Concordia (Karakoram)
As Concordiaplatz (also Konkordiaplatz or Concordia / Concordia ) the place is called in the central Karakoram, at the confluence of the Baltoro Glacier and the Godwin - Austen Glacier. This place is also referred to as the heart of Karakorum. It has a diameter of about three kilometers and lies at an altitude of about 4600 meters above the sea. He belongs to the Pakistani northern areas. The border with Chinese- controlled Shaksgam Valley runs through the east of the square lying mountains that are among the highest in the world, including four eight-thousanders.
- 4.1 Mountains at Concordia Place
- 5.1 problems
Name
The name of the square comes from William Martin Conway, who looked reminiscent of the Konkordiaplatz in the Swiss Alps with his Karakorumexpedition 1892, where also combine several ice streams. It is also found another derivation. Then the researchers felt reminiscent of the Place de la Concorde in Paris. In both cases, the designation of the place but goes back to Conway.
Contributing glacier
Upper Baltorogletscher
The accumulation area of Baltorogletschers is located between the mountains and Baltoro Kangri Chogolisa. From here, the often described here as the Upper Baltorogletscher about two kilometers wide ice stream flows that descend 15 km to the northwest. Shortly before the Concordiaplatz he widens due to the inflow of the Vigne Glacier, flowing from the north-west side Chogolisa towards North.
Godwin - Austen Glacier
The Godwin - Austen Glacier has its accumulation area between the saddle of the Winds (also Windy Gap or Skyang -La ) and the Skyang Kangri northeast of K2, flows along the southeast side of the second highest mountain in the earth ten kilometers south-west direction and then bends exactly south, and flows than about 1.5 kilometers wide valley glacier west of Broad Peak for a length of nine kilometers in the direction of Place de la Concorde.
More glacier
Some small glaciers also open at the Place de la Concorde in the Baltoro: From the west side of Gasherbrum IV of the Western Gasherbrumgletscher comes. A few 100 meters north flows the Falchan glacier that feeds into the southwest side of Broad peaks in the Place de la Concorde.
Baltorogletscher
The combined ice ( and scree ) compositions flow as Baltorogletscher still about 35 km to the west.
Outflow
At the snout of the Baltoros stems from the Braldu, shortly afterwards it accommodates to the melt water from the glacier Biafo and later flows into the Shigar, which eventually drains into the Indus at Skardu.
Mountains
Even when he approached about the Baltorogletscher you look at the Western Wall of Gasherbrum IV, which dominates the eastern side of the square Concordia. In the northeast corner - between the Baltoro and Godwin - Austen Glacier - is the 6256 m high Marble Peak. Opposite him is surrounded by the Upper Baltoro - Baltoro and Vigne glacier of the 6010 meter high Mitre Peak as " Talwächter on the Place de la Concorde ".
From the Place de la Concorde from numerous mountains can be seen. The view to the north of the Godwin - Austen Glacier up inevitably falls on the 8611 m high pyramid of K2, from there clockwise to the summit of Broad Peak and the western mountains of the Gasherbrum group ( G IV, GV, G VI and G VII), behind which the eight thousand meter Gasherbrum II and Gasherbrum I hide. About the Upper Baltorogletscher perched in the south of the Baltoro Kangri 7312 m and the number of six thousand between Upper Baltoro and Vignegletscher be dominated by the 7665 meter high Chogolisa with its horizontally extending summit ridge. The view westward down the Baltoro meets Mitre Peak, Masherbrum, the Trango group, the Muztagh Tower, the Marble Peak and finally the mountains west of the Godwin - Austen glacier, which counts the Skil Brum
Mountains at Concordia Place
The eight-thousanders
- K2, 8611 m
- Gasherbrum I 8,080 m
- Broad Peak, 8,051 m
- Gasherbrum II, 8,034 m
Other mountains:
- Gasherbrum III, 7.952 m
- Gasherbrum IV, 7,925 m
- Masherbrum (K1 ), 7,821 m
- Chogolisa, 7,665 m
- Muztagh Tower, 7,273 m
- Snow Dome, 7.160 m
- Biarchedi, 6,781 m
- Mitre Peak, 6,010 m
Tourist importance
During the Concordiaplatz for climbers is the last stop before the respective base camps to the Eight -thousanders, he is responsible for numerous trekking tourists already the goal of the journey on which they usually spend two nights and take a day trip eg to K2 base camp before they have to find their way back. This is done either as the way across the Baltoro to Askole, or about the Vigne Glacier and the 5940 m high Gondoghoro Pass to Hushe.
Problems
The large bearing on the Place de la Concorde is now setting up logistical problems. In particular, the supply of drinking water is difficult because the ice is not recommended due to ubiquitous fecal load for consumption.