During climbs of Koh-e-Rank in the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan, Pat Deavoll from New Zealand photographed the little-known Shayaz Massif, across the border in Pakistan. (This massif should not be confused with the much higher Shayoz Zom, sometimes quoted as "Shayaz," which lies just east of Koh-e-Urgent.) From her photos, it’s clear the peak the Japanese called Shayaz (6,050m) after climbing it in 1993 was not the highest peak of the massif, as thought, and there are several higher peaks in the range that have never been attempted. See photo caption for details.

Lindsay Griffin, Mountain INFO

Photo:

Looking southeast at the remote peaks of the Shayaz Massif from the Afghan border close to Koh-e-Rank (5,930m). In 1993 Japanese made the only ascent of (B), a peak they called Shayaz, by the route marked (AAJ 1994), and quoted a height of 6,050m. This was designated Shayaz I. The Russian map of this area gives this point as 5,969m, and gives (A), the highest summit of the massif, an elevation of 6,026m. While the topography of Russian maps is usually very good, their altitudes are often a little low, making the Japanese assessment more realistic. However, it is clear from this photograph and the Russian map that “Shayaz” is not the highest peak in the group. (C) is distant Shahan Dok (6,320m). Pat Deavoll