'Kongur Tagh' (
Chinese: 公格尔山;
pinyin: Gōnggé'ěr Shān) (also referred to as 'Kongur') is the highest peak of the
Kunlun Mountains in China. It is situated in a small subrange, known as the 'Kongur Shan', which forms the western end of the Kunlun. (Some sources use "Kongur Shan" mistakenly to refer to the peak itself.) It is just north of
Muztagh Ata and close to
Karakul Lake and the
Pamir Mountains. Due to its remoteness and being hidden by nearby peaks, Kongur was not discovered by Europeans until
1900. However, the building of the
Karakorum Highway from
Pakistan to
China, which runs past nearby
Tashkurgan and Karakul Lake, has now made it more accessible.
The first attempt to climb Kongur Tagh was made in
1956 but the party aborted the attempt when it realized it was beyond their abilities.
The
first ascent of Kongur Tagh was completed in
1981 by a British expedition consisting of
Chris Bonington,
Al Rouse,
Peter Boardman and
Joe Tasker.
Kongur Tagh has a significant subpeak known as 'Kongur Tiube', 7,530 m (24,705 ft). It is moderately independent, with a
topographic prominence of 840m (2,756 ft). It was first climbed in 1956.
Elevation
This is taken from the Guide to Mountaineering in China. Some Chinese authorities give it 7,719 m, but evidence against this higher elevation is given
here.
See also
★
Karakoram Highway