Asia, India—Kashmir and Jammu, Nun, Kun and White Needle

Publication Year: 1988.

Nun, Kun and White Needle. Many expeditions now successfully climb the peaks in the Nun and Kun Group. Nun (7135 meters, 23,410 feet) was climbed by French led by François Chantran, Austrians led by G. Steinmair, Poles led by Waclaw Otreba, Spaniards led by José Antonio Masio, Japanese ladies led by Miss Hiroshi Kinoshita and other Poles led by Jan Kwiaton, Spanish Catalan Jordi Magrinyà climbed solo to within 150 meters of the summit on the north ridge in July but turned back because of avalanche danger. Kun (7077 meters, 23,220 feet) was ascended by French led by Georges Tsao, Germans led by Ekkart Gudelach and other French led by Philippe Alibert. Five of six members of an Austrian expedition perished on the night of October 13/14 when an avalanche swept over Camp I. The White Needle (6500 meters, 21,325 feet) was climbed by French led by André Latuier. On September 17, four women, Naseem Akhter, Ghirishangpui, Changthang Jami and Mayrujyoti Sakia with C.S. Bhattarcharya and R.P. Gantam reached White Needle’s summit. These were the first Indian women to make the climb.