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The Kun Lun Shan: Desert Peaks of Central Asia

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The Kun Lun Shan: Desert Peaks of Central Asia The Kun Lun Shan: Desert Peaks of Central Asia MICHAEL WARD (Plates 29, 30, 32) he gaunt, bare backbone of the Kun Lun range runs for 2250km from the Russian Pamir to western China over 30 degrees of longitude. Older than the Himalaya, it separates the plateaux of the Pamir and Tibet from the deserts of Central Asia, and it is one of the longest and least known of the world's mountain ranges, with peaks up to 7700m.4,8,17,22,5l At its western end it is joined by the Tien Shan (Celestial Mountains) that forms the northern border of the Tarim-Basin, in which lies the Takla Makan desert, and in this angle is the strategic oasis city of Kashgar (Kashi).1l,29,36,59 Here four arms of the Silk Route meet: one from the Indian sub-continent to the south, two from China to the east, by the north and south rims ofthe Tarim, and one from Europe to the west. The Silk Route is the world's oldest, longest and most important land-route, linking the civilizations of the Mediterranean with those of China and India, and for more than 5000 years it has been a conduit for ideas, religion, culture, disease, invasion and trade. 10 The Kun Lun's western portion separates the Pamir and the Central Asian plateau from the Takla Makan desert and the Lop NUr.6l At 800 E it splits into two, the northern portion becoming the Altyn Tagh, while the southern continues as the East Kun Lun, ending in the Amne Machin group. Between these two arms lies the Tsaidam Basin.53 It is crossed by four main highways: through the West Kun Lun by the Gez Gorge, between Chakragil and the Kongur massif; through the Central Kun Lun, which continues as the road around the south rim ofthe Tibet plateau; through the East Kun Lun by the Kun Lun Pass (4772m); and by a route west of the Amne Machin group. It also has numerous passes. Because of their great altitude, and the constant stream of travellers from the Middle East, the steppes of Central Asia, Tibet, China and India which has crossed them, it is not surprising that the first account of mountain sickness should have come from Chinese sources in 37-32 BC: In the time of the Emperor Ching-Te (37-32 BC), Ke-Pin [possibly Afghanistan] again sent an envoy with offerings and an acknow­ ledgement of guilt. The supreme board wished to send an envoy with a reply to escort the Ke-Pin envoy home. Tookim [a Chinese official] addressed the Generalissimo Wang Fung to the following effect ... 'From Pe-Shan [south-east of Yarkand] southwards there are four to five kingdoms not attached to China. The Chinese Commission will in such circumstances be left to starve among the hills and valleys. Again on passing the Great Headache Mountain, THE KUN LUN SHAN the Little Headache Mountain, the Red Land, and the Fever Slope men's bodies become feverish, they lose colour, and are attacked with headache and vomiting. The asses and cattle being all in like condition.,58 A later Chinese traveller, Fa-Hsien (399-414 AD), gives a description of a companion who died after foaming at the mouth on a mountain pass in this region, quite possibly a case of high-altitude pulmonary oedema. 12 The identity and position of these mountains and passes is not known, though there has been speculation in medical journals. ]oseph Needham, in his magisterial work Science and Civilization in China, suggests that the occurrence of mountain sickness and its complications may have been taken by the Chinese as a sign for them not to transgress their natural boundaries. Of the early European travellers in the region, Aurel Stein probably knew the Kun Lun better than any other, and during three expeditions in 1900-01, 1906-08 and 1913-15 he made many of the original European maps and gave topographical descriptions which have served as a basis for knowledge of the area.40,41,43 Other early travellers included Bonvalot,3 Hedin,14.15,16 Deasy,6,7 Rawling 31 Forsyth 9 Littledale 21 the Pandits 1,52 Carey 20 Dalgleish 20 26 Prejeval;ky30 and N~y Elias. It ~as in the Central Kun Lun, ;00, that in I 8~ 5 ]ohnson - an extremely able surveyor from the Survey of India - claimed, honestly but mistakenly, that he had ascended peak E61, 73oom, which at that time was thought to be the greatest altitude to have been achieved on a mountain on foot. The arguments against his having done so may be found in 23 articles by Mason and Stein in the Alpine Journal. ,42 The exact site of this peak is not clear, though it might have been Muztag (671om). Most recently, Chinese geological and topographical survey parties have visited all parts of the range. In particular, the Burhan Budai section of the East 70° 85° 100° I I I _ To Taskk.n'''.l_---~ Non Shan Lanzmou TSAIDAM BASIN 250 miles I ! 85° SINKIANG (CHINESE TURKESTAN) AND KUN LUN SHAN SHOWING MAJOR SECTIONS OF THE EASTERN PART OF THE SILK ROUTE 00 0\ r I m p. n d (~akla Makan Desert) t1 ,. '.6950 ZANGS~R • KANGRI 86"E l 100 Km V> :I >­ Z Plains 88 THE ALPINE JOURNAL Kun Lun was visited by a Royal Society party in 198545 and extensive geological mapping was carried out, based on topographical surveys and Landsat Imagery. Mountaineering parties, too, have been exploring and climbing in the region for the last 100 years and some groups of peaks, particularly in the west, are relatively well known. Kongur (7719m), the highest peak, was climbed in 1981,2,54,55 while Amne Machin was climbed in the early 1960s,29 although the highest summit was only ascended in 1981.48 Ulugh Muztagh (6987m) (Muztagh Feng) had its first ascent in 1985.25 For the purpose of description, the range will be divided into four portions: the West, Central and East..Kun Lun, and the Amne Machin Shan. West Kun Lun This extends from 74°E to 78°E and includes the Chakragil group, the Kongur massif, Muztagh Ata, and the Shiwakte and Tigurman groups. Lying close to the northern portion of the Karakoram Highway, the main route from Kashgar (Kashi) to the Indian sub-continent, this area has been visited by many people, particularly in -the late 19th century, the era of the 'Great Game'. Initially, considerable confusion was caused by the inability of the early travellers to identify the highest peak, Kongur (7719m).9,26,49,50,54,55 It is the best-known of the three main parts of the Kun Lun, and climbing parties are increasingly visiting the area because of its ease of access. The Chakragil peaks, 6700m and 6soom, lie to the north and west of the Gez Gorge, along which the Karakoram Highway passes. The glaciers of the N. side form the Chikir ]ilcha; an early attempt was made from the N side by Shipton and Tilman, and their route did not appear to be too difficult.37,46,47 The Sside ofthe group, with a number ofsmall glaciers, can be clearly seen from the Bulun Kul valley, in which there are nomadic settlements. The Kongur massif consists of two main peaks, Kongur and Kongur Tiube, both of which have been climbed. A full account of the history of the explQration of the area has been given in a number of books and journals listed in the references.2,26,54,55 There are several subsidiary peaks, notably the 'Gez Matterhorn' (c6000m) on the N side, which would be a good objective. Good lines can be seen on the N wall of the Kongur-Kongur Tiube ridge too; these would give excellent and serious routes of a high standard. On the Sside of Kongur there is a considerable number of peaks up to 6soom which would be worth attempting, and some of the lower ones have already been climbed. Routes on the Sand E faces of the massif could be made, and a subsidiary peak on the E side was climbed in 1980. The Shiwakte and Tigurman groups lie east of Kongur; the area was visited and mapped by Skrine.38 ,39 It appears to be most easily approached from the east by the Qaratash Gorge. To the north the Tigurman group, with peaks up to Ssoom, lies around the Tigurman glacier. It is possible that this glacier could be approached from the west, over a col at the head ofthe Qurghan glacier which drains the E face of Kongur and runs towards Gez Qaraul and the Gez Gorge. 88° E G' en :I: KUNLUN > Z 36· N 8 aGE 28. Peak 6104m to the E ofthe Tanggula Pass, Central Tibet. (p 82) 29. On the shore of Gozha Co (Lake Lighten), 1906-08. (p 84) 30. Burhan Budai range, Kekesaijimen (6179m) and the Xidatan valley, from the W. (p 84) 31. Namcha Barwa, Gyela Peri and Namla Karpo from the N (SE Tibet). 32. Landsat photograph of part of N Tibet, showing in R lower part the Burhan Budai range, with Xidatan valley to N. The photograph of Kekesaijimen (plate 30) was taken from the clearly shown gap between E Kun tun alld Burhall Budai. (p 84) 90 THE ALPINE JOURNAL The Shiwakte group, with peaks up to 6000m, lies around the Kaying and Torbashi glaciers. From the head of the Kaying glacier, a pass can be crossed in a southerly direction which leads to the Chimghan ]ilgha that joins the Qaratash river.
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