Duke of Abruzzi’s Karakoram Expedition of 1909

Prince Luigi Amedeo, Duke of the Abruzzi was an Italian Explorer and Mountaineer. He was from the Roual families of Italy and Spain and was a cousin of the Italian King.

The son of King Amadeus of Spain (who was also the Duke d’Aosta in Italy), Abruzzi was the first to ascend Mount St. Elias in Alaska (1897). His 1899 Arctic expedition reached latitude 86°34′ N—a record for the time. In 1906 he was the first to scale the highest summits of the Ruwenzori Range in east-central Africa. His expedition investigated the geology, topography, and glaciology of the range; it mapped the range and named its major peaks, passes, and glaciers. In 1909 Abruzzi climbed the world’s second highest mountain, K2, in the Himalayas, to a height of more than 20,000 feet (6,000 m).

In 1909 the Duke of Abruzzi as he was mostly known as set out on an Expedition to climb K2 and accompanying him was the ace photographer Vittorio Sella. Both these Men were pioneers in their fields.

In the said Expedition they reached a maximum height of 6250 m. The standard Route up the Peak goes over a feature now named in his memory as Abruzzi's spur. They tried to go for the Chogolisa as well but couldnt reach the summit but anyways set the World Record for the Highest Altitude achieved in a Mountaineering Expedition.

And now we have come across this Video of that Expedition from an unknown source. Though it says going up the Sind Valley but thats wrong. The Video starts with the Expedition reaching Srinagar via the Cart Road. Next we see vistas of Srinagar on the banks of the Dal Lake and the Jehlum I assume. We can see what appears to be a busy Market and a hustle bustle of Shikaras.

Next it shows the Expedition crossing the Indus River somewhere around Skardu I guess. They then go upto Shigar and then the Braldu Valley. They cross the Braldu River and go across the Burji La. And after that up the Skoro La and down.

They cross the Morraines of the Baltoro Glacier and finally arrive on the Glacier. Then we can see the Chogolisa (It was called the Bride’s Peak at that time by the Europeans). And finally we see the ethereal K2 in all its Glory.

This Video is worth its weight in Gold.