Karakoram

Lore & Background

The name Karakoram is a Turkic term meaning black gravel, originally applied by Central Asian traders to the Karakoram Pass. Early European travelers, including William Moorcroft and George Hayward, began using the term for the range west of the pass, though they also used the term Muztagh (meaning 'Ice Mountain'). In Sanskrit literature (the Puranas), the mountains were called Krishnagiri (black mountains). Explorations in the 1910s and 1920s established most of the geography of the region. The Karakoram is in one of the world's most geologically active areas, at the plate boundary between the Indo-Australian plate and the Eurasian plate. A significant part, between 28 and 50 percent, of the range is glaciated. Some recent studies reveal slight increase or stability in glacier mass in central and western Karakoram, termed the 'Karakoram Anomaly', contrasting with eastern Karakoram where glaciers are retreating.

Reader's Guide

The Karakoram range holds global significance as the second-highest mountain range on Earth and the most glaciated place outside the polar regions. Its four eight-thousanders, including K2, attract mountaineers and researchers, while its glaciers—such as the Siachen and Biafo—serve as indicators of climate change. The range's geological activity at the Indo-Australian and Eurasian plate boundary makes it a key site for studying tectonics. The Karakoram Anomaly, where some glaciers remain stable or advance despite global retreat, challenges assumptions about glacier response to warming. Historically, the Karakoram Pass was part of a trade route between Ladakh and Yarkand, and the range's name derives from Turkic traders. Cultural references appear in works like Rudyard Kipling's Kim and the film Karakoram. The Khunjerab Pass, the highest paved international border crossing, now links Pakistan and China via the Karakoram Highway.

Did You Know?

• The Karakoram contains four of the fourteen eight-thousanders: K2, Gasherbrum I, Broad Peak, and Gasherbrum II.
• The Siachen Glacier (76 km) and Biafo Glacier (63 km) are the second- and third-longest glaciers outside the polar regions.
• The name Karakoram is a Turkic term meaning black gravel, originally applied to the Karakoram Pass.