Malubiting

Malubiting (مالونیتنگ‎)

Road through the Mountains of Gilgit Baltistan

Malubiting is a massive 7,458-meter (24,469-foot) mountain in the Rakaposhi-Haramosh Mountains of Pakistan’s Karakoram. Rising north of the Indus Valley in Gilgit-Baltistan, it forms the highest point of an extensive multi-summited massif positioned between Rakaposhi to the west and Haramosh Peak to the south.

Despite being one of the world’s highest and most topographically prominent mountains, Malubiting is remarkably obscure outside serious mountaineering circles. It has more than 2,000 meters of topographic prominence, making it an ultra-prominent peak, yet published climbing records document only two successful ascents of its main western summit.

The mountain earned a formidable reputation during the 1950s and 1960s. Expeditions explored several subsidiary summits but repeatedly failed to reach the highest point. A British-Pakistani team climbed Malubiting East in 1959, a British expedition suffered a fatal accident in 1968, Polish climbers reached the northern summit and explored the upper massif in 1969, and a German expedition was turned back following an avalanche tragedy in 1970.

Success finally came in 1971, when Austrian climbers Kurt Pirker, Hanns Schell, Horst Schindlbacher, and Hilmar Sturm reached Malubiting’s main summit on August 23. The mountain apparently went unclimbed again for another 26 years before Roland Brändli and Matthias Dischinger completed its second known ascent in 1997.

⚡ Fast Facts

Fact	Details
Continent	Asia
Country	Pakistan
Region	Gilgit-Baltistan
Mountain Range	Karakoram
Subrange	Rakaposhi-Haramosh Mountains
Elevation	7,458 m / 24,469 ft
Historical Elevations	Approximately 7,453–7,549 m in older expedition reports
Prominence	2,193 m / 7,195 ft
Isolation	36.57 km / 22.72 mi
Nearest Higher Neighbor	Kunyang Chhish South
Coordinates	Approximately 36.002° N, 74.876° E
Main Summit Name	Malubiting West
First Ascent	August 23, 1971
First Ascensionists	Kurt Pirker, Hanns Schell, Horst Schindlbacher, and Hilmar Sturm
First-Ascent Route	Via Polan La and the northeast ridge
Second Known Ascent	August 1997 — Roland Brändli and Matthias Dischinger
Ultra-Prominent Peak?	Yes
Current Peakbagger Rank	Approximately 56th among independent 7,200+ m peaks
Nearby Mountains	Spantik, Haramosh Peak, Rakaposhi, Diran

Malubiting’s 2,193 meters of prominence comfortably exceeds the 1,500-meter threshold required for ultra-prominence. It ranks among the most topographically independent mountains in the Karakoram.

📍 Location

Malubiting lies in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, near the center of the Rakaposhi-Haramosh Mountains.

The mountain is positioned roughly east of Rakaposhi, north of Haramosh Peak, and southwest of Spantik. The Indus River flows through much lower terrain to the south, while the Hispar and Hunza regions lie farther north.

Its location gives Malubiting dramatic vertical relief.

To the southwest, the mountain rises above valleys draining toward the Indus, while its northeastern and eastern slopes feed into the immense glacier systems surrounding the Chogo Lungma.

The peak lies approximately 50 kilometers east of Gilgit and belongs to a mountain system bounded broadly by the Hunza and Gilgit valleys in the west, the Indus in the south, and large glaciers toward the north and east.

Although comparatively close to inhabited valleys when viewed on a regional map, the summit itself is protected by a complicated landscape of long glaciers, icefalls, high passes, enormous snow plateaus, and steep subsidiary ridges.

🏔️ The Rakaposhi-Haramosh Mountains

Malubiting belongs to the Rakaposhi-Haramosh Mountains, a major western subrange of the Karakoram.

The group is named for two of its most famous peaks.

Rakaposhi rises to approximately 7,788 meters and forms the western anchor of the range above the Hunza and Nagar valleys.

Haramosh Peak reaches approximately 7,397 meters south of Malubiting and rises dramatically above the Indus Valley.

Other important summits include Diran, Malubiting, Miar Chhish, and numerous lesser-known 6,000-meter peaks.

Malubiting is particularly important topographically because several significant nearby mountains ultimately connect toward it through their key cols. Haramosh, for example, has Malubiting as its nearest higher neighbor.

This section of the Karakoram is generally less famous internationally than the Baltoro region around K2, Broad Peak, and the Gasherbrums, yet its mountains possess some of the greatest local relief anywhere in High Asia.

🏔️ The Malubiting Massif

Malubiting is not a single isolated pyramid.

Instead, it forms a complicated massif containing several high summits separated by ridges, cols, and broad snow plateaus.

Historical expedition reports commonly distinguished:

Malubiting West — the 7,458 m main summit
Malubiting Central — approximately 7,260 m
Malubiting East — approximately 6,970 m
Malubiting North — approximately 6,843 m

Older sources give somewhat different elevations.

The main summit is called Malubiting West because it lies west of the prominent central and eastern peaks when the massif is viewed from the Chogo Lungma Glacier.

This naming can initially seem counterintuitive because Malubiting West is not a subsidiary western summit—it is the actual highest point of the mountain.

The summit architecture contributed greatly to the difficulty experienced by early expeditions. Climbers approaching from the east could see the impressive Central Peak prominently ahead of them while the true summit remained partly concealed behind it.

📏 Elevation: Why Do Sources Disagree?

Malubiting’s elevation has varied substantially in historical sources.

The successful 1971 expedition reported the mountain at approximately 7,549 meters.

Other historical maps used figures around 7,453 meters, while some English-language climbing literature described it as approximately 24,451 feet.

Modern topographic databases give Malubiting an elevation of approximately:

7,458 meters / 24,469 feet

The difference reflects the limitations of older surveying methods rather than any meaningful physical change in the mountain.

Remote Karakoram peaks were often measured from considerable distances using early survey equipment, and the exact identification of closely packed summits was not always straightforward.

As improved topographic mapping became available, many Karakoram elevations were revised.

For consistency, 7,458 meters is the best modern figure to use for Malubiting.

📐 Prominence and Isolation

Malubiting has approximately 2,193 meters (7,195 feet) of topographic prominence.

Its key col lies at approximately 5,265 meters.

Because any mountain with at least 1,500 meters of prominence qualifies as an ultra-prominent peak, Malubiting comfortably belongs to the world’s collection of Ultras.

Peakbagger currently ranks it around ninth among the ultra-prominent mountains of the Karakoram.

Its true topographic isolation is approximately 36.57 kilometers (22.72 miles).

The nearest higher point lies in the direction of Kunyang Chhish South, within the Hispar Muztagh to the northeast.

The relatively large isolation is unusual in a mountain system where many 7,000-meter summits are clustered only a few kilometers apart.

🧭 Early Attempts

Malubiting attracted serious climbing attention during the middle of the twentieth century.

A German expedition carried out reconnaissance in the region in 1955, but poor weather prevented a substantial attempt on the main summit.

As climbers learned more about the massif, it became increasingly apparent that Malubiting would require not only high-altitude endurance but careful route finding through several complicated glacier systems.

The mountain’s climbing history during the following 16 years became a succession of promising attempts, subsidiary-summit ascents, accidents, and retreats.

By the time Malubiting was finally climbed in 1971, it had become one of the most repeatedly attempted unclimbed mountains of the Karakoram.

🇬🇧🇵🇰 Malubiting East: The 1959 Expedition

A major step came in 1959, when the British Army Mountaineering Association organized an expedition to the Chogo Lungma region.

The expedition was led by H. R. A. Streather and included British servicemen as well as officers from the Pakistan Army.

Rather than focusing exclusively on one major summit, the expedition explored a wide section of the Karakoram and climbed several previously unclimbed peaks.

Near the end of the trip, the team turned its attention to Malubiting.

The climbers approached from the Chogo Lungma Glacier and established camps beneath the mountain’s southeast ridge.

A. J. Imrie and Captain Jawed Akhter of Pakistan were selected to attempt the eastern summit.

🥾 First Ascent of Malubiting East

On August 2, 1959, Imrie and Jawed Akhter climbed toward the approximately 6,970-meter eastern summit.

Their route involved an unstable rock ridge coated with fresh snow and verglas.

Around 200 feet below the summit, a snow wall blocked direct progress.

They bypassed the obstacle using a very steep snow slope and a small rock tower before reaching the final summit snowfield.

The pair successfully reached Malubiting East, completing its first ascent.

The achievement was significant even though the main summit remained considerably higher and farther west.

Jawed Akhter subsequently became an important figure in early Pakistani high-altitude mountaineering and later participated in the successful 1960 American expedition to Masherbrum.

🇬🇧 The 1968 Manchester Expedition

Malubiting returned to the attention of British climbers in 1968.

The Manchester Karakoram Expedition, led by J. T. H. Allen, originally hoped to approach from the north.

Pakistani authorities instead granted permission for a southern approach through Bunji and Sassli.

This forced the climbers into much steeper and less favorable terrain.

The team investigated a route toward Malubiting East.

Loose rock, séracs, steep snow, and ice made progress dangerous.

The expedition reached approximately 19,000 feet before deciding that conditions were becoming unacceptable.

Then tragedy struck.

⚠️ The Death of Brian Ripley

During the descent, climber Brian Ripley was struck by a moving rock.

The impact knocked him off balance, and he fell approximately 2,000 feet down the mountain.

His companions descended toward him and eventually located his body in a dangerous gully exposed to continuing stonefall and icefall.

Ripley’s death ended the expedition’s serious climbing efforts on Malubiting.

The accident underscored a recurring problem on the mountain: routes that appear possible can become extraordinarily dangerous when warmed by the sun or exposed to unstable rock and hanging ice.

The expedition’s experience strengthened interest in finding a safer approach from the Chogo Lungma side.

🇵🇱 The 1969 Polish Expedition

A small Polish expedition arrived in 1969 under the leadership of Richard Szafirski.

The other climbers included Andrzej Heinrich, Roman Petrycki, and Andrzej Kus.

Their original plan was to approach Malubiting from the north using the Hunza Valley and Barpu Glacier.

However, that region was temporarily closed to foreign mountaineering expeditions.

The Poles therefore had to make a much longer approach through the Chogo Lungma Glacier.

Despite the logistical disadvantage, their expedition made an important breakthrough.

They identified and climbed a pass between Spantik and Malubiting North.

The climbers named it Polan La, or Polish Pass.

🥾 Malubiting North

On October 8, 1969, members of the Polish expedition reached Malubiting North, approximately 6,843 meters high.

From this point they gained a much clearer understanding of the mountain’s upper structure.

Two days later, the team continued toward the main summit.

They crossed into the enormous high-altitude plateau between Malubiting Central and the main western summit and reached approximately 7,100 meters.

Success appeared close.

But heavy snowfall created dangerous avalanche conditions.

The climbers reluctantly abandoned the attempt.

Although they failed to reach Malubiting West, the Polish expedition had essentially discovered the route that would lead to the first ascent two years later.

🇩🇪 The 1970 Munich Expedition

A German expedition from Munich returned to Malubiting in 1970.

Peter von Gizycki led the small team, which included Bernd Melzer, Horst Caha, and Michael von Gizycki.

They established Base Camp near the foot of Spantik and examined the Malubiting massif from the Chogo Lungma Glacier.

Their observations illustrate how deceptive the mountain appears from the east.

Malubiting Central dominated the view, while the true higher western summit remained hidden behind it.

The expedition worked its way into the upper mountain but encountered unstable snow and serious avalanche conditions.

During the attempt, Bernd Melzer was killed in an avalanche.

The tragedy forced the expedition to retreat.

Malubiting remained unclimbed.

🇦🇹 The 1971 Austrian Expedition

The successful expedition arrived the following year.

The Dr. Arndt Schussler Memorial Expedition was organized by climbers from Graz, Austria, and led by Horst Schindlbacher.

The climbing team consisted of:

Horst Schindlbacher
Kurt Pirker
Hanns Schell
Hilmar Sturm

The expedition was dedicated to Dr. Arndt Schussler, who had intended to join but died in a climbing accident on Mont Maudit in the Alps in 1970.

The Austrians traveled overland from Europe, transporting approximately 750 kilograms of food and equipment in Volkswagen vehicles.

After a long journey across Pakistan, they reached the Basha Valley and the village of Arandu.

From there they continued onto the Chogo Lungma Glacier.

🧊 Across the Chogo Lungma Glacier

The team established Base Camp at approximately 4,200 meters.

The approach to the upper mountain involved roughly 12 kilometers of travel across moraine and heavily crevassed glacier terrain.

The climbers followed the general route pioneered by the Polish expedition two years earlier.

They climbed toward Polan La, overcoming a steep ice slope and a difficult rock section above one of their lower camps.

Progress was slow because the small team had to carry loads of approximately 20 to 25 kilograms themselves.

By August 8 they had reached Camp II.

Then the weather collapsed.

A major monsoon storm trapped the climbers inside their tents for six days and nights.

Food supplies became critically low, forcing them to descend.

🌤️ A Second Summit Attempt

The weather finally improved around August 19.

The four climbers returned up the mountain.

They crossed the rock band above Polan La while carrying heavy packs through wind and lingering snow.

On August 21 they established Camp III at approximately 6,200 meters on the ridge of Malubiting North.

Above the ridge lay the enormous snow and ice plateau that had stopped the Polish expedition.

Deep powder made travel exhausting.

The Austrians used short skis across portions of the plateau, an unusual but highly effective strategy on the gentler snow slopes.

A sérac step delayed progress for several hours.

Their next camp was established among crevasses and ice towers roughly 900 meters below the summit.

🥾 First Ascent of Malubiting

The summit attempt began early on August 23, 1971.

The climbers crossed the broad plateau, again using skis where possible.

At approximately 7,150 meters they left their rucksacks and skis near the saddle between the Central and West summits.

Only about 300 vertical meters remained.

The final climbing consisted primarily of steep snow and the upper summit ridge.

After several hours, Horst Schindlbacher, Kurt Pirker, Hanns Schell, and Hilmar Sturm all reached Malubiting’s main western summit.

The first climbers arrived shortly before 3 p.m.

Weather conditions were exceptionally clear and calm.

From the summit they could see the Indus River approximately 6,000 meters below, as well as vast sections of the Karakoram.

After years of failed attempts by expeditions from several nations, Malubiting had finally been climbed.

🎿 Skis at More Than 7,000 Meters

One of the unusual features of the first ascent was the use of skis.

The expedition carried short skis onto the upper snow plateau and used them to travel across gentler terrain.

At extreme altitude, deep unconsolidated snow can make every step exhausting.

Skis distribute a climber’s weight across a much larger surface area, reducing the tendency to sink deeply into powder.

The 1971 climbers still had to remove their skis for steep terrain, but their use helped them cross the enormous upper plateau efficiently.

The technique was well suited to Malubiting’s unusual geography, where steep ridges give way to broad high-altitude snowfields before the final summit slopes.

🏔️ A Mountain Left Alone for 26 Years

After the 1971 first ascent, Malubiting again disappeared from the successful climbing record.

For roughly 26 years, no published expedition is known to have repeated the ascent of the main western summit.

This is extraordinary for a mountain ranked among the world’s highest.

The lack of traffic reflects several factors.

The approach is long, the established route requires complicated glacier travel and multiple high camps, and Malubiting lacks the international fame of neighboring Karakoram objectives.

Climbers seeking technically difficult 7,000-meter peaks had many other options, while those seeking comparatively accessible high-altitude objectives generally chose mountains with simpler logistics.

Malubiting therefore remained remarkably quiet.

🇨🇭🇩🇪 The 1997 Expedition

A small Swiss-German expedition returned in 1997.

The four-person team consisted of:

Dieter Fünfschilling
Roland Brändli
Matthias Dischinger
Ruedi Karrer

They approached through the Chogo Lungma Glacier and largely followed the route descriptions left by the Polish 1969 and Austrian 1971 expeditions.

Unlike the large fixed-rope operations common on many major Himalayan peaks, the four climbers operated without high-altitude porters.

They established five camps between Base Camp and the upper plateau.

The lower slopes of Polan La created an unexpected problem: heat.

Strong sunlight reflecting from the snow made the route increasingly dangerous later in the morning as snow softened and glacier conditions deteriorated.

The team therefore frequently moved before dawn.

🥾 The Second Known Ascent

Above Polan La, the climbers followed the mixed ridge toward Malubiting North and then traversed onto the great upper plateau.

As in 1971, short skis proved useful on the gentler snow terrain.

By August 19 the climbers had reached approximately 7,100 meters, just below the saddle between Malubiting Central and West.

Ruedi Karrer and Dieter Fünfschilling were suffering from headaches and exhaustion and decided not to continue.

Roland Brändli and Matthias Dischinger went on toward the summit.

They followed the northeast ridge used during the first ascent.

One near-vertical step was bypassed through a snow gully.

The pair reached the summit at approximately 1:30 p.m.

Their climb is recognized as the second known ascent of Malubiting West.

They then descended quickly, reaching their high camp approximately an hour and a half later.

The successful climb benefited from an exceptional period of roughly 11 days of stable weather.

🧗 How Often Has Malubiting Been Climbed?

Published records document only two successful ascents of the main western summit:

1971 — Kurt Pirker, Hanns Schell, Horst Schindlbacher, and Hilmar Sturm.

1997 — Roland Brändli and Matthias Dischinger.

It is possible that lesser-known expeditions have operated in the area without producing widely distributed reports, but the major Himalayan climbing indexes and journals have not documented additional successful ascents of Malubiting’s main summit.

That makes Malubiting one of the least frequently climbed major 7,000-meter mountains.

The eastern and northern subsidiary summits have separate ascent histories.

🧗 Climbing Malubiting

Malubiting is a serious expedition mountain.

The established route approaches from the east through the Chogo Lungma Glacier, climbs toward Polan La, passes around or across Malubiting North, and then reaches the huge upper plateau leading toward Malubiting West.

The historical route is not exceptionally technical at every point, but its overall scale makes it demanding.

Climbers must deal with:

Long glacier approaches
Large crevasses
Steep snow slopes
Avalanche exposure
Ice walls
Loose rock
Mixed climbing
Séracs
Deep snow
High winds
Extreme solar radiation
Severe storms
High-altitude illness
Complex retreat logistics

The upper plateau is particularly deceptive.

Terrain may appear moderate, but travel above 6,500 and 7,000 meters becomes exhausting, especially when snow is deep.

A storm in such an exposed environment can quickly erase tracks and create dangerous avalanche conditions.

🧊 Chogo Lungma Glacier

The Chogo Lungma Glacier is one of the major glaciers of this part of the Karakoram and has played a central role in Malubiting’s climbing history.

The glacier lies north and east of the Rakaposhi-Haramosh Mountains and provides access to both Malubiting and Spantik.

Expeditions commonly approach through Arandu, near the glacier’s lower end.

From there, the route follows long moraine and ice-covered sections toward the upper glacier basins.

The Chogo Lungma is not simply an approach corridor.

Its enormous ice masses have carved much of the surrounding landscape and continue to transport rock and sediment away from the high mountain walls.

Crevasses, icefalls, meltwater, moraine, and changing snow conditions can substantially alter travel from year to year.

🧊 Polan La

Polan La is the high pass that became the key to Malubiting’s successful route.

Polish climbers identified and crossed the pass during the 1969 expedition, giving it a name that essentially means Polish Pass.

It lies between the Spantik side of the range and Malubiting North.

The pass provides access from the Chogo Lungma Glacier toward the upper plateau system of Malubiting.

Historical expeditions encountered a steep snow slope below the pass and mixed climbing above it.

The 1997 expedition placed a camp at approximately 5,840 meters directly on Polan La.

From there, climbers could see across toward the Barpu Glacier and the great peaks of the Hunza region.

Polan La therefore serves as both a climbing gateway and a remarkable high-altitude geographic divide.

🪨 Geology

Malubiting belongs to a geologically complex part of the Karakoram created by the continuing collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates.

The wider Rakaposhi-Haramosh region contains strongly deformed metamorphic rocks as well as large igneous intrusions.

These rocks have been uplifted rapidly on a geological timescale.

Glaciers and rivers have simultaneously cut deeply into the rising mountain mass.

This combination of tectonic uplift and extreme erosion helps explain the extraordinary relief visible between Malubiting’s summit and the Indus Valley.

Rockfall is an important natural process on the mountain.

Freeze-thaw action, glacial erosion, steep slopes, and fractured bedrock all contribute to unstable terrain, particularly on lower ridges and faces exposed to strong sunlight.

The fatal accident during the 1968 expedition provides a tragic example of how unstable rock can affect climbers.

🌿 Flora and Fauna

The summit and upper slopes of Malubiting are too high to support conventional plant life.

Above roughly 6,000 meters, the environment is dominated by permanent snow, glacier ice, rock, and intense cold.

Conditions become progressively more hospitable farther down the valleys.

High-altitude habitats across Gilgit-Baltistan contain alpine grasses, herbs, dwarf shrubs, juniper, willow, wild rose, Artemisia, and other plants adapted to short growing seasons, cold winters, and limited precipitation.

The wider region supports several of Asia’s most characteristic mountain mammals.

These include Himalayan ibex, Astore markhor, snow leopards, Himalayan lynx, gray wolves, red foxes, and brown bears in suitable habitats.

Snow leopards are particularly well adapted to the rugged cliffs and high valleys of northern Pakistan, while ibex and markhor occupy steep rocky terrain where their remarkable climbing ability helps them escape predators.

Birds of the broader Karakoram include golden eagles, Himalayan griffons, bearded vultures, snowcocks, chukar, and various falcons.

The Haramosh region is particularly important for both ibex and markhor populations.

Few large animals travel onto Malubiting’s highest glaciers, but the mountain is part of a much larger connected high-altitude ecosystem extending from the Indus Valley to the alpine zones and glaciated peaks above.

🏔️ Nearby Mountains

Malubiting stands among several famous and exceptionally prominent Karakoram mountains.

Spantik

Spantik rises northeast of Malubiting to approximately 7,027 meters according to commonly used modern figures.

Also known as Golden Peak, it is considerably more frequently climbed than Malubiting and has become a popular expedition objective.

The two mountains are separated by high glacier terrain associated with Polan La.

Haramosh Peak

Haramosh rises south of Malubiting to approximately 7,397 meters.

It is one of the most topographically prominent mountains in the Karakoram and has Malubiting as its nearest higher neighbor.

Its dramatic position above the Indus Valley gives it enormous local relief.

Rakaposhi

Rakaposhi rises west of Malubiting to approximately 7,788 meters.

It is the highest summit of the Rakaposhi-Haramosh Mountains and is famous for its extraordinary rise above the Hunza and Nagar valleys.

Diran

Diran reaches approximately 7,266 meters northwest of Malubiting.

Its elegant pyramidal form contrasts with Malubiting’s broad multi-summited architecture.

Diran was first climbed in 1968 by an Austrian team that included Hanns Schell, who would later participate in Malubiting’s first ascent.

Miar Chhish

Miar Chhish rises west-northwest of Malubiting and reaches approximately 6,824 meters.

Although lower than the major 7,000-meter summits surrounding it, its substantial prominence makes it a distinct mountain rather than merely a subsidiary peak of Malubiting.

💡 Interesting Facts About Malubiting

Malubiting is currently listed at 7,458 meters, although older expedition reports used elevations as high as approximately 7,549 meters.

The mountain has 2,193 meters of prominence, making it an ultra-prominent peak.

Its true topographic isolation is approximately 36.57 kilometers.

Malubiting currently ranks around 56th among the world’s independent mountains above 7,200 meters in Peakbagger’s system.

The main summit is known as Malubiting West.

Malubiting East was first climbed in 1959 by A. J. Imrie and Pakistani climber Jawed Akhter.

A British expedition suffered a fatal accident on the mountain in 1968 when Brian Ripley fell after being struck by unstable rock.

Polish climbers discovered the key route through Polan La in 1969.

A German expedition attempting Malubiting in 1970 lost Bernd Melzer in an avalanche.

Kurt Pirker, Hanns Schell, Horst Schindlbacher, and Hilmar Sturm made the first ascent on August 23, 1971.

The first-ascent team used short skis while crossing parts of the enormous upper snow plateau.

Malubiting’s second known ascent did not occur until 1997.

Roland Brändli and Matthias Dischinger completed that ascent while following essentially the original route.

Only two successful ascents of Malubiting’s main summit are documented in the principal published climbing records.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How high is Malubiting?

Malubiting reaches approximately 7,458 meters (24,469 feet) above sea level.

Why do some sources list Malubiting as 7,549 meters?

Historical expedition reports used several different elevations because early maps and surveying methods were less precise. Modern topographic databases generally use 7,458 meters.

Where is Malubiting?

Malubiting is located in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, within the Rakaposhi-Haramosh Mountains of the Karakoram.

Is Malubiting an ultra-prominent mountain?

Yes. Its approximately 2,193 meters of prominence exceeds the 1,500-meter threshold required for classification as an ultra.

Who first climbed Malubiting?

Kurt Pirker, Hanns Schell, Horst Schindlbacher, and Hilmar Sturm reached the main summit on August 23, 1971.

What route did the first ascent use?

The expedition approached from the Chogo Lungma Glacier, climbed through Polan La, passed the Malubiting North area, crossed the upper plateau, and followed the northeast ridge to the main western summit.

What is Malubiting West?

Malubiting West is the approximately 7,458-meter main summit of the massif.

Has Malubiting East been climbed?

Yes. A. J. Imrie and Jawed Akhter made the first ascent of Malubiting East in 1959.

How many times has Malubiting been climbed?

Major published mountaineering records document only two successful ascents of the main summit: the first in 1971 and the second in 1997.

Who made the second ascent?

Roland Brändli and Matthias Dischinger reached the summit during a small Swiss-German expedition in August 1997.

What is Polan La?

Polan La is a high pass discovered and named by Polish climbers during their 1969 Malubiting expedition. It became an essential part of the successful first-ascent route.

Did climbers really use skis on Malubiting?

Yes. Both the 1971 first-ascent expedition and the 1997 expedition used short skis on portions of the broad upper snowfields.

What is Malubiting’s nearest higher neighbor?

Modern Peakbagger data identifies Kunyang Chhish South as the nearest higher neighbor.

What mountains are near Malubiting?

Nearby major peaks include Spantik, Haramosh Peak, Rakaposhi, and Diran.

Is Malubiting part of the Himalayas?

No. Malubiting belongs to the Karakoram, specifically the Rakaposhi-Haramosh Mountains.

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