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Siachen: The world's highest battlefield
By Anadolu Agency
September 18, 2019
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2059264/1-pakistans-warming-mountains-farmers-fish-new-living/
SIACHEN, PAKISTAN- SEPTEMBER 16: Pakistani soldiers patrol where India and Pakistan both claim the area and have thousands of soldiers stationed there in Siachen, Pakistan on September 16, 2019. At a height of up to 8,000 meters, Siachen is regarded as the world's highest battlefield due to military conflict between India and Pakistan which was started in 1984. Military life in the region is viewed by Anadolu Agency for the first time in international media. PHOTO: Anadolu Agency
The Siachen Glaciers, known as the world’s highest battlefield, are located in the eastern Karakoram mountain range in the Himalayas, huddled next to the borders of Pakistan, India, and China.
The region includes the world’s second-longest glaciers, stretching an impressive 76 kilometres (47 miles).
The South Asian neighbours and rivals Pakistan and India both claim sovereignty over the entire Siachen region.
According to Pakistan army officials, before 1984, there was no military presence on the glaciers, but in April 1984, the Indian army initiated a secret operation and captured some top posts at the Siachen glaciers and approached the eastern Karakoram mountain range, which compelled Pakistan to move its troops into the strategic region of northern Kashmir.
A view from Siachen glacier, where India and Pakistan both claim the area and have thousands of soldiers stationed there in Siachen. PHOTO: Anadolu Agency
Since then, both countries’ troops are stationed in Siachen, although a cease-fire came into effect in 2003.
This September, Anadolu Agency sent the first-ever international media outlet team to visit several sectors of the Siachen glaciers and stayed there to observe how troops spend days and nights in such a harsh environment.
Arrival at Baltoro Sector
The agency team first visited the Pakistan Army’s International Hiking and Altitude Expedition Camp (IHEC) and Concordia posts in the Baltoro Glacier sector. The IHEC and Concordia posts are located at an altitude of around 4,877 meters (16,000 feet) to 5,182 m (17,000 ft), while some posts are located at around 6,100 m (20,000 ft), with average temperatures of around minus 15 C throughout the year, plunging down to minus 50 C in the winter.
Pakistani soldiers wear special snow gear, jackets, caps, boots, and glasses to protect themselves from harsh weather conditions, as the cold wind always blows in from the glacier region.
“We can’t venture outside without these special clothes due to the wind chill and lack of oxygen,” a soldier told Anadolu Agency on condition of anonymity.
Being posted in a glacier region means preparing for a struggle with nature as the weather, rather than the bullets, is the biggest enemy for Pakistani and Indian soldiers in the Siachen region.
The soldiers stationed here can be seen with guns in hands, always standing vigilant and keeping eyes on the enemy despite the cold blowing wind in the world’s highest battlefield.
PHOTO: Anadolu Agency
Mountaineers’ paradise
The region is also called the “mountaineers’ paradise,” as five of the world’s 8,000-meter-plus peaks are located in Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region, including K-2, the world’s famed second-highest peak.
K-2, also known as Chhogori or Mt. Godwin-Austen, part of the Karakoram range, towers 8,611 m (28,251 ft) high.
Nanga Parbat, also known as “Killer Mountain” — the world’s ninth tallest mountain with a height of 8,126 m (26.660 ft) — is located in the Himalayan range. It has never been climbed in the winter.
Broad Peak, also known as K-3 — the world’s 12th-highest peak with a height of 8,051 m (26,414 ft) — is located in the Karakoram range about eight km from K-2. It has a summit of over 1.5 km long, and thus is known as Broad Peak.
Gashabrum-2, also known as K-4, is the 13th-highest peak in the world, with a height of 8,035 m (26,362 ft), and is also located in the Karakoram range.
Gashabrum-1, also known as “hidden peak” or K-5, is the 11th-highest peak in the world at 8,080 m (26,510 ft) tall, located in the Karakoram range. It is also called “beautiful or shining mountain.”
Many foreign climbing expeditions enter through the Baltoro sector to reach the K-2 base camp, where they plan for next destination to summit the highest peaks.
According to local Pakistan army officers in Baltoro, they help the climbers whenever they need or rescue them if anyone gets stuck during an expedition.
Gayari and Gyong Sectors
The Gayari and Gyong sub-sectors feature several high-altitude observing posts in the Siachen region, including the Ibrahim post at an altitude of 5,639 m (18,500 ft) and the Yousaf post located around 5,791 m (19,000 ft) high, among the highest locations on the Pakistani side of Siachen.
The Sheer post at 6,035 m (19,800 ft) and Victor post at 5,669 m (18,600 ft) are also located in this sector, where Pakistani troops dominate the heights.
The Pakistan army provides its soldiers standard food in line with medical requirements at these high-altitude posts.
“Last night we couldn’t get to sleep as we were eagerly waiting for your arrival,” one officer said, warmly welcoming the Anadolu Agency team.
The officers and soldiers posted in these areas couldn’t meet with other colleagues or relatives for several months due to isolated conditions.
As per standard army operating procedures, the soldiers and officers are deployed for 21-30 days at the highest posts, but sometimes in winter they may stay longer when all routes are closed due to snow and blizzards.
The soldiers’ deployments in these highest posts is also a tough job. From base camp, they walk for two weeks to a month to reach their posts. The army has dozens of posts situated two or three kilometers from each other in every sector from base camp to the top.
The soldiers slowly ascend to the top and stay for a day or two or sometimes four to five days at the military posts, in order to get acclimatized. There is no road connectivity on either the Pakistan or Indian side to the top of the glaciers.
During their movement, a team of eight to 15 soldiers links up using ropes to protect each other from falling into crevices.
PHOTO: Anadolu Agency
Glaciers and crevices a big threat
The glacier and crevices are big threat for soldiers in this region. Soldiers can fall into crevices during routine movement in unforeseen blizzards.
The Siachen glaciers are full of crevices.
“We always move in a group tied by a rope which helps us protect each other from falling into crevices,” said an Army officer in the Gayari sector.
According to local officers, since 1984 over 150 Pakistani soldiers and officers and over 100 porters have lost lives in only the Yousaf and Ibrahim sectors due to crevices and glaciers.
Officers and soldiers moving from one army post to another using the dangerous and narrow mountain routes always face the threat of falling in the glacier.
“Mostly we move at nighttime as the risk of falling is always less than in the daytime,” a local official said.
Essential supplies
Getting essential food and weapons supplies to the highest military posts is another difficult job on both the Pakistani and Indian sides, costing millions of dollars daily.
They use helicopters to drop the supplies to difficult posts in winter. But in summer they use porters and mules to dump essential items to forward positions.
The pilots who drop the supplies near high-altitude posts are well-trained.
The local porters help the army taking supplies to the sector’s semi-base camps and highest positions.
Life at the top of the world
Life is not easy on Siachen’s glacier due to harsh weather. The army has arranged high-altitude clothing, caps, gloves, boots, and glasses to protect the soldiers from hostile weather conditions. Inside they use stoves to warm up, with temperatures of minus 10-15 C in summer while in winter it plunges down to minus 50 C. Annual snowfall at the highest positions totals around 35 feet.
The army provides precooked food for all posts, while in summer fresh meat and vegetables are also airlifted for them.
“We face no food issues while also having all the necessary items to protect ourselves from harsh weather,” said one soldier..
.............con'd
By Anadolu Agency
September 18, 2019
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2059264/1-pakistans-warming-mountains-farmers-fish-new-living/
SIACHEN, PAKISTAN- SEPTEMBER 16: Pakistani soldiers patrol where India and Pakistan both claim the area and have thousands of soldiers stationed there in Siachen, Pakistan on September 16, 2019. At a height of up to 8,000 meters, Siachen is regarded as the world's highest battlefield due to military conflict between India and Pakistan which was started in 1984. Military life in the region is viewed by Anadolu Agency for the first time in international media. PHOTO: Anadolu Agency
The Siachen Glaciers, known as the world’s highest battlefield, are located in the eastern Karakoram mountain range in the Himalayas, huddled next to the borders of Pakistan, India, and China.
The region includes the world’s second-longest glaciers, stretching an impressive 76 kilometres (47 miles).
The South Asian neighbours and rivals Pakistan and India both claim sovereignty over the entire Siachen region.
According to Pakistan army officials, before 1984, there was no military presence on the glaciers, but in April 1984, the Indian army initiated a secret operation and captured some top posts at the Siachen glaciers and approached the eastern Karakoram mountain range, which compelled Pakistan to move its troops into the strategic region of northern Kashmir.
A view from Siachen glacier, where India and Pakistan both claim the area and have thousands of soldiers stationed there in Siachen. PHOTO: Anadolu Agency
Since then, both countries’ troops are stationed in Siachen, although a cease-fire came into effect in 2003.
This September, Anadolu Agency sent the first-ever international media outlet team to visit several sectors of the Siachen glaciers and stayed there to observe how troops spend days and nights in such a harsh environment.
Arrival at Baltoro Sector
The agency team first visited the Pakistan Army’s International Hiking and Altitude Expedition Camp (IHEC) and Concordia posts in the Baltoro Glacier sector. The IHEC and Concordia posts are located at an altitude of around 4,877 meters (16,000 feet) to 5,182 m (17,000 ft), while some posts are located at around 6,100 m (20,000 ft), with average temperatures of around minus 15 C throughout the year, plunging down to minus 50 C in the winter.
Pakistani soldiers wear special snow gear, jackets, caps, boots, and glasses to protect themselves from harsh weather conditions, as the cold wind always blows in from the glacier region.
“We can’t venture outside without these special clothes due to the wind chill and lack of oxygen,” a soldier told Anadolu Agency on condition of anonymity.
Being posted in a glacier region means preparing for a struggle with nature as the weather, rather than the bullets, is the biggest enemy for Pakistani and Indian soldiers in the Siachen region.
The soldiers stationed here can be seen with guns in hands, always standing vigilant and keeping eyes on the enemy despite the cold blowing wind in the world’s highest battlefield.
PHOTO: Anadolu Agency
Mountaineers’ paradise
The region is also called the “mountaineers’ paradise,” as five of the world’s 8,000-meter-plus peaks are located in Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region, including K-2, the world’s famed second-highest peak.
K-2, also known as Chhogori or Mt. Godwin-Austen, part of the Karakoram range, towers 8,611 m (28,251 ft) high.
Nanga Parbat, also known as “Killer Mountain” — the world’s ninth tallest mountain with a height of 8,126 m (26.660 ft) — is located in the Himalayan range. It has never been climbed in the winter.
Broad Peak, also known as K-3 — the world’s 12th-highest peak with a height of 8,051 m (26,414 ft) — is located in the Karakoram range about eight km from K-2. It has a summit of over 1.5 km long, and thus is known as Broad Peak.
Gashabrum-2, also known as K-4, is the 13th-highest peak in the world, with a height of 8,035 m (26,362 ft), and is also located in the Karakoram range.
Gashabrum-1, also known as “hidden peak” or K-5, is the 11th-highest peak in the world at 8,080 m (26,510 ft) tall, located in the Karakoram range. It is also called “beautiful or shining mountain.”
Many foreign climbing expeditions enter through the Baltoro sector to reach the K-2 base camp, where they plan for next destination to summit the highest peaks.
According to local Pakistan army officers in Baltoro, they help the climbers whenever they need or rescue them if anyone gets stuck during an expedition.
Gayari and Gyong Sectors
The Gayari and Gyong sub-sectors feature several high-altitude observing posts in the Siachen region, including the Ibrahim post at an altitude of 5,639 m (18,500 ft) and the Yousaf post located around 5,791 m (19,000 ft) high, among the highest locations on the Pakistani side of Siachen.
The Sheer post at 6,035 m (19,800 ft) and Victor post at 5,669 m (18,600 ft) are also located in this sector, where Pakistani troops dominate the heights.
The Pakistan army provides its soldiers standard food in line with medical requirements at these high-altitude posts.
“Last night we couldn’t get to sleep as we were eagerly waiting for your arrival,” one officer said, warmly welcoming the Anadolu Agency team.
The officers and soldiers posted in these areas couldn’t meet with other colleagues or relatives for several months due to isolated conditions.
As per standard army operating procedures, the soldiers and officers are deployed for 21-30 days at the highest posts, but sometimes in winter they may stay longer when all routes are closed due to snow and blizzards.
The soldiers’ deployments in these highest posts is also a tough job. From base camp, they walk for two weeks to a month to reach their posts. The army has dozens of posts situated two or three kilometers from each other in every sector from base camp to the top.
The soldiers slowly ascend to the top and stay for a day or two or sometimes four to five days at the military posts, in order to get acclimatized. There is no road connectivity on either the Pakistan or Indian side to the top of the glaciers.
During their movement, a team of eight to 15 soldiers links up using ropes to protect each other from falling into crevices.
PHOTO: Anadolu Agency
Glaciers and crevices a big threat
The glacier and crevices are big threat for soldiers in this region. Soldiers can fall into crevices during routine movement in unforeseen blizzards.
The Siachen glaciers are full of crevices.
“We always move in a group tied by a rope which helps us protect each other from falling into crevices,” said an Army officer in the Gayari sector.
According to local officers, since 1984 over 150 Pakistani soldiers and officers and over 100 porters have lost lives in only the Yousaf and Ibrahim sectors due to crevices and glaciers.
Officers and soldiers moving from one army post to another using the dangerous and narrow mountain routes always face the threat of falling in the glacier.
“Mostly we move at nighttime as the risk of falling is always less than in the daytime,” a local official said.
Essential supplies
Getting essential food and weapons supplies to the highest military posts is another difficult job on both the Pakistani and Indian sides, costing millions of dollars daily.
They use helicopters to drop the supplies to difficult posts in winter. But in summer they use porters and mules to dump essential items to forward positions.
The pilots who drop the supplies near high-altitude posts are well-trained.
The local porters help the army taking supplies to the sector’s semi-base camps and highest positions.
Life at the top of the world
Life is not easy on Siachen’s glacier due to harsh weather. The army has arranged high-altitude clothing, caps, gloves, boots, and glasses to protect the soldiers from hostile weather conditions. Inside they use stoves to warm up, with temperatures of minus 10-15 C in summer while in winter it plunges down to minus 50 C. Annual snowfall at the highest positions totals around 35 feet.
The army provides precooked food for all posts, while in summer fresh meat and vegetables are also airlifted for them.
“We face no food issues while also having all the necessary items to protect ourselves from harsh weather,” said one soldier..
.............con'd
