SARAGHRAR AND LANGAR GROUP

TSUNEO MIYAMORI (JAC)

Some Problems of Topography and Identification
(Translated by Ichiro Yoshizawa)

1. Saraghrar is the fourth highest mountain in the Hindu Kush, after Tirich Mir (7,403 m.) most of whose geography has been recently explained and well known.

In spite of three climbing expeditions (Japanese) to the Saraghrar group since the first ascent of its main peak by the Italians led by Fosco Maraini in 1959, this massif has not been clearly understood.

This article is therefore an attempt at elucidation and has been undertaken with the notes and photographs offered by both Japanese and other climbers who have visited the area.

The altitude of the peaks, except that of the main peak of Saraghrar and the SE. peak of Langar, are all estimates until official heights are published.

2. Mr. Ichiro Yoshizawa (Vice-President, JAC), the Chairman of the Japan Hindu Kush Conference, in the foreword for ‘Mountain Travelling in the Rosh Gol Glacier' by Kenichiro Yamamoto wrote: 'although we have that splendid result of the survey of the Hindu Kush ranges by Dr. G. Gruber in 1965 and others I think we must study further the individual details especially of the Saraghrar peaks. Accordingly, the altitudes of each peak mentioned here are to be taken as provisional to the last... Jerzy Wala, the famous Polish mountaineer and cartographer has made a series of maps of the High Hindu Kush which has been relied upon as the best by European climbers. But when we studied it in detail some parts such as the SW face of Saraghrar, we found the detail insufficient though it was unavoidable ...' [the excellent Wala map is on really too small scale for great detail to be included.—Ed.]

2.1 Where does the highest snow-field flow'?

The Histotsubashi University Expedition 1967 report says as follows: ‘The summit ridge of the south peak was a long one stretching from west to east, and we saw that a parallel ridge was running in front of us lying in between a broad (width about 1 km.) snow-field. The right end of it was falling to Niroghi glacier and the other to Rosh Gol. But we must take special note of the fact that the debris caused by avalanches of the Niroghi glacier is incomparably larger than that of the Rosh Gol side.'.

2.2 The problem of height: See Table I. The numerals of the last column are all calculated by me but not official.

3. There appears some misconceptions and questionable peaks marked on some maps. The following series of photographs and sketches taken from different angles have been compared with existing maps and some tentative conclusions drawn. The peaks marked 1-16 refer to the Saraghrar and Langar massif with reference to Table I and the sketch map only.

3.1 When seen from north-west (west peak of Niigata Zom- Wala 235), the highest snow-field is lower than P6, and it falls into the Niroghi glacier.

3.2 From the same point, P2 (the central peak) lies behind P8, it is as conspicuous as PI (Saraghrar main peak).

3.3 See sketch plate A—Saraghrar, seen from Langar SE. P4 lies behind a ridge running north-westwards from P2 [the direction is more west than north-west.—Ed.].

3.4 See sketch plate B—Saraghrar seen from the east ridge of Langar Zom Main (c- 7,070 m.)—P4 is now distinctly seen. A new peak (P12) (c. 6,850 m.) appears in the Langar group and PI3 (Wala 191) stands at the extreme right.

3.5 See sketch plate C—Saraghrar and Langar Zom, seen from Shayoz (6,855 m.—Wala 266). The height of P8 may be c. 6,900 m. Peak III (i.e. Saraghrar III; ref. H.J., Vol. XXIX, 1969) of Dr. A. Diemberger may be a shoulder-like rock mass on a ridge between P2 and P4. [The height of P8 looks less than 6,900 m. and should be more in line with P15 (Wala 193) which has been estimated at c. 6,700 m- Could Dr. Diemberger's Saraghrars II and III coincide with PX, P2 or P4?—Ed.].

3.6 See sketch plate D—P2 and P4 seen from the main peak PL P4 is lower than P2 which in turn is lower than PL [PX really looks too insignificant to be called a summit—perhaps only a hump—Ed.].

3.7 See sketch plate E—Saraghrar west face seen from Udren An. I think a rock dome under P4 may be peak III (i.e. Saraghrar III; ref. H.J., Vol. XXIX, 1969) of Dr. Diemberger. [The Saraghrars II and III were really named by the Italians and it is a moot-point as to what summits they referred—they seem more likely to correspond to P2 and P4 of T. Miya- mori.—Ed.]. The SW. ridge is derived from the p peak of the P5 (twin summits). The snow-field between P4 and P5 does not show its highest line.

3.8 See sketch plate F—Saraghrar and Langar Zom west face as seen from Darban Zom (7,219 m.—Wala 116). P2 can be clearly seen behind P4. The line of the snow-field, in this case, may be the highest.

3.9 See sketch plate G—Saraghrar south face, seen from Panorama peak, west of Buni Zom North.

Two sets of identifications: (a) is that of Dr. Gruber and (b) is T. Miyamori's.

3.10 Sketch plates H-J follow. They have enabled me to redraw the Saraghrar and Langar summit areas afresh. This should not be taken as the last word on the subject but should serve to excite the curiosity of climbers visiting that area to fill in the few blanks and add to the knowledge already gained.

Lastly, I express my thanks to Mr. Ichiro Yoshizawa and Mr. Eizo Tanaka (both of JAC) and the HK Conference for their kind suggestions and help.

 

[According to the sketch map, P11 should more appropriately be designated as Langar E. and P 15 as Langar SE.—Ed.]

Seem more likely to correspond to P2 and P4 of T. Miyamori.—Ed.]. The SW. ridge is derived from the peak of the P5 (twin summits). The snow-field between P4 and P5 does not show its highest line.

2. See sketch plate F—Saraghrar and Langar Zom west face as seen from Darban Zom (7,219 m.—Wala 116). P2 can be clearly seen behind P4. The line of the snow-field, in this case, may be the highest.
3. See sketch plate G—Saraghrar south face, seen from Panorama peak, west of Buni Zom North.
   Two sets of identifications: (a) is that of Dr. Gruber and (b) is T. Miyamori's.
4. Sketch plates H-J follow. They have enabled me to redraw the Saraghrar and Langar summit areas afresh. This should not be taken as the last word on the subject but should serve to excite the curiosity of climbers visiting that area to fill in the few blanks and add to the knowledge already gained.

Lastly, I express my thanks to Mr. Ichiro Yoshizawa and Mr. Eizo Tanaka (both of J AC) and the HK Conference for their kind suggestions and help.

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