Pakistan is bordered on the west by Iran, on the north and northwest by Afghanistan, on the northeast by China, on the east and southeast by India, and on the south by the Arabian Sea. A panhandle of Afghanistan territory in the northwest, the Wakhan Corridor, separates Pakistan and Tajikistan.
Pakistan has great extremes of elevation, reaching the highest point at the Himalayan peak of K2 (also known as Mount Godwin Austen) in the north and the lowest point at the Arabian Sea coast in the south. The Indus River flows the length of Pakistan from north to south. The Indus and its tributaries form a wide river valley with fertile plains in Punjab and Sind (Sindh) provinces. Pakistan is mountainous in the north and west.
Much of Pakistan is a dry, sun-scorched region. To the west of the Indus are the rugged dry mountains of the Sulaimān Range, which merge with the treeless Kīrthar Range in the south. Farther west are the arid regions of the Baluchistan Plateau and the Khārān Basin. A series of mostly barren low mountains and hills predominate in the western border areas. The Thar Desert straddles the border with India in the southeast.
K2 was climbed by 23 members of the International Seven Summit team in the early hours of July 31 via the Abruzzi Ridge. 10 Sherpas from Nepal, three Chinese, Azim from Iran, Fabrice from France, Tunc Findik from Turkey and Adam from Poland are said to be among those who reached the summit in group led by Chhang Dawa Sherpa. This is an incredible feat on K2 which had defied success from Pakistan side for last three years. Few more from other teams are said to have reached the summit but the names are not available putting the total to the maximum number of 23 ever reaching K2 summit in a single day.
The last success on K2 in 2008 was marred by tragedy as 11 people from different nationalities lost their lives in avalanches, exposure and other mysterious circumstances. Several Sherpas lost their lives attempting to rescue the trapped climbers around the elusive Bottleneck that is famous for ice avalanches high on the Abruzzi Ridge.
Mingma Sherpa was the first Nepalese to have climbed all 14 eight thousand meter peaks in the world. While supporting his elder brother and chasing his own dreams Chhang Dawa Sherpa also crowned 12 of these peaks. Dawa led this large international team of 16 Nepalese Sherpas to achieve his last Karakoram peak and reached the top of K2 today at around 10am, followed by his colleagues.
Speaking from the summit, Dawa gave the brief details of their success to Nazir Sabir Expeditions office who were handling the team in Pakistan. He was ecstatic about this great success and informed many of the team members were already at camp four while others were descending there.
Meanwhile famous Chinese lady climber Ms. Wang Jing and her counterpart Mr. Zhang Liang from China accompanied by two Sherpas also got up Broad Peak summit around the same time as K2.
