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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.
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