Mulung Tokpo, Exploration
India, Zanskar
Author: Kimikazu Sakamoto.
Climb Year: 2016.
Publication Year: 2017.
Since 2009 I have been exploring southern Zanskar and photographing many of the unclimbed peaks of the Giabul, Lenak, Reru, Temasa, Gompe, and Haptal valleys. I am pleased to see that many expeditions have been inspired by this information to visit the area and make first ascents. From August 3–27, Toshio Itoh, Akira Taniguchi, and I visited the Mulung Tokpo (Mulong Valley), northwest of Padam. This is the next valley north of the Haptal. The Indian Mountaineering Federation does not hold any records of climbing on these peaks. Although there are few 6,000m summits here, there are a number of attractive lower peaks, in particular three I have designated M13 (5,902m), M15 (5,871m), and M16 (5,882m).
– Kimikazu Sakamoto, Japan
Media Gallery
View up the Mulung Valley to M13 (5,902m, left) and M15 (5,871m).
Kimikazu Sakamoto
Map of the Mulung Tokpo
Kimikazu Sakamoto
M15 (5,871m), to the left, and to the right and further back M16 (5,892m) in the Mulung Tokpo.
Kimikazu Sakamoto
M9 (5,582m, left) and M10 (5,491m) in the Mulung Tokpo.
Kimikazu Sakamoto
H21 (5,878m), which lies above the upper Haptal Glacier, and M7 (5,602m), as seen from the Nabil Tokpo, a southern offshoot of the Mulung Valley. Somewhere near the right edge of this picture lies the Umasi La (5,342m), a well-known trekking pass between Kishtwar and Zanskar.
Kimikazu Sakamoto