Sadia Naru
Today, while sorting through my pictures of Khuburse campsite and the trek towards Urdukas on the Baltoro Glacier, I realized how my passion for photography often makes me capture moments unconsciously. During that trek, I kept clicking the surrounding landscapes and striking mountains without knowing their names or significance.
Later, as I revisited those photos, a few peaks drew me in. Curious to learn more, I even asked a couple of friends but found no answers. Finally, I set aside everything and started digging into research. To my surprise and delight, I discovered that I had unknowingly captured some of the majestic granite faces of the Karakoram.
🔹 Paiju Peak (6,610 m) – In the Baltoro Muztagh, Karakoram; first climbed in 1976 by a Pakistani team. A striking landmark near the Trango Towers and Baltoro Glacier.
🔹 Uli Biaho (6,109 m Tower / 6,417 m Peak) – Known for its sheer granite walls; the Tower was first climbed in 1979, while the higher Peak remains unclimbed.
🔹 Trango Castle (5,753 m) – Part of the Trango Group, famous for its dramatic granite walls. A prized challenge for big-wall climbers.
🔹 Cathedral Towers (~5,800–6,000 m) – Iconic granite spires rising above the Baltoro Glacier between Khuburse and Urdukas, forming one of the most recognizable skylines of the Karakoram.
🔹 Lobsang Spire (5,707 m) – A slender granite needle near the Cathedral Towers, admired for its elegance and difficulty.
On the south wall of Baltoro, the line unfolds with Trango Castle, then across Dunge Glacier rise the Cathedral Towers, and beyond Lobsang Glacier stands the sharp needle of Lobsang Spire. Not in a perfect row, but on the same ridge system, they appear successively above the glacier — an unforgettable sight for trekkers between Khuburse and Urdukas on the long journey to K2 Basecamp.