GUNUNG · Irak (Wilayah Kurdistan, Distrik Choman) / Iran (perbatasan)

Cheekha Dar

Cheekha Dar (چیخە دار)

Cheekha Dar, puncak tertinggi Irak, di rangkaian Zagros perbatasan Irak–Iran (foto Wikimedia Commons). Photo: source

Information

Elevation: 3.611 m
Country: Irak (Wilayah Kurdistan, Distrik Choman) / Iran (perbatasan) (IQ)
Location / Range: Pegunungan Zagros, Kurdistan Irak (Distrik Choman, Governorat Erbil), tepat di perbatasan Irak–Iran
Mountain type: Puncak batuan di rangkaian Zagros — bukan gunung berapi; umumnya dianggap titik tertinggi Irak
Volcanic?: No (non-volcanic)
Coordinates: 36.7753, 44.9186
Difficulty: Trekking/scramble non-teknis (walk-up) di ketinggian; kesulitan sebenarnya adalah logistik & keamanan (perbatasan bermiliter dan ranjau darat)
Best Season: Musim panas (kira-kira Juni–September) untuk akses bebas salju; pendakian terdokumentasi juga terjadi pada November dan (sebagai pendakian musim dingin serius) pertengahan Maret
Permits & Rules: Berada di Wilayah Kurdistan (Distrik Choman, Governorat Erbil). Tidak ada sistem izin wisata resmi, tetapi pemandu/pengawal Tentara Kurdi (Peshmerga) yang diatur lewat Choman praktis wajib; puncaknya persis di garis perbatasan Iran dan kini terdapat pos militer Iran, sehingga titik puncak adalah zona militer sensitif.
Hazards: Ranjau darat yang belum dibersihkan di pendekatan antara Hamilton Road dan Gundah Zhur (ditandai rambu tengkorak merah); kehadiran militer zona perbatasan (pos Iran di puncak); penyelundup; keterpencilan; serta salju dan ketinggian.

Description

Cheekha Dar ('black tent' in Kurdish, ~3,611 m) is currently regarded as the highest mountain in Iraq, standing on the Iraq–Iran border in the Zagros ranges of Iraqi Kurdistan (Choman District, Erbil governorate). Its summit is only marginally higher than nearby Mount Halgurd (~3,607 m), which was long thought to be Iraq's highest and remains far more commonly climbed because Cheekha Dar's summit lies directly on the militarized frontier. The first recorded ascent was by English explorer Ginge Fullen in November 2004 (GPS ~3,628 m), with the first reported winter ascent by Jonathan Beswick and Matthew DuPuy on 18 March 2011. Technically the route is a non-technical walk-up/scramble, but the real difficulty is logistics and security: uncleared landmines on the Iraqi-side approach (Choman → Gundah Zhur) require a Peshmerga guide/escort, while the Iranian side has a military outpost and access roads. Because of its sensitive status, Cheekha Dar is one of the least-climbed national high points in the world.

Gallery

Foto bersumber dari Wikimedia Commons — klik untuk memperbesar & lihat sumbernya.

Routes

Sisi Irak — pendekatan Choman / Gundah Zhur (timur laut)

Trekking/scramble non-teknis (walk-up); kesulitan sebenarnya adalah logistik & keamanan

Sekitar 2 hari untuk pendaki berpengalaman

The standard Iraqi-side line approaches from the Hamilton Road up to the village of Gundah Zhur, then continues roughly 6 km north to the summit ridge that forms the Iran border. It is a non-technical high-altitude walk-up/scramble, but a Kurdish military escort/guide arranged in Choman is essential because of landmines and the sensitive border.

Source

Sisi Iran

Non-teknis, tetapi akses dikendalikan militer Iran

1–2 hari

The summit is also reached from Iranian territory, where a military outpost and access roads have been built up to the top; recent documented ascents (e.g. Iranian climbers) have been made from this side.

Source

Climbing Experiences

Cheekha Dar is very rarely climbed because its summit sits right on the militarized Iraq–Iran border, so many 'highest mountain in Iraqi Kurdistan' videos actually ascend nearby Halgurd. The material below is a set of real, truthfully-described sources: an ascent report from the Iranian side, a short summit profile, and a documentary that views Cheekha Dar from Choman and then — for safety — summits neighbouring Halgurd instead.

References

The summary above is compiled from the following sources. Click to explore them yourself.