Asia, Pakistan, Siachen Glacier Basin

Publication Year: 1958.

Siachen Glacier Basin. The Imperial College Karakoram Expedition was sponsored and largely financed by the Imperial College of Science, London. The objectives were to fill in blanks on the map of the Siachen Glacier basin and adjacent areas and to conduct geological and glacialogical investigations. The party consisted of Eric E. Shipton (leader), G. Budd (medical officer), the Pakistani surveyor Qureshi, and six member of the College— G. Bratt, K. Miller, P. Grimley, R. Cratchley, B. Amos, C. Gravina. We flew to Skardu on July 23 and left there the next day to reach Goma in the upper Saltoro valley August 1. After leaving Goma on August 3, we headed up the Bilafond Glacier and in four days arrived at the Bilafond Pass, where we split into four components: (1) crossed the Siachen and ascended Terim Sharh Glacier to map the great plateau between that and Rimo Glacier; (2) surveyed Lolofond Glacier and the region to the south; (3) established a base on the central Siachen; (4) mapped the Bilafond basin and the Gyari and Chulung valleys. The end of August and the first half of September were spent exploring the region around K 12 (24,300 feet), where operations were hampered by very heavy snowfalls. We returned to Skardu on September 30.

Eric E. Shipton