Muztagh Ata

Muztagh Ata
مۇزتاغ ئاتا (Uyghur) مۇزتوو آتا (Kyrgyz) མུཛ་ཏག་རི་རྩེ། (Standard Tibetan) 慕士塔格峰 (Chinese)
Muztagh Ata, as viewed from the Karakoram Highway
Highest point
Elevation	7,546 m (24,757 ft) Ranked 49th
Prominence	2,698 m (8,852 ft)
Listing	Ultra
Coordinates	38°16′42″N 75°06′57″E
Naming
English translation	Father of ice mountains
Language of name	Uyghur
Geography
Muztagh Ata Location of Muztagh Ata within the Pamir range in Xinjiang, China
Location	Xinjiang, China
Parent range	Pamir Range
Climbing
First ascent	1956 by E. A. Beletskiy et al.
Easiest route	Glacier/snow climb

Muztagh Ata is #43 (top left area) on this location map from List of highest mountains

Muztagh Ata (meaning 'Iceberg Father' in English), formerly known as Mount Tagharma and Wi-tagh, is the second highest of the mountains which form the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau, with an elevation of 7,546 m (24,757 ft). It is sometimes regarded as being part of the Kunlun Mountains, although physically it is more closely connected to the Pamirs. It is also one of the relatively easier 7,000 m peaks in the world to climb, due to its gentle western slope and the comparatively drier weather of Xinjiang, though a thorough acclimatization period and a very strong physical condition are crucial for success.

Location

There is a glacier park located at 4688m above sea level.

Muztagh Ata lies just south of Kongur Tagh, the highest peak of this somewhat isolated range that is separated from the main chain of the Kunlun by the large Yarkand River valley, and thus generally included in the "Eastern Pamirs". Not far to the north and east of this group are the lowlands of the Tarim Basin and the Taklamakan Desert. The Karakoram Highway passes very close to both peaks as well as Karakul Lake, from which the mountain is conveniently viewed. The closest city is to the mountain is Tashkurgan, the westernmost town in China and very close to the border with Tajikistan and Pakistan.

History

According to Michael Witzel:

the Ṛgveda mentions the mountain Mūjavant (“Having Mūja”), from where the best soma comes. A Muža tribe is also found in the Avesta in an eastern area that has Vedic-like names. The name seems to survive as the impressive 7,549-meter-high Muzh Tagh Ata Mountain in the Kirghiz and Sariqoli (Saka) lands of southwestern Xinjiang.

The Swedish explorer and geographer Sven Hedin made the first recorded attempt to climb Muztagh Ata, in 1894. On his first expedition in 1900 Aurel Stein reached the summit while crossing the Karakorum Pass. Additional attempts were made in 1900, 1904 and 1947, the last by the team of Eric Shipton and Bill Tilman who came very close to the summit but were turned back due to cold and deep snow.

The first ascent of the peak was in 1956 by a large party of Chinese and Soviet climbers (including Liu Lianman and Xu Jing) led by E.A. Beletskiy, via the west ridge, which is now the standard route.

Since the first ascent, many ascents of Muztagh Ata have been made. In 1980, a party led by Ned Gillette made a ski ascent/descent of the standard route, the first ski ascent of a mountain over 7,500 m (24,600 ft). An ascent of the much harder south-east ridge was made in 2000 and a secondary route at the west side of the mountain was first climbed in the summer of 2005. In 2011, the Swedish climber Anneli Wester camped on the summit overnight after climbing the mountain solo and alpine style. In 2013, Aron Ralston, the man who famously amputated his own arm during a hiking accident in 2003, made the summit without his compatriot Michael Ash, who sustained a lung injury and was forced to return to base camp.

References

Sources

• Jill Neate, High Asia: An Illustrated History of the 7000 Metre Peaks, ISBN 0-89886-238-8.
• Himalayan Index

External links

• Muztagh Ata on Peakbagger.com
• Muztagh Ata on Muztagh Travel Service
• Muztagh Ata on Silk Road Expedition
• Muztagh Ata on Lenin Peak Website