ISLAMABAD – 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 animpressive 76 kilometres (47 miles).
The South Asian neighbours and rivals Pakistan and India both claimsovereignty over the entire Siachen region.
According to Pakistan army officials, before 1984, there was no militarypresence on the glaciers, but in April 1984, the Indian army initiated asecret operation and captured some top posts at the Siachen glaciers andapproached the eastern Karakoram mountain range, which compelled Pakistanto move its troops into the strategic region of northern Kashmir.[image: A view from Saichen glacier, where India and Pakistan both claimthe area and have thousands of soldiers stationed there in Siachen. PHOTO:Anadolu Agency]
A view from Siachen glacier, where India and Pakistan both claim the areaand have thousands of soldiers stationed there in Siachen. PHOTO: AnadoluAgency
Since then, both countries’ troops are stationed in Siachen, although acease-fire came into effect in 2003.
This September, Anadolu Agency sent the first-ever international mediaoutlet team to visit several sectors of the Siachen glaciers and stayedthere to observe how troops spend days and nights in such a harshenvironment.
*Arrival at Baltoro Sector *
The agency team first visited the Pakistan Army’s International Hiking andAltitude Expedition Camp (IHEC) and Concordia posts in the Baltoro Glaciersector. The IHEC and Concordia posts are located at an altitude of around4,877 meters (16,000 feet) to 5,182 m (17,000 ft), while some posts arelocated at around 6,100 m (20,000 ft), with average temperatures of aroundminus 15 C throughout the year, plunging down to minus 50 C in the winter.
Pakistani soldiers wear special snow gear, jackets, caps, boots, andglasses to protect themselves from harsh weather conditions, as the coldwind always blows in from the glacier region.
“We can’t venture outside without these special clothes due to the windchill and lack of oxygen,” a soldier told Anadolu Agency on condition ofanonymity.
Being posted in a glacier region means preparing for a struggle with natureas the weather, rather than the bullets, is the biggest enemy for Pakistaniand Indian soldiers in the Siachen region.
The soldiers stationed here can be seen with guns in hands, always standingvigilant and keeping eyes on the enemy despite the cold blowing wind in theworld’s highest battlefield.[image: PHOTO: Anadolu Agency]
PHOTO: Anadolu Agency
*Mountaineers’ paradise *
The region is also called the “mountaineers’ paradise,” as five of theworld’s 8,000-meter-plus peaks are located in Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistanregion, including K-2, the world’s famed second-highest peak.
K-2, also known as Chhogori or Mt. Godwin-Austen, part of the Karakoramrange, towers 8,611 m (28,251 ft) high.
Nanga Parbat, also known as “Killer Mountain” — the world’s ninth tallestmountain with a height of 8,126 m (26.660 ft) — is located in the Himalayanrange. It has never been climbed in the winter.
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Broad Peak, also known as K-3 — the world’s 12th-highest peak with a heightof 8,051 m (26,414 ft) — is located in the Karakoram range about eight kmfrom K-2. It has a summit of over 1.5 km long, and thus is known as BroadPeak.
Gashabrum-2, also known as K-4, is the 13th-highest peak in the world, witha 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 peakin 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 reachthe K-2 base camp, where they plan for next destination to summit thehighest peaks.
According to local Pakistan army officers in Baltoro, they help theclimbers whenever they need or rescue them if anyone gets stuck during anexpedition.
*Gayari and Gyong Sectors*
The Gayari and Gyong sub-sectors feature several high-altitude observingposts in the Siachen region, including the Ibrahim post at an altitude of5,639 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 (18,600ft) are also located in this sector, where Pakistani troops dominate theheights.
The Pakistan army provides its soldiers standard food in line with medicalrequirements at these high-altitude posts.
“Last night we couldn’t get to sleep as we were eagerly waiting for yourarrival,” one officer said, warmly welcoming the Anadolu Agency team.
The officers and soldiers posted in these areas couldn’t meet with othercolleagues or relatives for several months due to isolated conditions.
As per standard army operating procedures, the soldiers and officers aredeployed for 21-30 days at the highest posts, but sometimes in winter theymay stay longer when all routes are closed due to snow and blizzards.
The soldiers’ deployments in these highest posts is also a tough job. Frombase camp, they walk for two weeks to a month to reach their posts. Thearmy has dozens of posts situated two or three kilometers from each otherin every sector from base camp to the top.
The soldiers slowly ascend to the top and stay for a day or two orsometimes four to five days at the military posts, in order to getacclimatized. There is no road connectivity on either the Pakistan orIndian side to the top of the glaciers.
During their movement, a team of eight to 15 soldiers links up using ropesto protect each other from falling into crevices. – Anadolu Agency
