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Ultar Peak
The
precariously dangerous Ultar Peak is another attraction for adventuring
mountaineers. With a height of about 7388 meters Ultar Peak has taken many lives
of mountaineers. Indeed, it portrays the most challenging of climbs which many
have tried and failed. It can be reached from Hunza, (Kareemabad) where
irrigation canals can be seen carrying the grey glacial water from the Ultar
stream and Glacier, descending from Ultar Peak, which towers dramatically above
the Baltit Fort. The runoff from its glacier is carefully directed into
centuries-old irrigation canals thus, forming a whole capillary system of them
for every shallow terrace.
The
glacial water from Ultar carries brightly reflecting mica and other minerals,
locally called "water flowers", which give the liquid a glittering life of its
own even as it quietly slips by in an irrigation canal miles away from the steep
'Ultar Nala'. Near Kareemabad and Baltit you can see Bubelimating ("Bubela's
Peak"), a granite pinnacle and next to it is the rounded Ultar Peak which
frustrated all climbers. The narrow gorge of Ultar conceals pastures and a
glacier that cannot be seen from the valley floor. The walk up Ultar's steep
nala can be an unforgettable experience. Nonetheless, Ultar seems to be a
peculiar crucible for the foreigners who approach it.