The 8,000m peaks in the Karakoram are now deserted, but small numbers of alpinists continue to explore Pakistan’s 6,000’ers. A Slovak-Polish trio is currently on its way to 6,949m Sangemarmar Sar in the Batura-Muztag area.
Marco Schwidergall of Poland is leading the team. Last year, Schwidergall made a first ascent of an unnamed 6,232m peak in the Ghujerab Mountains of the Karakoram. This time, he has joined forces with Richard Nemec and Robert Vrlak of Slovakia.
Expedition outfitter Summit K2 Adventure told ExplorersWeb that the team will attempt a new alpine-style route on the Batura side of the mountain.
The climbers arrived in Skardu three days ago, and they will soon reach Base Camp after a two- or three-day trek from the town of Aliabad in Hunza.
Trekking route to Base Camp. Map: Summit K2 Adventure
Sangemarmar, also known as Sang-E-Marmar Sar, is a rarely climbed yet highly aesthetic peak, with long ridges and a spiky summit. On the map, it looks dwarfed by the higher Batura I and Rakaposhi peaks, both 7,000’ers. However, it has a significant prominence of 1,050m and an impressive drop from the Hunza side: Its summit rises over 5,000m above the Hunza River, which is just 15km away.
The peak has been climbed only once before, in 1984, by a Japanese team via the southwest ridge.
Schwidergall, Damian Bielecki, and Lukasz Muller made the latest (unsuccessful) attempt on the peak in 2024.
Sangemarmar Sar. Photo: Wikipedia
