GUNUNG · Pakistan

Shispare

Shispare Sar / شیسپار

Information

Elevation: 7.611 m
Country: Pakistan (PK)
Location / Range: Batura Muztagh, Karakoram, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
Mountain type: Puncak es-batu Karakoram di Batura Muztagh — dinding curam di atas Gletser Passu
Volcanic?: No (non-volcanic)
Coordinates: 36.4400, 74.6817
Difficulty: Sangat sulit — ekspedisi teknis 7.000-an untuk alpinis elit; muka timur laut sekelas WI5 / M6
Best Season: Juni–Agustus (musim ekspedisi Karakoram)
Permits & Rules: Izin pendakian Pakistan/Gilgit-Baltistan lewat operator berlisensi, dengan petugas penghubung, porter, dan basecamp di sisi Gletser Passu (dekat Passu, Lembah Hunza)
Hazards: Runtuhan serac & longsoran salju, medan campuran es tipis di atas batu, spindrift terus-menerus, cuaca Karakoram yang cepat memburuk, ketinggian ekstrem

Description

Shispare (7,611 m) is a steep peak in the Batura Muztagh of the Karakoram, rising above the western bank of the Hunza River near the village of Passu — neighbouring Passu Sar, Bojohagur Duanasir, Ultar and Ladyfinger Peak. Its relief is extraordinary: roughly 5,550 m of vertical gain within just 13 km of Karimabad. Its summit has rarely been reached. The first ascent was made by a Polish–German academic expedition on 21 July 1974 under Janusz Kurczab, shadowed by the death of team member Heinz Borchers in an avalanche; the second ascent came only in 1994 by a Japanese team — both via the east ridge, expedition-style with fixed ropes. Its most famous chapter came in August 2017, when Japanese climbers Kazuya Hiraide and Kenro Nakajima forged a new ~2,700 m line up the previously unclimbed northeast face in alpine style, naming it 'Shukriya' ('thanks' in Urdu). The route won the 2018 Piolet d'Or. For Hiraide it was a fourth attempt after failures in 2007, 2012 and 2013. Both climbers later died on K2 in 2024.

Gallery

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

Routes

Muka Timur Laut — 'Shukriya' (Hiraide & Nakajima, 2017)

WI5 / M6, dinding ~2.700 m — alpine style, tanpa tali tetap

6 hari di gunung (4 bivak di dinding + 2 malam saat turun), 18–24 Agustus 2017

The new line that redefined Shispare's place in modern alpinism. Kazuya Hiraide and Kenro Nakajima attacked the previously unclimbed northeast face from a base camp on the Passu Glacier side, climbing it alpine style with no fixed ropes. They faced serac collapses in the approach gully — one buried them in snow for nearly a minute — thin ice over rock bands that forced them to climb with almost no protection, plus continuous spindrift and storms. After the summit they descended the east ridge and north spur, navigating by compass in poor visibility. The route was named 'Shukriya' ('thanks' in Urdu) and won the 2018 Piolet d'Or.

Route Segments

1

Basecamp Gletser Passu → gully pendekatan

Terancam runtuhan serac; bagian paling terpapar objektif
2

Muka timur laut (~2.700 m) — 4 bivak

Es WI5 dan medan campuran M6; es tipis di atas pita batu, spindrift terus-menerus
3

Puncak 7.611 m → turun via punggungan timur & taji utara

7.611 mdpl

Dua malam tambahan saat turun; navigasi kompas dalam kabut tebal

Source

Punggungan Timur (East Ridge) — rute pendakian pertama 1974

Sangat sulit — ekspedisi es/salju ketinggian 7.600 m

Ekspedisi beberapa minggu (gaya ekspedisi, tali tetap)

The only line used on Shispare's first two ascents. A Polish–German academic expedition led by Janusz Kurczab completed it on 21 July 1974 in classic expedition style: a chain of high camps and fixed ropes. The expedition was marred by the death of Heinz Borchers, swept away by an avalanche while preparing the summit push. The same ridge served the Japanese team's second ascent in 1994, again with fixed ropes. It was also the descent line for Hiraide and Nakajima after they opened the northeast face in 2017.

Source

Climbing Experiences

Shispare has no 'trekker experiences' — over five decades its summit has been reached by only a handful of teams. What exists is almost entirely expedition reporting and footage from elite alpinists. The most valuable source is Kazuya Hiraide himself, who failed three times (2007, 2012, 2013) before, with Kenro Nakajima, forging the 'Shukriya' line up the northeast face in August 2017 — six days on the mountain, four bivouacs on the wall, hammered by serac collapses and relentless spindrift. The American Alpine Journal, PlanetMountain and ExplorersWeb documented the route; the Piolets d'Or named it one of the year's finest ascents. Both climbers later went missing and died on K2 in 2024.

References

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