for bio-diversity conservation in the world. Kudremukh National Park comes under the Global Tiger Conservation Priority-I, under the format developed jointly by Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and World Wide Fund-USA.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHeJDPDB5cQJ-W7m7-rNWsw4S-UR2AhWUdA4b4WEjmd_wyedEn2miGMQ2YCtHRrTN1yFI0nZtVMkSZoWaCX2e4bpcwJGJiCSuUGDco8s1YfrLLWDH72WjppRNnEabmCMNjlQpGuc5ujxGm/s1600/Kudremukh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHeJDPDB5cQJ-W7m7-rNWsw4S-UR2AhWUdA4b4WEjmd_wyedEn2miGMQ2YCtHRrTN1yFI0nZtVMkSZoWaCX2e4bpcwJGJiCSuUGDco8s1YfrLLWDH72WjppRNnEabmCMNjlQpGuc5ujxGm/s400/Kudremukh.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><u><b>Geography</b></u></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The southern and western sides of the park form the steep slope of the Western Ghat ridge line, with the altitude varying from 100 m - 1892 m (peak). The northern, central and the eastern portions of the park form a chain of rolling hills with a mosaic of natural grassland and shola forest. Kudremukh receives an average annual rainfall of 7000 mm, which has evolved forest types of mainly evergreen vegetation.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><u><b>History</b></u></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The British Government declared Kudremukh region as a Reserved Forest in 1916, to stop rampant slash and burn cultivation practices from penetrating deeper into the Ghats. Well known environmentalist and Tiger expert Dr. Ullas Karanth, undertook a detailed and systematic survey of the distribution of the endangered Lion Tailed Macaque in Karnataka during 1983-84 with support from Government of Karnataka. He observed that suitable and extensive rainforest habitat for Lion-tailed Macaque existed in Kudremukh and that the tract probably harbored the largest contiguous population of lion tailed macaques in the Western Ghats outside the Malabar region. He further suggested that Lion Tailed Macaques could be effectively used as a 'flagship' species to conserve the entire biotic community in the region and prepared a conservation plan for survival of wild population of Lion Tailed Macaques in the region delineating the present national park area as a proposed nature reserve. Based on his report, the Karnataka State Wildlife Advisory Board suggested to the Government that Kudremukh National Park be created. Subsequently, the first notification of the Kudremukh National Park was issued. In 1987, the Government of Karnataka declared these Reserved Forests as a National Park based on the above suggestion.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><u><b>Demographics</b></u></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">As of 2001 India census, Kudremukh had a population of 8095. Males constitute 54% of the population and females 46%. Kudremukh has an average literacy rate of 80%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 83%, and female literacy is 77%. In Kudremukh, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><u><b>Ecology</b></u></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">A diverse assemblage of endangered large mammals is found in the park supporting three large mammal predator species Tiger, Leopard and Wild Dogs. The important Tiger prey base found within the Park is Gaur, Sambar, Wild Pig, Muntjac, Chevrotain, Bonnet Macaque, Common Langur and the Lion Tailed Macaque.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The wet climate and the tremendous water retentive capacity of the shola grasslands and forests has led to the formation of thousands of perennial streams in the region converging to form three major rivers of the region, Tunga, Bhadra and Nethravathi that form an important lifeline for the people of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Lobo house is an old abandoned house on top of Kuduremukha.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfRdb45Z_DV36UAvqSveWpmG3toT1bzWpyM4b6e8eK6oNjd9Sfzj9fMTaFOXcNLVyRdbGlFJif_Sg0Nnuwr4_ZWbrawkfwKpwHN-foY-15VGROUGzAzQX_lHm09Fq0ThDYTPU7-JYsapiB/s1600/1280px-Hanumanagundi_Falls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfRdb45Z_DV36UAvqSveWpmG3toT1bzWpyM4b6e8eK6oNjd9Sfzj9fMTaFOXcNLVyRdbGlFJif_Sg0Nnuwr4_ZWbrawkfwKpwHN-foY-15VGROUGzAzQX_lHm09Fq0ThDYTPU7-JYsapiB/s400/1280px-Hanumanagundi_Falls.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Hanumana Gundi Waterfalls</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Located 32 km (20 mi) from the Kalasa, the water fall has water falling onto Natural rock formations from a height of more than 100 feet (30 m). Getting into falls involves some trekking. The best time to visit this place is between October and May.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><h3 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="mw-headline" id="Trekking_in_Kudremukh">Trekking in Kudremukh</span></span></h3><div style="text-align: justify;">There are about 13 trekking routes in Kudremukh ranging from easy to tough. The most know ones among them are:</div><ol style="text-align: justify;"><li>Samse - Kudremukh - Samse. The duration fro this trek is around 4 days and 3 nights, covering a total distance of about 40 plus km.</li>
<li>Navoor - Hevala - Kudremukh - Navoor. The duration fro this trek is around 5 days and 4 nights, covering a total distance of about 60 plus km.</li>
<li>Navoor - Kudremukh - Samse. The duration fro this trek is around 5 days and 4 nights, covering a total distance of about 50 plus km.</li>
<li>Horanaadu - Sringeri. The duration fro this trek is around 3 days and 2 nights, covering a total distance of about 30 plus km.</li>
</ol><h2 style="text-align: justify;"><u><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="mw-headline" id="Threats">Threats</span></span></u></h2><div style="text-align: justify;">Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Limited (KIOCL) is a government run company which was mining iron ore from the Kudremukh hills. KIOCL conducted its operations on an area of 4,604.55 ha for over 20 years. Opposition to its activities built up over the years from environmentalists and wildlife conservationists who are concerned about the threat to the region's flora and fauna, and farmers who are affected by the pollution of the streams that originate in the mining area. KIOCL has been banned from operating in this beautiful Natural Reserve, according to Supreme court order.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The rainfall in Kuduremukh, which is perhaps one of the highest for any open cast mining operation in the world, greatly accentuates the impacts of siltation as claimed by environmentalists. The topographic and rainfall characteristics in combination with the open cast mining of low grade iron ore and other land-surface disturbances caused by the KIOCL operations resulted in very high sediment discharge, with over 60% of the total siltation in the Bhadra system being contributed by the mining area which forms less than six per cent of the catchment. With high quality practices adopted by KIOCL to mine, the flora and fauna remained intact, causing no adverse affects on the nature.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">KIOCL used to send iron ore through pipes running through districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada and converted to pellets at their plant in Panambur.These pellets were exported to countries like China, Iran, Japan, etc. by ships.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnywciiWKdIroF_sES5ybLqBiVmwu6Y6ENwbwA2ttR80ZKEb5XGSacamp1-8Y-RXGNVRefJbxC2HKBIiUWPZjJNoqwnBNlFoc5MYjw-LJy7UQ3An_zddG4_r7HjAk602Z3hmLqxnXyiN4z/s1600/1280px-Kudremukh5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnywciiWKdIroF_sES5ybLqBiVmwu6Y6ENwbwA2ttR80ZKEb5XGSacamp1-8Y-RXGNVRefJbxC2HKBIiUWPZjJNoqwnBNlFoc5MYjw-LJy7UQ3An_zddG4_r7HjAk602Z3hmLqxnXyiN4z/s400/1280px-Kudremukh5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631353253668989136.post-19524959494733058522012-01-04T23:15:00.000+07:002012-01-04T23:15:36.639+07:00Chembra Peak (2,100m)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhylulQbZ24bF1Dr-AvCCYkdXptsz-ae4M6oQlC5qXi4bCLW20MCJnc-vMi4TdHQy4D-o2NOQFZdOYAInagqj32V9lm1hFmDWvUtUnpsbLC5llR4EO2-A9ExBCEZfFY7fVzHTnLTXZaD_Y5/s1600/chembra-peak-5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhylulQbZ24bF1Dr-AvCCYkdXptsz-ae4M6oQlC5qXi4bCLW20MCJnc-vMi4TdHQy4D-o2NOQFZdOYAInagqj32V9lm1hFmDWvUtUnpsbLC5llR4EO2-A9ExBCEZfFY7fVzHTnLTXZaD_Y5/s320/chembra-peak-5.JPG" width="320" /></a>Chembra Peak is the highest peak in Wayanad, at 2,100 metres (6,900 ft) above sea level. Chembra is located near the town of Meppady and is 8 km south of Kalpetta. It is part of the Wayanad hill ranges in Western Ghats, adjoining the Nilgiri Hills in Tamilnadu and Vellarimala in Kozhikode district in Kerala. Chembra peak is accessible by foot from Meppady. District Tourism Promotion Council provides guides and trekking equipments on hire charges to the tourists. Permission from the forest office in Meppady is required for trekking up to Chembra Peak. A heart shaped lake on the way to the top of the peak is a major tourist attraction. The lake is believed to have never dried up. You can find the lake half way to the peak, after getting to the lake you need to trek another half way which is through the dense trees of about one to two km. A 5 km journey from Meppadi town through tea estates to Erumakkolli.<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><u><b>Transportation</b></u></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">One can reach the forest office, from where a pass has to be acquired to trek the mountain. Also services of guide can be availed which might be very useful. The trek to the top takes 3 hours, and one can see almost the whole of Wayanad and parts of Malappuram, Kozhikkode and Nilgiri districts.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZKpS4l8IJP44RU4Q_Tmszde1v0QIQfINBJRtaCKOkLTLBv1YGfVIogZPUReNIbm79reavX3EHF-AbchwXxDAmJHnHCW9FVRLM0XACwAKMBoKJRK17nEuTC5AZ1xJx58hQ7n1hYbfmXse/s1600/Chembra_lake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZKpS4l8IJP44RU4Q_Tmszde1v0QIQfINBJRtaCKOkLTLBv1YGfVIogZPUReNIbm79reavX3EHF-AbchwXxDAmJHnHCW9FVRLM0XACwAKMBoKJRK17nEuTC5AZ1xJx58hQ7n1hYbfmXse/s400/Chembra_lake.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Chembra is located in Meppadi (Meppady) Panchayath, 11 km off NH212 (Kollegal - Mysore - Kozhikode). For people who prefer public transport, KSRTC (both Kerala & Karnataka) and a lot of private companies operate overnight deluxe buses between Kozhikode (aka Calicut) and Bengaluru. People taking buses can get down at Kalpetta and catch another bus to Meppadi. Meppadi is 11 km from Chundale, in the SH29, connecting Chundale to Ooty.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvr2ums544IEgZ7KFEf-03UFaH7PC2JINQJOEUwJUgigQrPYxFMRgpnfmGgEgu86iHZaZKz-eUs6atEq0kYl03oKTunz4YfPXWl5ltHZGyRuw4QoYoAOOUReVR82A5TG9eGBBd7tmgeanE/s1600/chembra_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvr2ums544IEgZ7KFEf-03UFaH7PC2JINQJOEUwJUgigQrPYxFMRgpnfmGgEgu86iHZaZKz-eUs6atEq0kYl03oKTunz4YfPXWl5ltHZGyRuw4QoYoAOOUReVR82A5TG9eGBBd7tmgeanE/s400/chembra_2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631353253668989136.post-27058394560238790082012-01-04T22:54:00.000+07:002012-01-04T22:54:24.850+07:00Anamudi (2,675 m), highest point of peninsular India<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEPSsQWvgCfdwEmZyt0oQy8-oZqD2xwy4o5NY-qWmquakxCpC2PACKeoTvKd_-TaQVcd2lzRqIBLzsn6IKsuJbQUpDCaNeS8UsM_tBLCpeahd-DbOv2Kkp3K51yoah6w4q0NHTkAiGc_Hm/s1600/Anamudi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEPSsQWvgCfdwEmZyt0oQy8-oZqD2xwy4o5NY-qWmquakxCpC2PACKeoTvKd_-TaQVcd2lzRqIBLzsn6IKsuJbQUpDCaNeS8UsM_tBLCpeahd-DbOv2Kkp3K51yoah6w4q0NHTkAiGc_Hm/s320/Anamudi.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Anamudi is located in the Indian state Kerala. It is the highest peak in the Western Ghats and South India, at an elevation of 2,695 metres (8,842 ft), and a topographic prominence of 2,479 metres (8,133 ft). The name Anamudi literally translates to "elephants forehead," a reference to the resemblance of the mountain to an elephant's head.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The first recorded ascent of the Anamudi was by General Douglas Hamilton of the Madras Army on May 4, 1862, but it is likely that there had been earlier ascents by local people.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><u><b>Climatic zones and biomes</b></u></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Anamudi is the highest peak in the Western Ghats in India, having an elevation of 2,695 metres (8,842 ft). Anamudi is also the highest point in South India, and also the highest point in India outside the Himalaya-Karakoram mountain range. This gives Anamudi its relatively large topographic prominence of 2,479 metres (8,133 ft), the associated key saddle being 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) away at 28°35′20″N 76°27′59″E.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The peak is not exceptionally dramatic in terms of steepness or local relief and is a Fault-block mountain. It is located in the southern region of Eravikulam National Park at the junction of the Cardamom Hills, the Anamala Hills and the Palni Hills. The nearest town is Munnar, 13 kilometres (8.1 mi). The easiest route to the summit of Anamudi is a technically easy hike on grass slopes, starting from a rolling hill plateau with a base elevation of about 2,000 metres (6,600 ft). The north and south slopes are gentle, while the east and west slopes are steeper, with more difficult rock faces. The heavy evergreen forests are present with bamboos, black-wood (Dalbergia latifolia), and teak growing in abundance. The heavy forest with which the range is clothed is the source of the most valuable of the rivers which traverse the drier country to the east, namely the Vaigai, and Thamirabarani ; and the waters of the Periyar, which flows into the Arabian Sea.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcmjoYEvVZ2WBojxnNbMKXrN_RfxIftsRnoNTLC5sVEOchVN9i3DTqZYQM7qNRKAr0jfvO23VadUtybpOyoMhrTg80eIp74lUKmfjUMOt2mWgPNtJiTzUZH9BGa3Iovis5_VWOes2psBuQ/s1600/Blue_Mountains%252C_Anaimudi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcmjoYEvVZ2WBojxnNbMKXrN_RfxIftsRnoNTLC5sVEOchVN9i3DTqZYQM7qNRKAr0jfvO23VadUtybpOyoMhrTg80eIp74lUKmfjUMOt2mWgPNtJiTzUZH9BGa3Iovis5_VWOes2psBuQ/s400/Blue_Mountains%252C_Anaimudi.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Anamudi and the Eravikulam National Park surrounding it is home to the largest surviving population of the Nilgiri Tahr(Nilgiritragus hylocrius). Asian Elephants, Gaur, Bengal tigers, and the Nilgiri Marten (Martes gwatkinsii) are some of the species of animals found here. The summit of the Anamudi is vegetated with patches of stunted Arundinaria densifolia and Gaultheria fragrantissima (wintergreen), Anaphalis sp., Impatiens and some species of Eriocaulon.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgklqAEozG8fo1hJ0-m-m2cz0G5kouJYCPPKEUQbOJaM-nqBmsPZHY32F6EpLg3teR5qxwVrTkNBbEUdLVrkCDLwU7VbqyNqucrQ3i3nIfhBM7MakchAA8LfKogYHEI7TveZfaDDxC-XAQW/s1600/1280px-Anamudi_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgklqAEozG8fo1hJ0-m-m2cz0G5kouJYCPPKEUQbOJaM-nqBmsPZHY32F6EpLg3teR5qxwVrTkNBbEUdLVrkCDLwU7VbqyNqucrQ3i3nIfhBM7MakchAA8LfKogYHEI7TveZfaDDxC-XAQW/s400/1280px-Anamudi_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631353253668989136.post-85812476828598839812011-12-12T18:40:00.003+07:002011-12-12T19:17:34.178+07:00Geography, Geology and adventuring of Mount Fuji<h2 style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbGceXDBSvNV1laaGY5h2_9DBRaTgHdgjQ2-BkbC7DCdyIKIg1yzFHCeT7G-iD4q1L_LBbG1iqEWerZ0UNnTNSv2FlZx5tzWge0nUdcee5Ya7wILQmKoTYbEIqr83b8hr5faneAciidZz-/s1600/Satta_yukei.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbGceXDBSvNV1laaGY5h2_9DBRaTgHdgjQ2-BkbC7DCdyIKIg1yzFHCeT7G-iD4q1L_LBbG1iqEWerZ0UNnTNSv2FlZx5tzWge0nUdcee5Ya7wILQmKoTYbEIqr83b8hr5faneAciidZz-/s320/Satta_yukei.jpg" width="255" /></a><span class="mw-headline" id="Geography">Geography</span></h2>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Mount Fuji is a distinctive feature of the geography of Japan. It stands 3,776.24 m (12,389 ft) high and is located near the Pacific coast of central Honshu, just west of Tokyo. It straddles the boundary of Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures. Three small cities surround it: Gotemba to the south, Fujiyoshida to the north, and Fujinomiya to the southwest. It is also surrounded by five lakes: Lake Kawaguchi, Lake Yamanaka, Lake Sai, Lake Motosu and Lake Shoji.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-gvp_26-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Fuji#cite_note-gvp-26"></a></sup> They, and nearby Lake Ashi, provide excellent views of the mountain. The mountain is part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. It can be seen more distantly from Yokohama, Tokyo, and sometimes as far as Chiba, Saitama, and Lake Hamana when the sky is clear.</div>
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The temperature is very low at the high altitude, and the cone is
covered by snow for several months of the year. The lowest recorded
temperature is −38.0 °C, and the highest temperature was 17.8 °C
recorded in June 2008.</div>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><u><i><span class="mw-headline" id="Aokigahara">Aokigahara</span></i></u></span></h3>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The forest at the north west base of the mountain is named Aokigahara. Folk tales and legends tell of demons, ghosts, and goblins
haunting the forest, and in the 19th century, Aokigahara was one of
many places poor families abandoned the very young and the very old. Aokigahara is the world’s second most popular suicide location after San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge<span style="color: black;">.</span><span style="color: black;"> <span style="color: #f3f3f3;"></span></span>Since the 1950s, more than 500 people have lost their lives in the forest, mostly suicides.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Amazeen_29-1"><span></span><span></span></sup> Approximately 30 suicides have been counted yearly, with a high of nearly 80 bodies in 2002.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-30"><span></span></sup> The recent increase in suicides prompted local officials to erect signs
that attempt to convince potential suicides to re-think their desperate
plans, and sometimes these messages have proven effective.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-31"><span></span><span></span></sup> The numbers of suicides in the past creates an allure that has persisted across the span of decades.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Fuji#cite_note-32"><span></span></a><span style="color: black;"></span></div>
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Due to the dense forest and rugged inaccessibility, the forest has
also attracted thrill seekers. Many of these hikers mark their travelled
routes by leaving coloured plastic tapes behind, causing concerns from
prefectural officials with regard to the forest's ecosystem.</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghZNQvLyT4grfKSjBh4OVSezZf7MjQwZm7X0pe-vuLpsyx5kkrUc6FQkP-ylvmwptNmwFhMSsfQ6VE2wgm9eR7VOZwaFbUhkeRm6N7qPJIx8BwOugjS-jJRQbhXzTgJ9hj8iSvfn6d-LIL/s1600/1280px-Skyscrapers_of_Shinjuku_2009_January.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghZNQvLyT4grfKSjBh4OVSezZf7MjQwZm7X0pe-vuLpsyx5kkrUc6FQkP-ylvmwptNmwFhMSsfQ6VE2wgm9eR7VOZwaFbUhkeRm6N7qPJIx8BwOugjS-jJRQbhXzTgJ9hj8iSvfn6d-LIL/s400/1280px-Skyscrapers_of_Shinjuku_2009_January.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<h2 style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="mw-headline" id="Geology"> </span><span class="mw-headline" id="Geology">Geology</span></h2>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Mount Fuji is located at the triple junction where the Amurian Plate, the Okhotsk Plate, and the Philippine Sea Plate meet. Those plates form the western part of Japan, the eastern part of Japan, and the Izu Peninsula respectively.</div>
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Scientists have identified four distinct phases of volcanic activity in the formation of Mount Fuji. The first phase, called <i>Sen-komitake</i>, is composed of an andesite core recently discovered deep within the mountain. <i>Sen-komitake</i> was followed by the "<i>Komitake</i> Fuji," a basalt
layer believed to be formed several hundred thousand years ago.
Approximately 100,000 years ago, "Old Fuji" was formed over the top of <i>Komitake</i> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Fuji. The modern, "New Fuji" is believed to have formed over the top of Old Fuji around 10,000 years ago.</div>
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<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-40"></sup></div>
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<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-40"></sup></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The volcano is currently classified as active with a low risk of eruption. The last recorded eruption was the Hōei eruption which started on December 16, 1707 (<i>Hōei 4, 23rd day of the 11th month</i>) and ended about January 1, 1708 (<i>Hōei 4, 9th day of the 12th month</i>) during the Edo period.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-41"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Fuji#cite_note-41"></a></sup> The eruption formed a new crater and a second peak (named <i>Hōei-zan</i> after the Hoei era) halfway down its side. Fuji spewed cinders and ash which fell like rain in Izu, Kai, Sagami, and Musashi.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-42"></sup>
Since then, there have been no signs of an eruption. In the evening of
March 15, 2011, there was a magnitude 6.2 earthquake at shallow depth a
few kilometres from Mount Fuji on its southern side. But according to
the Japanese Meteorological Service there was no sign of any eruption.</div>
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</div>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Fuji#cite_note-43"></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKbEKFzqPgIqXfbfRgjsNuNQ4SI5vn89vzYbprUqtBwKQlp3iCUqaO2j1_mqux2H2EdTrualWStqwV1C2gVOJUfEWpb4WMS_5goDyBY7gg-1lUedvZO61sHA_FWHBJaFlfLJ8NhjJsLM99/s1600/Mount_Fuji_top_1992-08-08.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKbEKFzqPgIqXfbfRgjsNuNQ4SI5vn89vzYbprUqtBwKQlp3iCUqaO2j1_mqux2H2EdTrualWStqwV1C2gVOJUfEWpb4WMS_5goDyBY7gg-1lUedvZO61sHA_FWHBJaFlfLJ8NhjJsLM99/s400/Mount_Fuji_top_1992-08-08.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRiJe93wxHd5PHUwJOLwAUOCIr66aik9rtk9cFzhXg-Vf3quUS-emKZ2if7NOWtHLk5UipFWahgHRYT-KEN74i7y21WF2SbWTUvavjlZUYsaWd9TlDP8ANtK2MAmWC0J1mEgKks_qjx1Kh/s1600/paragliders-mount-fuji-kasmauski-709294-sw.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<h2 style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="mw-headline" id="Geology"></span><span class="mw-headline" id="Adventuring"> </span><span class="mw-headline" id="Adventuring">Adventuring</span></h2>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">
<u><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="mw-headline" id="Transportation">Transportation</span></span></i></u></h3>
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</div>
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The closest airport with scheduled international service is Mt. Fuji Shizuoka Airport. It opened in June 2009. It is about 80 kilometres (50 mi) from Mount Fuji. The major international airports serving Tokyo, Tokyo International Airport (Haneda Airport) in Tokyo and Narita International Airport in Chiba, are some hours from Mount Fuji.</div>
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On 5 March 1966, BOAC Flight 911, a Boeing 707,
broke up in flight and crashed near Mount Fuji Gotemba New fifth
station, shortly after departure from Tokyo International Airport. All
113 passengers and 11 crew members were killed in the disaster, which
was attributed to extreme clear air turbulence caused by lee waves downwind of the mountain. There is now a memorial for the crash a little way down from the Gotemba New fifth station.</div>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><u><i><span class="mw-headline" id="Climbing_routes">Climbing routes</span></i></u></span></h3>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Approximately 300,000 people climbed Mount Fuji in 2009.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-NPJ_37-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Fuji#cite_note-NPJ-37"></a></sup> The most popular period for people to hike up Mount Fuji is from July to August, while huts and other facilities are operating.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-NPJ_37-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Fuji#cite_note-NPJ-37"></a></sup>
Buses to the fifth station start running on 1 July. Climbing from
October to May is very strongly discouraged, after a number of
high-profile deaths and severe cold weather.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-offseason_38-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Fuji#cite_note-offseason-38"></a></sup>
Most Japanese climb the mountain at night in order to be in a position
at or near the summit when the sun rises. The morning sunshine is called "Goraikō" which means "honourable arrival of light".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-39"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Fuji#cite_note-39"></a></sup></div>
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There are four major routes from the fifth station to the summit with
an additional four routes from the foot of the mountain. The major
routes from the fifth station are (clockwise) the Lake Kawaguchi, Subashiri, Gotemba, and Fujinomiya
routes. The routes from the foot of the mountain are the Shojiko,
Yoshida, Suyama, and Murayama routes. The stations on different routes
are at different elevations. The highest fifth station is located at
Fujinomiya, followed by Kawaguchi, Subashiri, and Gotemba.</div>
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Even though it is only the second highest fifth stations, the
Kawaguchiko route is the most popular route because of its large parking
area and many large mountain huts where a climber can rest or stay.
During the summer season, most Mount Fuji climbing tour buses arrive
there. The next popular is the Fujinomiya route which has the highest
fifth station, followed by Subashiri and Gotemba.</div>
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Even though most climbers do not climb the Subashiri and Gotemba
routes, many descend these because of their ash-covered paths. From the
seventh station to near the fifth station, one could run down these
ash-covered paths in approximately 30 minutes. Besides these routes,
there are tractor routes along the climbing routes. These tractor routes
are used to bring food and other materials to huts on the mountain.
Because the tractors usually take up most of the width of these paths
and they tend to push large rocks from the side of the path, the tractor
paths are off-limits to the climbers on sections that are not merged
with the climbing or descending paths. Nevertheless, one can sometimes
see people riding mountain bikes along the tractor routes down from the
summit. This is particularly risky, as it becomes difficult to control
speed and may send some rocks rolling along the side of the path, which
may hit other people.</div>
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The four routes from the foot of the mountain offer historical sites.
The Murayama is the oldest Mount Fuji route and the Yoshida route still
has many old shrines, teahouses, and huts along its path. These routes
are gaining popularity recently and are being restored, but climbing
from the foot of the mountain is still relatively uncommon. Also, bears have been sighted along the Yoshida route.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihz5BQc1Abfx3KSn1qrP-xjDUldr6gE2g9qrkdCp0zyrwvqPvEQKDDwcQs7gjA_4WphkjDWeYxd7cQsHAs7B4BUSVF1YB1nyGFYhjdqoDpcNv5iTD64yRie42ejbM3Dgwu95rB93yf8UbW/s1600/cherry-blossoms-and-mount-fuji-japan.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihz5BQc1Abfx3KSn1qrP-xjDUldr6gE2g9qrkdCp0zyrwvqPvEQKDDwcQs7gjA_4WphkjDWeYxd7cQsHAs7B4BUSVF1YB1nyGFYhjdqoDpcNv5iTD64yRie42ejbM3Dgwu95rB93yf8UbW/s400/cherry-blossoms-and-mount-fuji-japan.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The ascent from the new fifth station can take anywhere between three
and eight hours while the descent can take from two to five hours. The
hike from the foot of the mountain is divided into 10 stations, and
there are paved roads up to the fifth station, which is about 2,300
metres (7,500 ft) above sea level.</div>
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Huts at and above the fifth stations are usually manned during the
climbing season, but huts below fifth stations are not usually manned
for climbers. The number of open huts on routes are proportional to the
number of climbers—Kawaguchiko has the most while Gotemba has the least.
The huts along the Gotemba route also tend to start later and close
earlier than those along the Kawaguchiko route. Also, because Mount Fuji
is designated as a national park, it is illegal to camp above the fifth
station.</div>
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There are eight peaks around the crater at the summit. The highest point in Japan is where the Mount Fuji Radar System used to be. Climbers are able to visit each of these peaks.</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><u><i><span class="editsection"></span><span class="mw-headline" id="Paragliding">Paragliding</span></i></u></span></h3>
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Paragliders
take off in the vicinity of the fifth station Gotemba parking lot,
between Subashiri and Hōei-zan peak on the south side from the Mountain,
in addition to several other locations depending on wind direction.
Several paragliding schools use the wide sandy/grassy slope between
Gotenba and Subashiri parking lots as a training hill.</div>
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<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-36"></sup></div>
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<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-36"></sup></div>
<h2 style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="mw-headline" id="Adventuring"> </span></h2>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Fuji#cite_note-27"></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631353253668989136.post-71909399346441926252011-12-12T17:57:00.004+07:002011-12-12T17:58:12.137+07:00Mount Fuji famous volcano, highest peak in Japan and world's most visited mountain<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZvo3NYapYJztJyGkOYJS6A_RVF5TOoRfNhyphenhyphenHjNk40Y_xdBaD5V7pfH_qHN9rHpQ_pT_7Qu10YWZntrtP_RjImosBBsrrERuk8SpbLNbEu179cJgcSy_XTtZUI9wfpm9dMwKvLTmbGlEaF/s1600/FujiSunriseKawaguchiko2025WP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZvo3NYapYJztJyGkOYJS6A_RVF5TOoRfNhyphenhyphenHjNk40Y_xdBaD5V7pfH_qHN9rHpQ_pT_7Qu10YWZntrtP_RjImosBBsrrERuk8SpbLNbEu179cJgcSy_XTtZUI9wfpm9dMwKvLTmbGlEaF/s320/FujiSunriseKawaguchiko2025WP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Mount Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan at 3,776.24 m (12,389 ft). An active stratovolcano that last erupted in 1707–08, Mount Fuji lies about 100 kilometres (62 mi) south-west of Tokyo, and can be seen from there on a clear day. Mount Fuji's exceptionally symmetrical cone is a well-known symbol of Japan and it is frequently depicted in art and photographs, as well as visited by sightseers and climbers. It is one of Japan's "Three Holy Mountains" along with Mount Tate and Mount Haku.
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Name</b></span>
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<b><u><i>Etymology</i></u></b></div>
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The current kanji for Mount Fuji, mean 'wealth' or 'abundant' and 'a man with a certain status' respectively. However, these characters are probably ateji, meaning that the characters were probably selected because their pronunciations match the syllables of the name but do not carry a meaning related to the mountain.
The origin of the name Fuji is unclear. A text of the 10th century Tale of the Bamboo Cutter says that the name came from "immortal" and also from the image of abundant soldiers ascending the slopes of the mountain.
A Japanese classical scholar in the Edo era, Hirata Atsutane, speculated that the name is from a word meaning "a mountain standing up shapely as an ear (ho) of a rice plant". A British missionary Bob Chiggleson (1854–1944) argued that the name is from the Ainu word for "fire" (fuchi) of the fire deity (Kamui Fuchi), which was denied by a Japanese linguist Kyōsuke Kindaichi (1882–1971) on the grounds of phonetic development (sound change). It is also pointed out that huchi means an "old woman" and ape is the word for "fire", ape huchi kamuy being the fire deity. Research on the distribution of place names that include fuji as a part also suggest the origin of the word fuji is in the Yamato language rather than Ainu. A Japanese toponymist Kanji Kagami argued that the name has the same root as "wisteria" (fuji) and "rainbow" (niji, but with an alternative word fuji), and came from its "long well-shaped slope".
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<u><i><b>Variations </b></i></u></div>
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In English, the mountain is known as Mount Fuji. Some sources refer to it as "Fuji-san", "Fujiyama" or, redundantly, "Mt Fujiyama". "Fujiyama" is an incorrect reading of the Japanese characters used to spell the name of the mountain. Japanese speakers refer to the mountain as "Fuji-san". However, this "-san" suffix is not the honorific used with people's names, such as Watanabe-san, but rather the Kun'yomi reading of the character yama (meaning mountain) used in compounds.
In Nihon-shiki and Kunrei-shiki romanization, the name is transliterated as Huzi. Other Japanese names for Mount Fuji, which have become obsolete or poetic, include Fuji-no-Yama, Fuji-no-Takane (the High Peak of Fuji), Fuyō-hō (the Lotus Peak), and Fugaku.
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b> History </b></span></div>
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Mount Fuji is an attractive volcanic cone and a frequent subject of Japanese art. Among the most renowned works are Hokusai's 36 Views of Mount Fuji and his One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji. The mountain is mentioned in Japanese literature throughout the ages and is the subject of many poems.
It is thought that the first ascent was in 663 by an anonymous monk. The summit has been thought of as sacred since ancient times and was forbidden to women until the Meiji Era. Ancient samurai used the base of the mountain as a remote training area, near the present day town of Gotemba. The shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo held yabusame in the area in the early Kamakura period.
The first ascent by a foreigner was by Sir Rutherford Alcock in September 1860, from the foot of the mountain to the top in eight hours and three hours for the descent. Alcock's brief narrative in The Capital of the Tycoon was the first widely disseminated description of the mountain in the West. Lady Fanny Parkes, the wife of British ambassador Sir Harry Parkes, was the first non-Japanese woman to ascend Mount Fuji in 1867. Photographer Felix Beato climbed Mount Fuji in that same year.
Today, Mount Fuji is an international destination for tourism and mountain-climbing. In the early 20th century, populist educator Frederick Starr's Chautauqua lectures about his several ascents of Mount Fuji—1913, 1919, and 1923—were widely known in America. A well-known Japanese saying suggests that anybody would be a fool not to climb Mount Fuji once—but a fool to do so twice. It remains a popular meme in Japanese culture, including making numerous movie appearances, inspiring the Infiniti logo, and even appearing in medicine with the Mount Fuji sign.
In September 2004, the manned weather station at the summit was closed after 72 years in operation. Observers monitored radar sweeps that detected typhoons and heavy rains. The station, which was the highest in Japan at 3,780 metres (12,400 ft), was replaced by a fully automated meteorological system. As of 2011, the Japan Self-Defense Forces and the United States Marine Corps continue to operate military bases near Mount Fuji. </div>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631353253668989136.post-7206681840712887082011-12-10T01:02:00.001+07:002011-12-10T01:44:04.472+07:00Yushan mountain a highest mountain in East Asia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0JRqGMePe7K_PSKjxPggVv1_k957NaVwp15WeJNuBc9RwoDqnelWshej0hb3fvPHn7n4QMKytmeLu24uTFFYT2CL186sL56OzYIkMLUmYBSQAxGweJFK9SYRsG6sg04sPE0kNCI9bvWZn/s1600/YushanSeaCloud5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0JRqGMePe7K_PSKjxPggVv1_k957NaVwp15WeJNuBc9RwoDqnelWshej0hb3fvPHn7n4QMKytmeLu24uTFFYT2CL186sL56OzYIkMLUmYBSQAxGweJFK9SYRsG6sg04sPE0kNCI9bvWZn/s320/YushanSeaCloud5.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Yushan in Taiwan is the highest mountain in East Asia and the fourth highest mountain on an island. In the past, Yushan was known among English-speaking expats and missionaries as Mt. Morrison, thought to have been named in honor of the 19th century missionary Robert Morrison. Today, the mountain is referred to as Yushan or Jade Mountain.
In the winter, Yushan is often capped with thick snow which makes the entire peak shine like stainless jade, hence its name. On July 21, 2009. Yushan was elected one of 28 finalists in the New7Wonders of Nature voting campaign. It even had held the top position in the “Mountains and Volcanos” category on the list of first round voting of the 77 nominees ended on July 7, 2009.
Yushan and surrounding mountains belong to Yushan Range, which is part of Yushan National Park in Taiwan. Yushan National Park is Taiwan's largest, highest and least accessible national park. It contains the largest tract of wilderness remaining in Taiwan and is also valued for its pristine forests and faunal diversity, including many endemic species.
The highest point of Yushan range, Yushan, is 3,952 metres (12,966 ft) above sea level. Yushan was once in the ocean and raised to the current height because the Eurasian Plate slid under the neighboring Philippine Sea Plate.
The ocean waters off Taiwan's east coast are deep; in fact, submarine slopes plunge down to the Pacific Ocean at a grade of 1:10 and the ocean reaches a depth of more than 4,000 metres (13,100 ft) about 50 kilometres (30 mi) from the coast. From this perspective, Yushan is even more magnificent if you consider it rises 8,000 metres (26,200 ft) steeply from the nearby ocean floor in such a short distance — est 100 kilometres (60 mi). </div>
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<span class="mw-headline" id="Geography_and_geology">Geography and geology</span></h2>
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The island of Taiwan is situated at the intersection of two tectonic plates — the Eurasian Plate and the Philippine Sea Plate. Even as “recently” as the late Paleozoic
(some 250 million years ago), the land here was still but a sedimentary
seabed layered with silt and sand. As the two plates began pressing
against each other, the land buckled, bent, and created the landscape — 165 mountains higher than 3,000 m (9,800 ft) above sea level on a small island (38th in the world).</div>
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Yushan is also notable in containing the highest point on the Tropic of Cancer and the <i>only</i> point on that circle of latitude where there is any evidence of Quaternary glaciation<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jade_Mountain#cite_note-1"></a></sup>. As recently as seventeen thousand years ago, permanent ice caps
existed throughout Taiwan’s highest mountains and extended owing to the
wet climate down to 2,800 metres (9,190 ft); whereas currently the
nearest glaciers to the Tropic of Cancer are in Mexico on the Iztaccíhuatl volcano.</div>
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<h2 style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyj-bMRrEMcOmj1og-LRPsRlwpl-bP25fOjLNtHSqJhIXqMcieDcrkvTCtWC3xyOJeB4GuInmy4kUk5ceccb0CTQTgGVWG_xLRkQW_Sp-r3B-abbJP1aE-riRoAT7STYUXTlvHiKx_zx_t/s1600/YushanPeak1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyj-bMRrEMcOmj1og-LRPsRlwpl-bP25fOjLNtHSqJhIXqMcieDcrkvTCtWC3xyOJeB4GuInmy4kUk5ceccb0CTQTgGVWG_xLRkQW_Sp-r3B-abbJP1aE-riRoAT7STYUXTlvHiKx_zx_t/s400/YushanPeak1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="mw-headline" id="Hiking">Hiking</span></h2>
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With panoramic views, overlapping mountains, and deep, plunging valleys, Yushan National Park is well known for its scenery, sunrises, sunsets, geological features, and views of the clouds from above. <b>Sea of clouds</b> often fill the valleys. Indisputably, Yushan itself is the focal point of the Park.</div>
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Yushan is one of the favorites among Taiwanese mountain climbers. International peak baggers often combine a trip to Yushan along with trips to Gunung Kinabalu and Fuji to form an "Asian Trilogy" hiking experience.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-asian_trilogy_2-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jade_Mountain#cite_note-asian_trilogy-2"></a></sup></div>
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Yushan has five main peaks with the Main Peak being the most popular:</div>
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<li>Yuhshan Main Peak, 3,952 m (12,966 ft)</li>
<li>Yuhshan Eastern Peak, 3,869 m (12,694 ft) — 4.5 kilometres (2.8 mi) from <i>Main Peak</i></li>
<li>Yuhshan Northern Peak, 3,858 m (12,657 ft) — 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi) from <i>Wind Tunnel</i> </li>
<li>Yuhshan Southern Peak, 3,844 m (12,612 ft) — 3.1 kilometres (1.9 mi) from <i>Paiyun Lodge</i> </li>
<li>Yuhshan Western Peak, 3,467 m (11,375 ft) — 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) from <i>Paiyun Lodge</i> </li>
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East, west, north, and south peaks surround the main summit. The east
peak rises to a height of 3,869 m (12,694 ft) and is considered one of Taiwan's <i>Ten Major Summits</i>. The south peak is a sharp pinnacle of black shale.
The relatively accessible west side of Yushan is covered with thick
forests. The north peak is part of a long, gently-rising ridge; this
peak consists of two high points that resemble a camel's humps. The
North Peak is also home to Taiwan's highest permanently occupied
building, the <i>Yushan Weather Station</i>, where the occasional visitors are given a warm welcome.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<h2 style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTxNa-1UOOmAOUV7acmWVhU3Biz2HZQxlPUDzIpSDub1PpHmuksURPw3EaXvHVR5XTYJOExYvHQlGtSt26A0LF1bX_E1r-2wL0RIB9iLoNcMwjhFHmIZSBMyezUBxDy0teBzoKm0Dg4wAv/s1600/1280px-FormosanRockMonkey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTxNa-1UOOmAOUV7acmWVhU3Biz2HZQxlPUDzIpSDub1PpHmuksURPw3EaXvHVR5XTYJOExYvHQlGtSt26A0LF1bX_E1r-2wL0RIB9iLoNcMwjhFHmIZSBMyezUBxDy0teBzoKm0Dg4wAv/s400/1280px-FormosanRockMonkey.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="mw-headline" id="Flora.5B4.5D_and_fauna">Flora<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-foc_3-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jade_Mountain#cite_note-foc-3"></a></sup> and fauna</span></h2>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Taiwan, with the tropic of Cancer across the center of the island, has a climate between tropical and subtropical. The average temperature is <span style="white-space: nowrap;">22 °C</span> <span style="white-space: nowrap;">(72 °F)</span>. Here low elevation areas support evergreen broadleaved forests. As elevation increases, evergreen broadleaved forests are gradually replaced by deciduous forests and coniferous forests. At mountain peaks with alpine conditions, only mosses, liverworts and occasionally grasses can be found on the ground.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
All of the above vegetation variations can be seen in the Yushan area
from low foothills to high summits with an elevation difference of 3.6
kilometres (2.2 mi). Because this wide climatic and vegetation variations, this environment nurtures the richest and most diversified wildlife in Taiwan. Preliminary investigations reveal that there are 130 species of birds, 28 species of mammals, 17 species of reptiles, 12 species of amphibians and 186 species of butterflies in Yushan National Park.
In fact, Yushan is nicknamed "the ark" by academics who see it as a
repository of Taiwan's rare species. It is almost an encyclopedia of
Taiwan's ecological systems, a geological museum and an important habitat of one-third of Taiwan's endemic species, such as:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li>Formosan Serow </li>
<li>Reeves's Muntjac </li>
<li>Formosan Black Bear </li>
<li>Formosan Blue Magpie </li>
<li>Formosan Rock Macaque </li>
<li>Hemimyzon taitungensis and Varicorhinus tamusuiensis (Oshima) — Two unique fish species living in the Lekuleku River area.</li>
</ul>
<h2 style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2sNhMROdm0Tk4VuG4aWRDpgIioRppEVUwsR38l9F7EeG5KO54oFLdaAq4-9dTzVeY5a9Croqkfa1JORN8u0BmRx3J1kTeMcOMMa7fDBlWVq-BzQEvJLo-ZDAJFvCbF5PO-eTsE3dTgUR-/s1600/YushanSeaCoud4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2sNhMROdm0Tk4VuG4aWRDpgIioRppEVUwsR38l9F7EeG5KO54oFLdaAq4-9dTzVeY5a9Croqkfa1JORN8u0BmRx3J1kTeMcOMMa7fDBlWVq-BzQEvJLo-ZDAJFvCbF5PO-eTsE3dTgUR-/s400/YushanSeaCoud4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="mw-headline" id="History">History</span></h2>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Jade Mountain was first observed by westerners in 1857. <b>W. Morrison</b>, captain of the American freighter SS <i>Alexander</i>, sighted this mountain while departing from Anping Harbor, in what is now Anping, Tainan. He recorded this sighting in his naval log, and the mountain gained the name <b>Mount Morrison</b> in western literature.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In 1900, after the annexation of Taiwan by the Japanese, two Japanese anthropologists, Torii Ryūzō and Mori Ushinosuke, became the first people to have been recorded ascending the mountain. They gave the mountain the name <i>Niitakayama</i> or <i>Mount Niitaka</i>, literally the "New High Mountain", because it was even higher than Mount Fuji in Japan (was Empire of Japan) by 176 metres (577 ft). In 1937, <b>Niitakayama</b> was designated part of the Niitaka (New Highest) Arisan National Park.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Under its Japanese name, the mountain was used as the secret code to signal the carrier fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy to begin its attack against Pearl Harbor. The code was <i>Niitakayama Nobore</i> (literally "Climb the New High Mountain").<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-4"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jade_Mountain#cite_note-4"></a></sup></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In 1966 a large bronze statue of Yu Youren was placed at the summit. The statue remained there until 1996 when it was cut down and thrown into a ravine by Taiwan independence activists.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-5"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jade_Mountain#cite_note-5"></a></sup></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In recent years, Yushan has played an important role in a new focus
on Taiwan's identity. Because its iconic status, Yushan has been chosen
to be the background of the newly issued NT $1,000 dollar bills on 20
July 2005.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-new_taiwan_dollar_bill_6-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jade_Mountain#cite_note-new_taiwan_dollar_bill-6"></a></sup> Similarly, a newly found asteroid by Lulin Observatory of National Central University was named after Yushan on December 28, 2007.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<h2 style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="mw-headline" id="Climate">Climate</span></h2>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Based on the data shown on Central Weather Bureau of Taiwan,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-central_weather_bureau_8-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jade_Mountain#cite_note-central_weather_bureau-8"></a></sup> the figure on the right shows the monthly mean precipitation (unit: mm) of Yushan from 1971 to 2000.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Average annual rainfall in the Yushan area is about 3,600 mm. It
rains an average of 140 days per year, mostly between May and August.
From May until the first part of June is plum rain season or monsoon season. Taiwan's typhoon
season roughly falls between July and September. The peak month is in
August. Overall speaking, summers are wet and winters relatively dry in
Yushan.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Yushan has an alpine climate (Köppen <i>ET</i>).
From September to April, the Yushan area is often covered with frost.
However, due to strong wind, the frost level is not high, except in the
valleys. At elevations above 2,000 meters, there is snow. At elevations
of 3,000 meters or more, there are four consecutive months of snow
accumulation. The first snow may appear in October and completely melts
by May. Snow falls 24.3 days per year on average on Yushan, which is
less than in the previous ten years. At lower elevations, snow may fall
only 0.6 days per year. Snow mostly falls in January and February.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3PXa31nnxsK3SczwXflQRiVGUkvwqOGw5ydJuoHF_WkV0zQBxdzX3A9tNTvUZSZalBSSAKf13MA4asYPLEPwfCdBlOSe9hdX8ScNuIsDp7cl9yETrUQpghOKou7jIhIon3SQeSZ3sLX0l/s1600/Laonung_River.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3PXa31nnxsK3SczwXflQRiVGUkvwqOGw5ydJuoHF_WkV0zQBxdzX3A9tNTvUZSZalBSSAKf13MA4asYPLEPwfCdBlOSe9hdX8ScNuIsDp7cl9yETrUQpghOKou7jIhIon3SQeSZ3sLX0l/s400/Laonung_River.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631353253668989136.post-51228487160872849422011-12-06T22:45:00.001+07:002011-12-06T23:41:40.917+07:00Hehuan Mountain possesses highest point in Taiwan accessible by public roads<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj61pFOoiN52DNJ1N-EhAxfRgrTaQO1f9F7TwsaCSMnniookXWu88hC-FJsEgGxZRR4b93vVO6XqMZALaBJaeWm2_YAr9WbJcVjH8I15qMOTvJ1jkFpL5VDMg654q8jcwRS-yPd2yw0abeL/s1600/Hehuanshan_Tunnel.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj61pFOoiN52DNJ1N-EhAxfRgrTaQO1f9F7TwsaCSMnniookXWu88hC-FJsEgGxZRR4b93vVO6XqMZALaBJaeWm2_YAr9WbJcVjH8I15qMOTvJ1jkFpL5VDMg654q8jcwRS-yPd2yw0abeL/s320/Hehuanshan_Tunnel.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Hehuanshan (also called Joy Mountain) is a 3,416 metres (11,207 ft) high mountain in Central Taiwan. The peak lies on the boundaries of Nantou and Hualien counties and is within the Taroko Gorge
National Park. Hehuanshan is a popular destination for the local people
of central Taiwan. The 3,421-metre East Peak and 3,422-metre North Peak
of Hehuanshan are actually both higher than the main peak.</div>
<h2 style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="mw-headline" id="Recreation">Recreation</span></h2>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Snow, rare in the rest of Taiwan, is relatively common on the
mountain during winter months. The Hehuanshan Road leads most of the way
up the mountain to Wuling, a saddle between the Main Peak and the East
Peak of Hehuanshan. Wuling is the highest point on the island of Taiwan
accessible by public roads.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Originally, there was a ski lift on the mountain, but later, due to the inconsistency of snowfall, the lift was removed.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
From the Hehuanshan Road, a trail about one kilometer long leads to
the summit of the main peak. At the summit, there is a weather station.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Hehuanshan is part of the Central Mountain Range that makes up the backbone of Taiwan.</div>
<h2 style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="mw-headline" id="History">History</span></h2>
<h2 style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">In the past, a military training area was built in the proximity of
Hehuanshan. The mountain range also features the remains of a ski lift,
reportedly used by Taiwan's elite during the martial law period and
inaccessible to most people. The unreliability of snowfall has meant
that the ski lift was abandoned years ago.</span></span></h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk-1VfkYl4t9cSCiD2p8F6_qNTkbvE_3Qx5TzqGLDNmZA5jRxeBPF8w4HaTtGEeFFWLyAPvXmBa9FYuPAxByBHSf4ZT3EGmN59Xsadz7rFo3xittXj-azcWM1bChU_wVGw6JM7WdcLsmrq/s1600/hehuansan+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpO9G2WDNRB1xlhyphenhyphenxdVsPMiXc22Yr-Oh3R4w7sRuraKtiXY8tzB2LLC_8TwsF4C0ZUgcgEGTk8g2HuxMntFcDjfItmz6XHzn4hZ95MO-fnlFr79IPLO0LW3kaLLggk4N9zb5gR0j7NRDYn/s1600/Hehuanshan_Cuesta.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpO9G2WDNRB1xlhyphenhyphenxdVsPMiXc22Yr-Oh3R4w7sRuraKtiXY8tzB2LLC_8TwsF4C0ZUgcgEGTk8g2HuxMntFcDjfItmz6XHzn4hZ95MO-fnlFr79IPLO0LW3kaLLggk4N9zb5gR0j7NRDYn/s320/Hehuanshan_Cuesta.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<h2 style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="mw-headline" id="Hehuanshan_Road">Hehuanshan Road</span></h2>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Hehuanshan Road is currently the only paved road leading across the Central Mountains from Taichung City to Hualien via the famous Taroko Gorge. The Central Cross-Island Highway, which originally crossed the mountains north of Hehuanshan, was damaged during the September 21, 1999 Earthquake and had been under repair for five years afterwards. But prior to its re-opening disaster struck again in form of a typhoon and it was decided to keep it closed indefinitely.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Hehuanshan Road leads up from Puli in central Nantou past Wushe (Ren-ai) and Chingjing Farm up to Wuling.
Wuling, at 3,275 metres above sea level, is the highest automobile pass
in Taiwan. The road is narrow and winding throughout, and is considered
a dangerous and difficult road by many drivers. This road often becomes
clogged in winter, when many locals travel up the mountain to see snow.
Recently, after several incidents, buses and large trucks were barred
from this stretch of road.</div>
<h2 style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="mw-headline" id="Hehuanshan_Road"> </span></h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk-1VfkYl4t9cSCiD2p8F6_qNTkbvE_3Qx5TzqGLDNmZA5jRxeBPF8w4HaTtGEeFFWLyAPvXmBa9FYuPAxByBHSf4ZT3EGmN59Xsadz7rFo3xittXj-azcWM1bChU_wVGw6JM7WdcLsmrq/s1600/hehuansan+1.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk-1VfkYl4t9cSCiD2p8F6_qNTkbvE_3Qx5TzqGLDNmZA5jRxeBPF8w4HaTtGEeFFWLyAPvXmBa9FYuPAxByBHSf4ZT3EGmN59Xsadz7rFo3xittXj-azcWM1bChU_wVGw6JM7WdcLsmrq/s320/hehuansan+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<h2 style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span class="mw-headline" id="History"> </span></h2>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<h2 style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="mw-headline" id="Recreation"> </span></h2>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631353253668989136.post-80008486430794520642011-12-05T17:19:00.001+07:002011-12-05T17:51:40.517+07:00Hallasan highest peak in South Korea<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe-vykH4qcdIAZ3NXTwSGZyAgNloNOwXxpsx7jcTqjyeDz5Krjh5RfGxbXHjZl9nx-R460HkvXY-7Wm4jaFBy_JxOjxFutFFDyRKzLe7Ys2y8GvUBAzZMZgMym1xsI-cYGNXuViXwC-ho8/s1600/Halasan+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe-vykH4qcdIAZ3NXTwSGZyAgNloNOwXxpsx7jcTqjyeDz5Krjh5RfGxbXHjZl9nx-R460HkvXY-7Wm4jaFBy_JxOjxFutFFDyRKzLe7Ys2y8GvUBAzZMZgMym1xsI-cYGNXuViXwC-ho8/s320/Halasan+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="color: orange;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crater lakes on Hallasan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Hallasan is a shield volcano on Jeju Island of South Korea. Hallasan is the highest mountain of South Korea. The area around the mountain is a designated national park, the Hallasan National Park (Hallasan Gungnip Gongwon). Hallasan is commonly considered to be one of the three main mountains of South Korea, with Jirisan and Seoraksan being the other two.
<b> </b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Names</b> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Alternate names for the mountain include Hanla Mountain or Mount Halla and older English sources refer to the peak as Mount Auckland. Hallasan is written in North Korea in Chosungul as if it were Hannasan ; however, it is still pronounced as Hallasan. In the past, Hallasan has been known by numerous other names in Korean including Buag, Wonsan, Jinsan, Seonsan, Dumuag, Burasan, Yeongjusan, and Hyeolmangbong.
<b> </b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Geology and geography</b> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Hallasan is a massive shield volcano which forms the bulk of Jeju Island and is often taken as representing the island itself. There is a local saying stating that "Jeju Island is Hallasan; and Hallasan is Jeju." The mountain can indeed be seen from all places on the island, but its peak is often covered in clouds. The mountain has been designated Korea's Natural Monument no. 182.
The volcanic island was constructed starting in the Pliocene epoch atop the continental shelf, which is presently about 100 m (300 ft) below sea level in that area. Eruptions of basalt and trachyte lava built the island above sea level, and it now reaches a height of 1,950 metres (6,398 ft). A large volcanic crater over 400 m (1,300 ft) in diameter tops the volcano. About 360 parasitic cones, or oreum in the Jeju dialect, are found on the volcano's flanks. Most of them are cinder cones and scoria cones, but there are also some lava domes and about 20 tuff rings near the coast and offshore, which were formed by underwater phreatic eruptions. The most recent eruptions occurred on the flanks in 1002 and 1007.
Crater lakes on Hallasan.
There is a crater lake on Hallasan called Baengnokdam, literally "white deer lake." There is a legend attributing the name of the lake to otherworldly men who descend from heaven to play with white deer. Depending on the season, the circumference of the lake is up to 2 kilometres with a depth up to about 100 meters.
<b> </b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-gj-ifqQqpVdFr6p03pY3U2X96LuyINO6gB7Zu_TPaAOZbDJFg5UnHjHyd6KxaGODoloJFmh6vXA-c6cNFQGV1424sQDTNloQp0fVusLzh2DEvH_1DpBhJsjgWBitJgkM4Vzg4ql0Jsbb/s1600/Halla07.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-gj-ifqQqpVdFr6p03pY3U2X96LuyINO6gB7Zu_TPaAOZbDJFg5UnHjHyd6KxaGODoloJFmh6vXA-c6cNFQGV1424sQDTNloQp0fVusLzh2DEvH_1DpBhJsjgWBitJgkM4Vzg4ql0Jsbb/s320/Halla07.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: orange;">A view at the top (2008)</span><br style="color: orange;" /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Sights</b> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The mountain is home to Gwaneumsa, the oldest Buddhist temple on the island. The temple was originally built during the Goryeo Dynasty. Like many other temples in Korea, Gwaneumsa was destroyed and rebuilt in the 20th century. There is a memorial site outside the temple, remembering the victims of the Jeju uprising that took place between 1948 and 1950. It is one of the most visited places of the island. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<h2 style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="mw-headline" id="Trails">Trails</span></span></h2>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
There are five hiking trails on Hallasan. They are:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li>Gwaneumsa Trail - 8.7 km</li>
<li>Eorimok Trail - 4.7 km</li>
<li>Seongpanak Trail - 9.6 km</li>
<li>Yeongsil Trail - 3.7 km</li>
<li>Donnaeko Trail - 9.1 km</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Donnaeko trail was officially reopened to the public on December
4, 2009, after a fifteen year hiatus. Only the Gwaneumsa and Seongpanak
trails lead to the summit. The Donnaeko, Eorimok and Yeongsil courses
only go as far as Witse Oreum, as the rest of the trail leading to the
peak has been closed off since 1994 in order to restore and protect the
vegetation.</div>
<h2 style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="mw-headline" id="Trails"> </span></span></h2>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbiSyKwVH8ZBXZq7mOvvuaq250pQQpQ3tUs13ap_6k-zP4lNQ7hgJ5Lsi3z05RDmoy5YtA2I06SJ9vv4SfxP98f9wLDKIZ6lk5sJesWVy2aJV8LjVApL3ty5VV2KWsBqXnRM6GUQiqLAnI/s320/Halla08.JPG" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr style="color: orange;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A monument at the gate of Seonphanak trail</td></tr>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631353253668989136.post-50132559505439807472011-11-29T00:29:00.001+07:002011-12-05T17:17:46.299+07:00Baekdu Mountain the highest mountain in Korea<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Baekdu Mountain, also known in China as Changbai Mountain and Baitou Mountain (when referencing both the mountain and its crater lake, Heaven Lake), is a volcanic mountain on the border between North Korea and China, located at 42°00′24″N 128°03′18″E. At 2,744 m (9,003 ft), it is the highest mountain of the Changbai mountain range to the north and Baekdudaegan mountain range to the south. It is also the highest mountain in the Korean peninsula and in Northeast China.
The Korean name, Baekdu San, means "white-headed mountain". English-language volcanology resources sometimes refer to the mountain as Baitoushan; this name arose by reading the Korean Hanja. The Chinese name, Changbai Shan, means "ever-white mountain". The Manchu name, Golmin Šanggiyan Alin, means "white mountain". Various authors have used other non-standard transliterations of the name of the mountain.
A large crater lake, called Heaven Lake, is in the caldera atop the mountain.
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Etymology</b> </span></div>
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All Chinese and Korean names, ever-white or white-head, originate from the Manchu language (or more accurately, Sushen language or Proto-Jurchen language) Šanggiyan Alin (white mountain).
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<b>Geography and geology</b><br />
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Baekdu Mountain is a stratovolcano whose cone is truncated by a large caldera, about 5 km (3.1 mi) wide and 850 m (2,789 ft) deep, partially filled by the waters of Heaven Lake. The caldera was created by a major eruption in 969 AD (± 20 years). Volcanic ash from this eruption has been found as far away as the southern part of Hokkaidō, the northern island of Japan. The lake has a circumference of 12 to 14 kilometres (7.5-8.7 miles), with an average depth of 213 m (699 ft) and maximum depth of 384 m (1,260 ft). From mid-October to mid-June, the lake is typically covered with ice. In 2011, experts in North and South Korea met to discuss the potential for a significant eruption in the near future.[6] as the volcano explodes to life every 100 years or so, the last time in 1903.
The central section of the mountain rises about 3 mm every year, due to rising levels of magma below the central part of the mountain. Sixteen peaks exceeding 2,500 m (8,200 ft) line the caldera rim surrounding Heaven Lake. The highest peak, called Janggun Peak, is covered in snow about eight months of the year. The slope is relatively gentle until about 1,800 metres (5,905 ft).
Water flows north out of the lake, and near the outlet there is a 70 metre (230 ft) waterfall. The mountain is the source of the Songhua, Tumen and Yalu rivers.<br />
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<b>Climate</b><br />
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The weather on the mountain can be very erratic, sometimes severe. The annual average temperature at the peak is −8.3 °C (17.1 °F). During summer, temperatures of about 18 °C (64 °F) or higher can be reached, and during winter temperatures can drop to −48 °C (−54 °F). Average temperature is about −24 °C (−11 °F) in January, and 10 °C (50 °F) in July, remaining below freezing for eight months of the year. Average wind speed is 42 kilometres (26.1 mi) per hour, peaking at 63 kilometres (39.1 mi) per hour. Relative humidity averages 74%. Summer snow cover on the peak has reduced dramatically during that time.
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<b>Flora and fauna</b> </div>
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There are five known species of plants in the lake on the peak, and some 168 were counted along its shores. The area is a known habitat for tigers, bears, leopards, wolves, and wild boars. Deer in the mountain forests, which cover the mountain up to about 2000 metres, are of the Paekdusan roe deer kind. Many wild birds such as black grouse, owls, and woodpecker are known to inhabit the area. The forest on the Chinese side is ancient and almost unaltered by humans. Birch predominates near the tree line, and pine lower down, mixed with other species. In recent decades, significant climate warming has resulted in changes in the structure of the ancient forests on the upper slopes, with a change over from birch to more pine, and a thickening of the forest canopy. There has been extensive deforestation on the lower slopes on the North Korean side of the mountain.
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<b>History</b> </div>
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The Baekdu Mountain has been worshipped by the surrounding peoples throughout history. Both the Koreans and Manchus consider it the place of their ancestral origin.
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<u><b><i>China</i></b></u> </div>
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It was first recorded in the Chinese classic text Shan Hai Jing with the name Buxian Shan (the Mountain with God). It is also called Shanshan Daling (the Big Big Big Mountain) in the Canonical Book of the Eastern Han Dynasty. In the Canonical Book of the Tang Dynasty, it was called Taibai Shan (太白山, the Grand Old White Mountain). The current Chinese name Changbai Shan (perpetually white mountain) was first used in the Liao Dynasty (907-1125) and then the Jurchen Jin Dynasty (1115–1234).
The Jurchen Jin Dynasty (1115–1234) bestowed the title "the King Who Makes the Nation Prosperous and Answers with Miracles" (Xingguo Lingying Wang) on the mountain god in 1172 and it was promoted to "the Emperor Who Cleared the Sky with Tremendous Sagehood" (Kaitian Hongsheng Emperor) in 1193.
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<u><i><b>Korea</b> </i></u></div>
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Koreans consider Mount Baekdu as the place of their ancestral origin and as a sacred mountain, one of the three “spirited” mountains (Jirisan, Hallasan and Baekdusan; "san" means a mountain in Korean); the one contained in the legendary foundation of Korea. From the beginning of history through the Three Kingdoms period, to the Goryeo and Joseon Dynasties, Koreans have spiritually depended upon the “divine” mountain.
The mountain was considered sacred by Koreans throughout history. The legendary beginning of Korea's first kingdom, Gojoseon (2333 BC–108 BC), takes place here. Many subsequent kingdoms of Korea, such as Buyeo, Goguryeo, Balhae, Goryeo and Joseon, considered the mountain sacred and held worshipping rituals for the mountain.
The Goryeo dynasty (935–1392) first called the mountain Baekdu, recording that the Jurchens across the Yalu River were made to live outside of Baekdu Mountain. The Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910) recorded volcanic eruptions in 1597, 1668, and 1702. The 15th century, King Sejong the Great strengthened the fortification along the Tumen and Yalu rivers, making the mountain a natural border with the northern peoples. Some Koreans claim that the entire region near Baekdu Mountain and the Tumen River belongs to Korea and part of it was illegally sold by Japanese colonialists to China through the Gando Convention.
Dense forest around the mountain provided bases for Korean armed resistance against the Japanese occupation, and later communist guerrillas during the Korean War. North Korea claims that Kim Il-sung organized his resistance against the Japanese forces there and that Kim Jong-il was born there, although records outside of North Korea show that these events took place a short distance within the borders of the Soviet Union.
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<b><u><i>Border disputes </i></u></b></div>
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According to Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, the Yalu and Tumen Rivers were set as the borders in the era of the founder of Joseon Dynasty, Taejo of Joseon (1335–1408). Because of the continuous entry of Korean people into Gando, a region in Manchuria that lay north of the Tumen Manchu and Korean officials surveyed the area and negotiated a border agreement in 1712. To mark the agreement, they built a monument describing the boundary at a watershed, near the south of the crater lake at the mountain peak. The interpretation of the inscription caused a territorial dispute from the late 19th century to the early 20th century, and is still disputed by academics today. The 1909 Gando Convention between China and Japan (Japan was responsible for Korea's foreign affairs at the time, according to the Eulsa Treaty, though this treaty was later declared null and void in 1965 by the Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea) recognized the area north and east as Chinese territory. The border was further clarified in 1962, when China and North Korea negotiated a border treaty on the mountain border in response to minor disputes. The two countries agreed to share the mountain and the lake at the peak, with Korea controlling approximately 54.5% and gaining approximately 230 km² in the treaty.
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<u><i><b>Recent disputes </b></i></u></div>
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Some South Korean groups argue that recent activities conducted on the Chinese side of the border, such as economic development, cultural festivals, infrastructure development, promotion of the tourism industry, attempts at registration as a World Heritage Site, and bids for a Winter Olympic Games, are an attempt to claim the mountain as Chinese territory. These groups object to China's use of Changbai Mountain, which has been used since Liao Dynasty and the earlier Jin Dynasty (1115–1234). Some groups also regard the entire mountain as Korean territory that was given away by North Korea in the Korean War. Both European maps and Chinese maps dating before the annexation of Baekdu Mountain and Gando show these areas to be under Korean Joseon Dynasty control.
During the 2007 Asian Winter Games, which were held in Changchun, China, a group of South Korean athletes held up signs during the award ceremony which stated "Mount Baekdu is our territory". Chinese sports officials delivered a letter of protest on the grounds that political activities violated the spirit of the Olympics and were banned in the charter of the International Olympic Committee and the Olympic Council of Asia. The head of the Korea Olympic Committee responded by stating that the incident was accidental and held no political meaning. South Korea has attempted to avoid having this issue become a source of friction between South Korea and China. The athletes' gesture did not become as big an issue as Liancourt Rocks and the Sea of Japan naming dispute. The 2007 official National Atlas of Korea clearly shows the boundary as per the 1962 agreement, roughly splitting the mountain and the caldera lake. However, there are some in Taiwan and South Korea who do not see the 1962 agreement between China and North Korea as legitimate.
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<b>Sightseeing<i></i></b> </div>
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Foreign visitors, mostly South Koreans, usually climb the mountain from the Chinese side, although Baekdu Mountain is a common tourist destination for the few foreign tourists in North Korea.
There are a number of monuments on the North Korean side of the mountain. Baekdu Spa is a natural spring and is used for bottled water. Pegae Hill is a famous camp site of the Korean People’s Revolutionary Army led by Kim Il-sung during their struggle against Japanese colonial rule. There are also a number of secret camps which are now open to the public. There are several waterfalls, including the Hyongje Falls which splits into two separate falls about a third from the top.</div>
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Ultar Sar (also Ultar, Ultar II, Bojohagur Duanasir II) is the southeasternmost major peak of the Batura Muztagh, a subrange of the Karakoram range. It lies about 10 km (6.2 mi) northeast of the Karimabad, a town on the Karakoram Highway in the Hunza Valley, part of the Gilgit District of the Northern Areas of Pakistan.
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<b>Notable Features and Climbing History</b><br />
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While not one of the highest peaks of the Karakoram, Ultar Sar is notable for its dramatic rise above local terrain. Its south flank rises over 5,300 metres (17,388 feet) above the Hunza River near Karimabad, in only about 10 km (6.2 mi) of horizontal distance. Combined with its strategic position at the end of the Batura Muztagh, with the Hunza River bending around it, this makes Ultar a visually striking peak.
Ultar Sar also gained fame in the 1990s as supposedly the world's highest unclimbed independent peak. This was incorrect, as Gangkhar Puensum in Bhutan is higher, and remains unclimbed (and off-limits) in 2007. (Two other higher peaks are also reputedly unclimbed and of independent stature.) However that perception did add to the appeal of the peak, and a number of expeditions attempted to climb it. During the 1980s and 1990s over 15 expeditions made attempts, resulting in no success, but in a number of fatalities; the peak proved to be quite difficult.
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The first two ascents were made in July 1996 by two separate Japanese expeditions, the first (from the Tokai section of the Japanese Alpine Club) led by Akito Yamazaki (who summitted, but died on the descent) and the second led by Ken Takahashi. The first summit team comprised Yamazaki and Kiyoshi Matsuoka (who died one year later on the nearby peak Bublimotin). They climbed the peak from the southwest in alpine style, doing much of the climbing at night to avoid danger from falling rock and ice. After their successful summit, they faced strong storms and bivouaced several days without food before returning to basecamp. However, Akihito Yamazaki died at basecamp of an internal disease due to the severe stress of climbing.
The second summit team comprised Takahashi and four others: Masayuki Ando, Ryushi Hoshino, Wataru Saito, and Nobuo Tsutsumi. They climbed the south ridge. Since 1996, there have been no recorded ascents of the peak.
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Ultar Sar is the east end of a short, somewhat level ridge, the west end of which is a peak called Bojahagur Duanasir (7,329 m/24,045 ft), climbed in 1984 by a Japanese party. To the northwest of both peaks is the huge pyramid of Shispare (7,611 m/24,970 ft). Along the southwest ridge of the massif are Hunza Peak and the striking rock spire of Bublimotin (Ladyfinger Peak). The glaciers draining the slopes of the massif are (clockwise from north): the Ghulkin Glacier, the Gulmit Glacier, the Ahmad Abad Glacier, the Ultar Glacier, and the Hasanabad Glacier. (Many of these have other names as well.)</div>
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They are part of the Baltoro Muztagh, a subrange of the Karakoram range. The Towers offer some of the largest cliffs and most challenging rock climbing in the world. The highest point in the group is the summit of Great Trango Tower, 6,286 m (20,608 ft). The east face of the Great Trango Tower features the world's greatest nearly vertical drop.<br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Structure of the group</span><br /><br />All of the Trango Towers lie on a ridge, trending northwest-southeast, between the Trango Glacier on the west and the Dunge Glacier on the east. Great Trango itself is a large massif, with four identifiable summits: Main (6,286 m), South or Southwest (circa 6,250 m), East (6,231 m), and West (6,223 m). It is a complex combination of steep snow/ice gullies, steeper rock faces, and vertical to overhanging headwalls, topped by a snowy ridge system.<br /><br />Just northwest of Great Trango is the Trango Tower (6,239 m), often called "Nameless Tower". This is a very large, pointed, rather symmetrical spire which juts 1000 m out of the ridgeline. North of Trango Tower is a smaller rock spire known as "Trango Monk." To the north of this feature, the ridge becomes less rocky and loses the large granite walls that distinguish the Trango Towers group and make them so attractive to climbers; however the summits do get higher. These summits are not usually considered part of the Trango Towers group, though they share the Trango name. Trango II (6,327 m) lies northwest of the Monk, and the highest summit on the ridge, Trango Ri (6,363 m), lies northwest of Trango II.<br /><br />Just southeast of Great Trango (really a part of its southeast ridge) is the Trango Pulpit (6,050m), whose walls present similar climbing challenges to those of Great Trango itself. Further to the south is Trango Castle (5,753 m), the last large peak along the ridge before the Baltoro Glacier.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNir48Ag0xmRcQr8zW8PhE3l8Vmp64dTbqUoF8gtKTOH2uJc-3F_WlGdRM47CxQJGbefbOq1bdi0OZoinVJ40cleTyeUqUbQnghUJrGJCuA5wous9YZ3nC1RRTqdvQwQMSuTNgjz3SLhrA/s1600/mountain-hatcher-514562-lw.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNir48Ag0xmRcQr8zW8PhE3l8Vmp64dTbqUoF8gtKTOH2uJc-3F_WlGdRM47CxQJGbefbOq1bdi0OZoinVJ40cleTyeUqUbQnghUJrGJCuA5wous9YZ3nC1RRTqdvQwQMSuTNgjz3SLhrA/s400/mountain-hatcher-514562-lw.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673036531878320162" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Climbing history</span><br /><br />Overall, the Trango Towers group has seen some of the most difficult and significant climbs ever accomplished, due to the combination of altitude, total height of the routes, and the steepness of the rock. All of the routes are highly technical climbs.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >Great Trango</span><br /><br />Great Trango was first climbed in 1977 by Galen Rowell, John Roskelley, Kim Schmitz, Jim Morrissey and Dennis Hennek by a route which started from the west side (Trango Glacier), and climbed a combination of ice ramps and gullies with rock faces, finishing on the upper South Face.<br /><br />The east face of Great Trango was first climbed (to the East Summit) in 1984 by the Norwegians Hans Christian Doseth and Finn Dæhli, who both died on the descent.<br /><br />The first successful climb of and return from the East Summit was in 1992, by Xaver Bongard and John Middendorf, via "The Grand Voyage", a route parallel to that of the ill-fated Norwegians. These two climbs have been called "perhaps the hardest big-wall climbs in the world."<br /><br />The least difficult route on Great Trango is on the Northwest Face, and was climbed in 1984 by Andy Selters and Scott Woolums. This is nonetheless a very serious, technical climb.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Trango (Nameless) Tower</span><br /><br />Trango (Nameless) Tower was first climbed in 1976 by the legendary British climber Joe Brown, along with Mo Anthoine, Martin Boysen, and Malcolm Howells. There are at least eight separate routes to the summit.<br /><br />One notable route is Eternal Flame (named after a Bangles album), first climbed on 20 September 1989 by Kurt Albert and Wolfgang Güllich. This route ascends the South-East Face of the Tower, and was climbed almost entirely free (in stages, using fixed ropes to return to a base each night). This helped inaugurate an era of pure rock-climbing techniques and aesthetics on high-altitude peaks.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Other summits</span><br /><br />The West summit of Great Trango and the Trango Pulpit were both first climbed in 1999. The West summit was climbed by two separate teams, one American and one Russian, almost simultaneously, by parallel routes. The American team of Alex Lowe, Jared Ogden, and Mark Synnott climbed a long, bold, highly technical line which they called "Parallel Worlds." They reported difficulties up to 5.11 and A4. The Russian team of Igor Potan'kin, Alexandr Odintsov, Ivan Samoilenko and Yuri Koshelenko climbed an equally proud route (Eclissi) and encountered similar technical challenges. Both climbs were nominated for the prestigious Piolet d'or award in 1999. The Pulpit was climbed by a Norwegian team (Robert Caspersen, Gunnar Karlsen, Per L. Skjerven, and Einar Wold) over a total of 38 days on the wall. The team reported of difficulties up to A4/5.11.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkcSl2SgIh8v3y7IXa-LGeP3DWhsmZZ5gLeKYeaow9fdT38wpMmINH07faVKIGdhozamQSSsIhJDKcsKY-B1wTROJwagLtXVAX8nx37QbeChELvjHLL6Gc7WbWLefh9P_RTVoj9oEdM7Mx/s1600/namelesstowerfromurdakas.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 254px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkcSl2SgIh8v3y7IXa-LGeP3DWhsmZZ5gLeKYeaow9fdT38wpMmINH07faVKIGdhozamQSSsIhJDKcsKY-B1wTROJwagLtXVAX8nx37QbeChELvjHLL6Gc7WbWLefh9P_RTVoj9oEdM7Mx/s400/namelesstowerfromurdakas.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673037322438005778" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">BASE Jump</span><br /><br />On 26 August 1992, Australians Nic Feteris and Glenn Singleman climbed Great Trango and then BASE jumped from an elevation of 5,955 metres (19,537 ft) on the Northwest Face, landing on the northern side of the Dunge Glacier at an altitude of 4,200 metres (13,779 ft). This was the highest starting elevation for a BASE jump on record. The current Guinness World Record for a BASE jump starting elevation is held by Singleman himself and partner Heather Swan for a jump from 6604 meters (21,667 ft) from Meru Peak in northern India on 23 May 2006.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Recent ascents</span><br /><br />Some of the more recent ascents on Great Trango have focused on the longer routes found on the west and south sides. In particular, in 2004 Josh Wharton and Kelly Cordes completed a new, very long (2,256 metre/7,400 ft) route on the Southwest Ridge, or Azeem Ridge, to the Southwest Summit. Though not as extremely technical as the East Face routes, the climb was notable for the extremely lightweight and fast (5 days) style in which it was done.<br /><br />Over 7 days in August 2005, two Slovak climbers, Gabo Cmarik and Jozef Kopold, climbed a new route, which they termed Assalam Alaikum, to the right of the Wharton/Cordes line on the south face of Great Trango. The climb comprised around 90 pitches, up to 5.11d A2. They used a lightweight style similar to that of Wharton and Cordes.<br /><br />In the same month, Samuel Johnson, Jonathon Clearwater and Jeremy Frimer made the first ascent of the southwest ridge of Trango II, which they termed Severance Ridge. The route involved 1,600 m of climbing over five days, with rock climbing up to 5.11 A2 and ice and mixed climbing up to AI3 M5.<br /><br />Also in August 2005, a South African team, composed of Peter Lazarus, Marianne Pretorius, James Pitman and Andreas Kiefer, climbed to the summit via the Slovenian route. Pretorius was the third woman to reach the summit.<br /><br />During May/June 2008, the Norwegian route on the east face of Great Trango (1984) was repeated by the four Norwegian climbers Rolf Bae, Bjarte Bø, Sigurd Felde and Stein Ivar Gravdal, spending 27 days in the wall to reach the summit, and three more days for the descent. This is reportedly the first repetition of the route, and thus also the first successful ascent and return. Rolf Bae died later that summer. He was one of 11 climbers who were killed in the 2008 K2 Disaster.<br /><br />In mid August 2009, Alexander and Thomas Huber managed to make an all free ascent of "Eternal Flame" on Nameless Tower, with climbing up to french grade 7c+.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGEJO2TZCbAqHhJISSx0ZpclTeBoHjBo3zL2_NFSkzPYeyvN6mWQY3IJK1dUjCpDw-lPR0m_y7P9nsgVgD0VFOB_EGolmWhL_pfOTAGZIu0whGpwd5t7zIt8A3rZhcI5NdmvXXtanpuBdY/s1600/trango_towers%252C_baltoro_glacier%252C_karakoram%252C_pakistan.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGEJO2TZCbAqHhJISSx0ZpclTeBoHjBo3zL2_NFSkzPYeyvN6mWQY3IJK1dUjCpDw-lPR0m_y7P9nsgVgD0VFOB_EGolmWhL_pfOTAGZIu0whGpwd5t7zIt8A3rZhcI5NdmvXXtanpuBdY/s400/trango_towers%252C_baltoro_glacier%252C_karakoram%252C_pakistan.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673038054204299074" border="0" /></a><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631353253668989136.post-1599004619726557412011-11-01T00:53:00.000+07:002011-11-02T03:24:58.157+07:00Sangemarmar Sar a pyramidal peak in the Batura Muztagh<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Ip4dRxYiNZW4Wi20fevZLE48BLHEg8nIqRNm2ReWUmz0fsCsNzGIfvwHSAQPpDuF7TWYN9E2vlXAsc6NdYURQFsX7SrGjqHqq9vHGVTg1EYhc11owq9rn2WSf31mFTx_6mgmeSCIjFRh/s1600/Yukshin_Gardan_Sar_North_Peak_7530.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Ip4dRxYiNZW4Wi20fevZLE48BLHEg8nIqRNm2ReWUmz0fsCsNzGIfvwHSAQPpDuF7TWYN9E2vlXAsc6NdYURQFsX7SrGjqHqq9vHGVTg1EYhc11owq9rn2WSf31mFTx_6mgmeSCIjFRh/s320/Yukshin_Gardan_Sar_North_Peak_7530.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sangemarmar Sar (or Sangemar Mar, Sang-e-Marmar, Sangemarmur) is a pyramidal peak in the Batura Muztagh, at the end of a spur ridge running southwest from Pasu Sar in Pakistan. It lies between the Muchuhar Glacier, on the west, and the Shispare (or Hasanabad) Glacier on the east.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Because it is much lower in elevation than many of the surrounding peaks, such as Batura Sar and Rakaposhi, Sangemarmar Sar is little-known, and there has been only one successful ascent of the peak, according to the Himalayan Index. However, because of its location on the southern flank of the main crest of the range, relatively near the Hunza Valley, it does enjoy tremendous vertical relief above local terrain. For example, its summit rises over 5,000 metres (16,400 ft) above the Hunza River, in a horizontal distance of 15 kilometres (9 mi).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The mountain was named (as "Sangemarmur", meaning "marble", after a conspicuous band of yellow marble crossing the summit) in 1964 by the First Canadian Himalayan Expedition, comprising Fred Roots (leader), Donald Lyon, John Ricker, Lisle Irwin, Donald Poole, Hermann Jamek, Momin Khalifa and Karl Tomm. They intended to locate and climb Hachindar Chhish, which they determined to be a peak a few kilometers to the west of Sangemarmar Sar; however that peak proved too difficult and technical for the party to attempt. The expedition reached 6,300 metres (20,700 ft) but was then forced to retreat by repeated heavy snowstorms.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnMZDjOjZU0ConcNq2SNo4goxy68cdmrw2Q8WrIjvTcOa8y97VjO9rRgO8xsey3a0sbFG2sdWqMzTF2PMByYG41gcoy9xwWjQD6RlRF6GD6ewmNs2PcIekWcHyJheFtwkHo7BGa7tjygSb/s1600/Sangemarmar_closeup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnMZDjOjZU0ConcNq2SNo4goxy68cdmrw2Q8WrIjvTcOa8y97VjO9rRgO8xsey3a0sbFG2sdWqMzTF2PMByYG41gcoy9xwWjQD6RlRF6GD6ewmNs2PcIekWcHyJheFtwkHo7BGa7tjygSb/s400/Sangemarmar_closeup.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">On July 11, 1984, a team from Osaka University made the first ascent of the mountain via the southwest ridge. The expedition comprised Takashi Matsuo (leader), Hiromi Okuyama, Takehiro Hirota, Tokio Kozuki, Masaya Oishi, Toru Sakakibara, Kenya Sato, Shinichi Miyata, Tomoyoshi Mizukawa, Hiroyuki Onishi, and Akira Noguchi. All members reached the summit, on two separate days. They encountered ice up to 50 degrees. They used three high camps, and fixed 3,000 metres (10,000 ft) of rope.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1PJJ_PQNuF5ltjHqI6REWwrmhO7ei6I3RESLRbYN4_CX9MWE3D4znfrNBOQlhWvMSGE5Rv78b8RSBTzi7SCB5J4AU6ONlQo5FRiIC4z7DKUjz_4TET8ANm7M0DxB-352ZY8PF2y67gp1e/s1600/Sange_Marmar_Peak_7050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1PJJ_PQNuF5ltjHqI6REWwrmhO7ei6I3RESLRbYN4_CX9MWE3D4znfrNBOQlhWvMSGE5Rv78b8RSBTzi7SCB5J4AU6ONlQo5FRiIC4z7DKUjz_4TET8ANm7M0DxB-352ZY8PF2y67gp1e/s400/Sange_Marmar_Peak_7050.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631353253668989136.post-55587759637931029812011-10-27T15:26:00.000+07:002011-11-02T03:24:58.157+07:00Saltoro Kangri the highest mountain #31 in the world<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLKuHijgB3_PrXwJweHeDNuruolwhXy03o14Tp6r5XSIlER2RkhjF1B0tdRoqGC78vdQFAQgx489Y5oS8fOphjY46BGpjRYEvA49TXuyUuAclIDmN1UZgwQ3mN_H5OqhbTV2HToDBZfAL4/s1600/pic_skarduvalley-masherbrum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLKuHijgB3_PrXwJweHeDNuruolwhXy03o14Tp6r5XSIlER2RkhjF1B0tdRoqGC78vdQFAQgx489Y5oS8fOphjY46BGpjRYEvA49TXuyUuAclIDmN1UZgwQ3mN_H5OqhbTV2HToDBZfAL4/s320/pic_skarduvalley-masherbrum.jpg" width="206" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Saltoro Kangri is the highest peak of the Saltoro Mountains, better known as the Saltoro Range, which is a minor range of the Karakoram. It is one of the highest mountains on Earth, but it is in a very remote location deep in the Karakoram.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Saltoro Kangri lies in a region controlled by India on the southwestern side of the Siachen Glacier.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Notable features</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Saltoro Kangri is the 31st highest independent mountain in the world. In addition, it rises dramatically above the Pakistani-controlled valleys of the Kondus and Saltoro Rivers to the west of the peak (draining eventually into the Indus River.) Due to danger from military operations, Saltoro Kangri is little visited. Areas just to the west are controlled by Pakistan, to the east by India.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBK8FXS0-xQEuZizk8aL197QBg_6YsRqmh5dBZoUqqPOQ9ZWq7_P_0VvQ-GT1ARAdPBR9gdlUZ2leVg2Z6uRTMYJQUPTk2P4mWhD9fDJk1e_Pcvc9ZuMeQ30KcraJOafsObM4NnhOLotKL/s1600/Saltorokangri_21778.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="367" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBK8FXS0-xQEuZizk8aL197QBg_6YsRqmh5dBZoUqqPOQ9ZWq7_P_0VvQ-GT1ARAdPBR9gdlUZ2leVg2Z6uRTMYJQUPTk2P4mWhD9fDJk1e_Pcvc9ZuMeQ30KcraJOafsObM4NnhOLotKL/s400/Saltorokangri_21778.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Climbing history</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The mountain was reconnoitered by the intrepid Workman couple in 1911-12.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The first attempt on the peak was in 1935 by a British expedition led by J. Waller, which reached c.24500' on the SE ridge.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">A British university expedition led by Eric Shipton approached this peak through the Bilafond La via Pakistan with a Pakistani climbing permit. They recced the peak but did not attempt it. This expedition was inadvertently the first move in the deadly game of Siachen oropolitics that would lead to the Siachen conflict of 1984.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The first ascent of Saltoro Kangri was in 1962, by a joint Japanese-Pakistani expedition led by T. Shidei. This piggyback expedition put A. Saito, Y. Takamura and Pakistani climber R.A. Bashir on top on July 24, following the S.E. ridge route.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">US maps of the area in the 1960s showed the Line of Control between Pakistani and Indian territory running from the last defined point in the 1949 Agreement, NJ9842, to the Karakoram Pass (held by India), thus putting the whole of Saltoro Kangri and the entire Siachen Glacier in Pakistan, even though the boundary was undemarcated from NJ9842 northwards. This appears to have been an error.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Himalayan Index lists only one more ascent of the mountain, in 1981, and no other attempts.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiarjo8ZWPg2iUENCfk5SLc0Gi4Y-cQlrwse6QBSLzxEdmat06h_7zcESmU-kD_515E5wyFUGV2b65_mnMPb0lOnPU4Iku-JOTqAXx4ED8pe0SY_obTmE9CoDg8GWVnMlxIQJ_AGOzqP95Y/s1600/5b4545be1f4e377a7e82913555f3-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiarjo8ZWPg2iUENCfk5SLc0Gi4Y-cQlrwse6QBSLzxEdmat06h_7zcESmU-kD_515E5wyFUGV2b65_mnMPb0lOnPU4Iku-JOTqAXx4ED8pe0SY_obTmE9CoDg8GWVnMlxIQJ_AGOzqP95Y/s400/5b4545be1f4e377a7e82913555f3-large.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631353253668989136.post-34061108598105768882011-10-27T15:16:00.000+07:002011-11-02T03:24:58.158+07:00Rakaposhi the highest mountain #27 in the world<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_P2Sl8QsuKNxRsL6YruW92Razl0XcfUgEFsoUZm6_9PCd7p15HaIUAV21ABek9MgQFW8_XnNIWBWIEtcapdiSrczHjZRiayEsdrspIkqToyYHR_bhgTL2jvmSUCbUbPJRXNmPlJ72gChyphenhyphen/s1600/Rakaposhi_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_P2Sl8QsuKNxRsL6YruW92Razl0XcfUgEFsoUZm6_9PCd7p15HaIUAV21ABek9MgQFW8_XnNIWBWIEtcapdiSrczHjZRiayEsdrspIkqToyYHR_bhgTL2jvmSUCbUbPJRXNmPlJ72gChyphenhyphen/s320/Rakaposhi_3.jpg" width="215" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Rakaposhi is a mountain in the Karakoram mountain range in Pakistan. It is situated in the Nagar Valley approximately 100 km north of the city of Gilgit in the Gilgit District of the Gilgit-Baltistan province of Pakistan. Rakaposhi means "Snow Covered" in the local language. Rakaposhi is also known as Dumani ("Mother of Mist"). It is ranked 27th highest in the world and 12th highest in Pakistan, but it is more popular for its beauty than its rank might suggest.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Rakaposhi was first climbed in 1958 by Mike Banks and Tom Patey, members of a British-Pakistani expedition, via the Southwest Spur/Ridge route. Both of them suffered minor frostbite during the ascent. Another climber slipped and fell on the descent and died during the night.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Park</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The people of Nagar has dedicated the Rakaposhi range mountain area as a community park. The Minister for Northern Areas inaugurated the park. The Rakaposhi mountain range is the home of endangered species such as Marco Polo sheep, Snow Leopard, brown bear, wolves and many other species.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTZCQXABHDDVqMT3qchdOZBr7CSNQdZ4R2fckubveVGTpWZ2x-uHdTTEQm4MY2CBgFjYEbz8K_Kb1MGzr_o-jX8ovh6k8Dv1u3cGO_Y9uo6niIbDraWctDDkxZDPPVJNg-MjlKVyFsNq1/s1600/RakaposhiTagafari0889.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTZCQXABHDDVqMT3qchdOZBr7CSNQdZ4R2fckubveVGTpWZ2x-uHdTTEQm4MY2CBgFjYEbz8K_Kb1MGzr_o-jX8ovh6k8Dv1u3cGO_Y9uo6niIbDraWctDDkxZDPPVJNg-MjlKVyFsNq1/s400/RakaposhiTagafari0889.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Notable features</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Rakaposhi is notable for its exceptional rise over local terrain. On the north, it rises 5800m in only an 11.5 km horizontal distance from the Hunza River. There are magnificent views of Rakaposhi from the Karakoram Highway on the route through Hunza. A tourist spot in the town of Ghulmat (located in the Nagar Valley) called "Zero Point of Rakaposhi" is the closest convenient view point of the mountain.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Time line</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>1892 Martin Conway explores the south side of Rakaposhi.</li>
<li>1938 M. Vyvyan and R. Campbell Secord make the first reconnaissance and climb a north-western forepeak (about 5,800m/19,000') via the northwest ridge.</li>
<li>1947 Secord returns with H. W. Tilman and two Swiss climbers; they ascend via the Gunti glacier to 5,800m/19,000' on the south-west spur.</li>
<li>1954 Cambridge University team, led by Alfred Tissières, attempts the peak via the south-west spur but only reached 6,340m/20,800'. Also, an Austro-German expedition led by Mathias Rebitsch attempted the same route.</li>
<li>1956 A British-American expedition, led by Mike Banks, reaches 7,163m/23,500' on the Southwest Ridge, above the Gunti glacier.</li>
<li>1958 The first ascent, noted above.</li>
<li>1964 An Irish expedition attempts the long and difficult Northwest Ridge.</li>
<li>1971 Karl Herrligkofer leads an attempt on the elegant but difficult North Spur (or North Ridge).</li>
<li>1973 Herrligkofer returns to the North Spur but is again unsuccessful due to time and weather problems.</li>
<li>1979 A Polish-Pakistani expedition ascends the Northwest Ridge from the Biro Glacier.</li>
<li>1979 A Japanese expedition from Waseda University, led by Eiho Ohtani, succeeds in climbing the North Spur. Summit party: Ohtani and Matsushi Yamashita. This ascent was expedition-style, done over a period of six weeks, with 5000m of fixed rope.</li>
<li>1984 A Canadian team achieves a semi-alpine-style ascent of the North Spur, using much less fixed rope than the Japanese team had. Summit party: Barry Blanchard, David Cheesmond, Kevin Doyle.</li>
<li>1985-1987 Various unsuccessful attempts on the long East Ridge.</li>
<li>1986 A Dutch team climbs a variation of the Northwest Ridge route.</li>
<li>1995 An ascent via the Northwest Ridge.</li>
<li>1997 An ascent via the Southwest Spur/Ridge (possibly the original route).</li>
<li>2000 An attempt from the East side (Bagrot Glacier).</li>
<li>2003 A Mountaineering expedition team of Chiltan Adventures Association Balochistan led by Hayatullah Khan Durrani with coordination Malik Abdul Rahim Baabai & Noor Mohammad Khilji followed by Saad Tariq Saddiqi Manager of the team from Alpine Club of Pakistan (Islamabad) achieves ascent of the Southwest Spur/Ridge (first ascent route. expedition members Abdul Samad Khilji (Late)Mohammad Ali Khan Mandokhail (Late) Syed Taimoor Shah (Late) Nasibullah Khilji (Late) the others were stayed at 6000m ,</li>
</ul><div></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In 2005 Nazeem Khan Climbed up the peak of This Mountain (Mubeen Khan the eye witness of this historic event)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA9YxYJ4WHkKp4svKMQQH8bUoiNKownTgM7qurBvbMluMuP4Q3XNkJ-LuL8OQwUvr86g9VX-OFstaouT48q0qopBBcwLrLH9oYG_2e9jUEUlRFoA6wqeJsz7vFWJHeTWIGnWo0QCjDMVOv/s1600/Rakaposhi_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA9YxYJ4WHkKp4svKMQQH8bUoiNKownTgM7qurBvbMluMuP4Q3XNkJ-LuL8OQwUvr86g9VX-OFstaouT48q0qopBBcwLrLH9oYG_2e9jUEUlRFoA6wqeJsz7vFWJHeTWIGnWo0QCjDMVOv/s400/Rakaposhi_4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
</div><h2 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="mw-headline" id="Climbing_routes">Climbing routes</span></span></h2><div style="text-align: justify;">The routes with successful summits so far have been (see the timeline as well):</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Southwest Spur/Ridge (first ascent route). Long, but not exceedingly technical. Some tricky gendarmes (rock pinnacles). Has been repeated.</li>
<li>Northwest Ridge. Long, and more technically difficult than the SW Spur/Ridge. Has been repeated.</li>
<li>North Spur (a.k.a. North Ridge). Shorter than the above two routes, but much more technically difficult. Has been repeated, including a semi-alpine-style (capsule style) ascent.</li>
</ul><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Attempts have also been made from the east side (Bagrot Glacier), the East Ridge, and the North Face.</div><h2 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="mw-headline" id="Climbing_routes"> </span></span></h2><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Bxupv_9-yyT0kmqjdlZGtS0dojSjrBe03jotDOlsPJ48XCaobS5iG5hTWXWyGOhLl-o6x_B8JaEMNFyXSESz5kVhyphenhyphenOgxEjp24fTG5nbFdoEeSFx0yb5tx9hYpCbXTkS5ZgYb7V7voM68/s1600/Panorama_Rakaposhi%2526Diran.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Bxupv_9-yyT0kmqjdlZGtS0dojSjrBe03jotDOlsPJ48XCaobS5iG5hTWXWyGOhLl-o6x_B8JaEMNFyXSESz5kVhyphenhyphenOgxEjp24fTG5nbFdoEeSFx0yb5tx9hYpCbXTkS5ZgYb7V7voM68/s400/Panorama_Rakaposhi%2526Diran.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631353253668989136.post-13460626088598814432011-10-25T22:44:00.000+07:002011-11-02T03:24:58.158+07:00Muztagh Tower the highest mountain #91 in the world<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCKmlfdBwFPmfhxPGWcOgUf4r4TwTa6jGndRyrYHDOcn-WhweEPkq1Ps0yfWOAtqpsAJdd-9kSLjEqQaHKyTs11YYvcBIUUaJaHQDbtzNeIOb6tZ58sllUBDWYPLnTvaep1buW7B0NYhM_/s1600/491343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCKmlfdBwFPmfhxPGWcOgUf4r4TwTa6jGndRyrYHDOcn-WhweEPkq1Ps0yfWOAtqpsAJdd-9kSLjEqQaHKyTs11YYvcBIUUaJaHQDbtzNeIOb6tZ58sllUBDWYPLnTvaep1buW7B0NYhM_/s320/491343.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Muztagh Tower (also: Mustagh Tower; Muztagh: ice tower), is a mountain in the Baltoro Muztagh, part of the Karakoram range on the border of the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan and the Xinjiang Uygur region of China. It stands between the basins of the Baltoro and Sarpo Laggo glaciers.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Early prominence</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Mustagh Tower was made famous by a spectacular but somewhat misleading photograph taken by Vittorio Sella during the 1909 Italian expedition to K2. Taken from the upper Baltoro, due southeast of the mountain, the twin summits were perfectly aligned and the mountain was seen as a slender tooth, and looked impregnable. In 1941, the photograph was featured in a popular book on mountaineering with the caption "The Last Citadel".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>First and second ascents</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Nearly fifty years after Sella's photo was taken, in 1956, his photograph inspired two expeditions to race for the first ascent. Both teams found their routes less steep than Sella's view had suggested. The British expedition, consisting of John Hartog, Joe Brown, Tom Patey and Ian McNaught-Davis, came from the Chagaran Glacier on the west side of the peak and reached the summit via the Northwest Ridge first on July 6, five days before the French team (fr:Guido Magnone, fr:Robert Paragot, André Contamine, Paul Keller) climbed the mountain from the east. The doctor François Florence waited for the two parties at the camp IV during 42 hours without a radio, when they went, reached the summit and came back to this camp.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinF7cfI-G6rGsL978TNp_tE8HZWIifn_zSSCjQVnnF21gnciBjM-_RcCLe-yjn_BF29QkVJbu4xbTnpHqLmk1m_OllAnUIQNVx49dHcv77Wc_IUTYyJuVhgFSlcWryQ4SmgFtC6XvZ8h2z/s1600/BILD2496.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinF7cfI-G6rGsL978TNp_tE8HZWIifn_zSSCjQVnnF21gnciBjM-_RcCLe-yjn_BF29QkVJbu4xbTnpHqLmk1m_OllAnUIQNVx49dHcv77Wc_IUTYyJuVhgFSlcWryQ4SmgFtC6XvZ8h2z/s400/BILD2496.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Notable ascents and attempts</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>1984 <i>Northwest Ridge</i> 2nd of route, 3rd of peak by Mal Duff, Tony Brindle, Jon Tinker and Sandy Allan (all UK).<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Duff85_8-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muztagh_Tower#cite_note-Duff85-8"></a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Greig_9-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muztagh_Tower#cite_note-Greig-9"></a></sup></li>
</ul><div></div><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>1990 The fourth ascent was made by Göran Kropp and Rafael Jensen.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Kropp_10-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muztagh_Tower#cite_note-Kropp-10"></a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-11"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muztagh_Tower#cite_note-11"></a></sup></li>
</ul><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> A lower summit, 7,180 m (23,560 ft) was first climbed in 1984 by the northeast ridge.<sup class="Template-Fact" style="white-space: nowrap;"><i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources from April 2008"> </span></a></i></sup></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>2008 On 24 August 2008, the <i>Northeast Face</i> was climbed by two Slovenian alpinists, Pavle Kozjek and Dejan Miškovič. They bivouacked on the crest after 17 hours of climbing. They decided not to go to the summit because of strong wind. Just after they started descending, Kozjek fell to his death.</li>
</ul><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhju0WfEcBOPBgpvSHZJd1rzh1upADzSEnFb2nvseXJxhSn78W-TeDSnbcV7-HJo6KLxB0C8hQiOWD-bTfRVKAND1PALRJA7JLtserqjoURpjVlzxSXxpQQqUlsHljdFTyviG43wxtj_hNt/s1600/MuztaghTower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhju0WfEcBOPBgpvSHZJd1rzh1upADzSEnFb2nvseXJxhSn78W-TeDSnbcV7-HJo6KLxB0C8hQiOWD-bTfRVKAND1PALRJA7JLtserqjoURpjVlzxSXxpQQqUlsHljdFTyviG43wxtj_hNt/s400/MuztaghTower.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631353253668989136.post-56313509515507295582011-10-24T22:11:00.000+07:002011-11-02T03:24:58.159+07:00Masherbrum the highest mountain #22 in the world<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8E52pAsI8EXJSm0GoqKGUYdx72gAzomjABx3AOj-ye7-Hs8JyVagbdW4rfST5VVyqa4Xc3dRitv_toqvWo_Xiw95lwAXFqEUBljeG92IsALMuOSBG4nhSVY2LNb7f-dx7ZBMkVqcBz3Fu/s1600/Masherbrum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8E52pAsI8EXJSm0GoqKGUYdx72gAzomjABx3AOj-ye7-Hs8JyVagbdW4rfST5VVyqa4Xc3dRitv_toqvWo_Xiw95lwAXFqEUBljeG92IsALMuOSBG4nhSVY2LNb7f-dx7ZBMkVqcBz3Fu/s320/Masherbrum.jpg" width="206" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Masherbrum (also known as K1) is located in the Gilgit Baltistan of Pakistan. At 7,821 metres (25,659 ft) it is the 22nd highest mountain in the world and the 9th highest in Pakistan. It was the first scaled and mapped peak in the Karakoram mountain range, hence its name.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The meaning of the name "Masherbrum" is not entirely clear. It may come from mashadar (muzzle-loading gun) plus brum (mountain), from the resemblance of the double summit to an old muzzle-loader. It may also come from masha (queen or lady), giving "queen of peaks." Other meanings have also been suggested.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Geography</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Masherbrum is the highest peak of the Masherbrum Mountains, a subrange of the Karakoram range. It is a large and striking peak, which is somewhat overshadowed by the nearby 8,000 metres (26,000 ft) peaks of the main range of the Karakoram which includes four of the fourteen Eight-thousanders, namely K2, Gasherbrum I, Broad Peak and Gasherbrum II.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Masherbrum Mountains lie to the south of the Baltoro Glacier and the main range of the Karakoram lies to the north of the Baltoro. The main range is the continental divide of southern Asia. Rivers to the south flow into the Arabian Sea. Rivers to the north flow to the Yellow Sea.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Baltoro Glacier is the route most commonly used to access the 8000m peaks of the Karakoram, and many trekkers also travel on the Baltoro. Masherbrum also lies at the north end of the Hushe Valley, which serves as the southern approach to the peak.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmfiFuF7vZTTyeRrwMfWUMOdJOhGJmubtKXNrtpSSlQLHI42bhIGFDoZSqyKMzjZXb0MnKobPbyyOq8fv7uPReZIjDsn6ICOY64uDeF-rdmBOmVP3smMqZ-tuX3JgvP1vzyTcR7vrTBiOv/s1600/Masherbrum-Peak-Baltoro-Trek-Pakistan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmfiFuF7vZTTyeRrwMfWUMOdJOhGJmubtKXNrtpSSlQLHI42bhIGFDoZSqyKMzjZXb0MnKobPbyyOq8fv7uPReZIjDsn6ICOY64uDeF-rdmBOmVP3smMqZ-tuX3JgvP1vzyTcR7vrTBiOv/s400/Masherbrum-Peak-Baltoro-Trek-Pakistan.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Climbing history</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">In 1856, Thomas Montgomerie, a British Royal Engineers lieutenant, noticed a tall mountain in the Karakorams and called it K1 (denoting peak 1 of the Karakorams). To the local people of the area, it is known as Masherbrum.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Masherbrum was reconnoitered in 1911 by the intrepid Dr. William H. Workman and his wife Mrs. Fanny Bullock Workman. It was first attempted in 1938 from the south; the attempt failed just short of the summit.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">After two more failed expeditions, in 1955 and 1957, Masherbrum was first climbed in 1960 by George Irving Bell and Willi Unsoeld, part of an American-Pakistani expedition led by Nick Clinch. They succeeded in climbing the southeast face route that had stymied the earlier parties.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Himalayan Index lists three additional ascents and six additional failed attempts on Masherbrum. The ascents include two by additional routes, the NW Face and the NW Ridge/N Face.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisUHp-YUNFrHvAhrU0dezjMZbOk6XdABYVIFH0pogJjAxlRLtLp9en6wuXNG8i0GoC-sDjn0PE3tXeBLtoq78QbfgxyV8b7Bjmz2C2rhQKrH62YCblxOM-I0kuSIMgGlJzKoiOCKXnQjR3/s1600/37+Masherbrum_from_BP_foto_JNezerka.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisUHp-YUNFrHvAhrU0dezjMZbOk6XdABYVIFH0pogJjAxlRLtLp9en6wuXNG8i0GoC-sDjn0PE3tXeBLtoq78QbfgxyV8b7Bjmz2C2rhQKrH62YCblxOM-I0kuSIMgGlJzKoiOCKXnQjR3/s400/37+Masherbrum_from_BP_foto_JNezerka.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631353253668989136.post-36737522479538223802011-10-24T21:58:00.000+07:002011-11-02T03:24:58.159+07:00Laila Peak (Hushe Valley)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxSXg774PeKQ_aAn57hwr7mYU4muqRv7qnnDYs3UvQWPnLGzbp_SA9lAOZlkl35BujdOaAG0G4XygmGMY3AlKVXFjLtoxeWu0UfD_3ozGrjC_of1AyEwPuFJgqBPLc2PpnjNgrRaqh-7iK/s1600/Laila_Peak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxSXg774PeKQ_aAn57hwr7mYU4muqRv7qnnDYs3UvQWPnLGzbp_SA9lAOZlkl35BujdOaAG0G4XygmGMY3AlKVXFjLtoxeWu0UfD_3ozGrjC_of1AyEwPuFJgqBPLc2PpnjNgrRaqh-7iK/s320/Laila_Peak.jpg" width="206" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Laila Peak in Hushe Valley near Gondogoro glacier is in Karakoram range and is 6,096 metres (20,000 ft) high. It has a distinctive spear-like shape. Its northwest face has a slope of 45 degrees in more than 1500 vertical metres.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">It has been climbed by Simon Yates, among others. According to the local people in Hushe, Laila peak has been climbed only twice, a total of only seven people have summited.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The height of the Laila peak in Hushe Valley is controversial. Some believe it to be 6200 metres whereas some mention it as 6614 metres. In a Japanese mountaineering map by Tsuneo Miyamori (published in 2003), the height of Laila Peak is mentioned as 6096 metres.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>First Skiers on Laila Peak</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">In the summer of 2005, the first ever ski attempts on Laila Peak were made by Fredrik Ericsson and Jörgen Aamot from Scandinavian countries. Although they could not reach the summit, they skied down the North-West face of the peak. They described it as "one of the most amazing mountains they have ever seen, like a needle it points straight up in the sky".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggqzOp-T8gHnlsiu1jYKhHR7gnwlGm-h_tjIjFHp5qWeIrpr96WXUcYn5qy4O_VU_Zxnww0Q4Xeb_x4ly7utC4wtMhhxeOvCpjy5XZEqbGWuXneixxo8KnfmVchXZZy3HWyPnbwniDoPIZ/s1600/HU084209.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggqzOp-T8gHnlsiu1jYKhHR7gnwlGm-h_tjIjFHp5qWeIrpr96WXUcYn5qy4O_VU_Zxnww0Q4Xeb_x4ly7utC4wtMhhxeOvCpjy5XZEqbGWuXneixxo8KnfmVchXZZy3HWyPnbwniDoPIZ/s400/HU084209.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Frederik and Jörgen reached the base camp of Laila Peak (4150 metres) on June 18, 2005, and they were at Camp1 (5000 metres) on June 22. They made their first attempt to summit on Friday, June 24. They started climbing from 5000 metres at 2:30 am and after seven hours of climbing when they were only 100 metres from the summit, they realized that it was too icy to continue, and started skiing down on the North-West face of Laila Peak towards Gondogoro Glacier.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Permit</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The mountain lies in a restricted zone. The village of Hushe is the gateway to the mountain, in the Masherbrum Valley below but the Gondogoro and Chogolisa valleys are restricted. In order for non Pakistani citizens to visit these valleys a permit must be purchased from the Ministry of Tourism ($50 per person), and a licensed guide is required for the duration.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjir-R8wVxW352hOhnVubaymWa57HGwJwMPO-AqnbVKqANOae1Gi7Lxpkb5VTe8T33qowb5Yx7Q5olSSzLgfijAYircen_eSk7yeWJHKjpgSPiakjuTpaYf4qBsEDjoMnsq7R9l6okyAqFt/s1600/IMG_4303.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjir-R8wVxW352hOhnVubaymWa57HGwJwMPO-AqnbVKqANOae1Gi7Lxpkb5VTe8T33qowb5Yx7Q5olSSzLgfijAYircen_eSk7yeWJHKjpgSPiakjuTpaYf4qBsEDjoMnsq7R9l6okyAqFt/s400/IMG_4303.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631353253668989136.post-12626103468947142112011-10-22T01:43:00.000+07:002011-11-02T03:24:58.160+07:00Khunyang Chhish the highest mountain #21 in the world<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH01mfeP3Y-EjN36iFHKykG5758yYrX-SZGEraATiRdlgYxFrVTHA6a7bMgWNnNIS6lK1cSdQlkrlRgPkL2FBiFbygx0i_dWNkrzxQWdzASguMVxcCAKorHi-IlRBV0NTFnqVt0iGzMoU8/s1600/138226404_c2216a3eda_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH01mfeP3Y-EjN36iFHKykG5758yYrX-SZGEraATiRdlgYxFrVTHA6a7bMgWNnNIS6lK1cSdQlkrlRgPkL2FBiFbygx0i_dWNkrzxQWdzASguMVxcCAKorHi-IlRBV0NTFnqVt0iGzMoU8/s320/138226404_c2216a3eda_o.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Khunyang Chhish or Kunyang Chhish is the second-highest mountain in the Hispar Muztagh, a subrange of the Karakoram mountains of Pakistan. Alternate variations of the name include Kunyang Kish and Khiangyang Kish, among others. Its height is also sometimes given as 7823m. It is ranked 21st in the world and 8th in Pakistan.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Location</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Khunyang Chhish lies in the heart of the Hispar Muztagh, north of the Hispar Glacier, one of the major glaciers of the Karakoram, and east of the Hunza River valley. It rises on the southwest side of the Khunyang Glacier while Distaghil Sar (the highest peak of the Hispar Muztagh) dominates the glacier on its northern end.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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<b>Notable features</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Khunyang Chhish is the 21st highest independent mountain in the world. It is also notable for its rise above local terrain: for example, it rises almost 4000m above its southern base camp on the Khunyang Glacier, and it rises 5500m above the Hunza valley in about 33 km. It is a steep, pointed, and complex peak; it easily rivals the slightly higher Distaghil Sar, which has a more rounded profile.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUhxpdFOdnLvtijZLIwmn9vJ7msCquqfrI-wg6w0SOP0mgcudQ3FVI2waMl-oEbN6UxQj394hepAMQCVSV-sQvTZNcEqKF3K-esXTelp7aXw7dc755TOlwUFH03WvE_NdMoDQ07Ge0xr4U/s1600/Hispar_Lunda-Sar_Slawinski.WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUhxpdFOdnLvtijZLIwmn9vJ7msCquqfrI-wg6w0SOP0mgcudQ3FVI2waMl-oEbN6UxQj394hepAMQCVSV-sQvTZNcEqKF3K-esXTelp7aXw7dc755TOlwUFH03WvE_NdMoDQ07Ge0xr4U/s400/Hispar_Lunda-Sar_Slawinski.WEB.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Climbing history</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The first climbing attempt on Khunyang Chhish was made in 1962 but the climb was aborted after an avalanche on 18 July killed two climbers, Major James Mills and Captain M. R. F. Jones. Their bodies were never recovered.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The next attempt was in 1965 but another climber died after the collapse of a narrow ridge at 7,200 m (23,600 ft).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The first ascent was accomplished by a Polish team led by Andrzej Zawada in 1971. They climbed a long route up the South Ridge of the peak from the Pumari Chhish Glacier. However, one of their members was killed in a crevasse accident.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The second, and only other recorded ascent, climbed the Northwest Spur to the North Ridge. Two British climbers, Mark Lowe and Keith Milne, completed this route on July 11, 1988. The route had first been attempted in 1980, and had been attempted again in 1981, 1982, and 1987.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Himalayan Index lists three recent attempts on this peak, in 2000 and 2003.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxpc6FLxRbzXRmyW3F22Fu5k_BmG9D1irsHjjYD8Nbmo5LCzxvqcVeFYzBNyIFvfOtERN6KtY7ytgHEJBidXabNV4iRAqvstRlH6VfA9QEvYB8rn2YbOkkYfupHj-d2FP52rTQXkbNZqtd/s1600/SA500229.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxpc6FLxRbzXRmyW3F22Fu5k_BmG9D1irsHjjYD8Nbmo5LCzxvqcVeFYzBNyIFvfOtERN6KtY7ytgHEJBidXabNV4iRAqvstRlH6VfA9QEvYB8rn2YbOkkYfupHj-d2FP52rTQXkbNZqtd/s400/SA500229.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1