The Himalayas might be the highest Range in the World but when it comes to sheer perpendicularity nothing compares to the mighty Karakorams. Many people consider the Karakoram to be a part of the Himalayas but its not. Its a separate Range in its own right. It might be considered at a part of the Great Himalayan Complex of Mountains that radiate out of the Pamir Knot. In common parlance the term Karakoram is synonymous with its most famous Peak, the K2 or the Godwin Austen as it was once called. But other Peaks and parts of it are relatively unknown.

And surprisingly most people in India are unaware of the large slice of Karakorams which lies on the Indian side of the LoC as well on the Indian side with Tibet. Of course the fact that all of our Borders on the Karakoram are disputed and as such getting Permissions for exploring these Regions are far and in between though in recent years there have been some Expeditions in the Eastern Karakorams led by Divyesh Muni Sir and his Team.

And the Karakoram is not a Monolithic Range and its has a number of quite distinct Sub Ranges which could be Mountain Ranges in their own right. It should be remembered that the name “Karakoram” was first used by Europeans for the Baltoro Range of the Karakorams which stretches from the point where the Nubra meets the Shyok and Northwards all the way to the Siachen Glacier. Now typically the Karakorams stretch from the Aksai Chin in the North East to the Tibetan Plateau and then it is bounded by the Shyok, the Indus and the Gilgit River towards the West. 

Then there is the interesting Ladakh Range which runs between the Shyok and the Indus which run roughly parallel to each other for quite a length. As per some the Ladakh Range is a southern extension of the Karakoram while others consider the Shyok as the parting between the Great Himalayan Range and the Karakorams. So if we consider the first instance then even Leh lies in a part of the Karakoram Range. While as per others it lies in the Great Himalayan Range. The Britannica considers even the Pangong Range and the Chang Chenmo Ranges as parts of the Karakorams. Also the Kailash Range is considered a Southern extension of the Ladakh Range and so is the Deosai Range. The Mountains are complicated and especially the Karakorams.

Now as for the main Karakorams it has a number of sub Ranges and out of these 3 lie fully on the Indian side and a 4th lies partly on the Indian side. The Sasser Muztagh is the southernmost sub Range of the main Range and lies between the bend of the Shyok when it changes direction and heads in a Northern direction. The Shyok rises in the Rimo Muztagh which lies above the Sasser Muztagh.  The same trend is shown by the Nubra which also joins the Shyok and its at this point the Baltoro Sub Range starts which is partly on the Indian side. So the Sasser and the Baltoro Ranges are divided by the Nubra which rises in the Siachen Glacier. The Sasser La runs roughly between the Sasser Muztagh and the Rimo Muztagh. And in the extreme North along the Siachen Glacier runs the Siachen Muztagh. 

And all these Sub Ranges further have different Groups of Peaks within them which Ill try and list below as given in the Royal Geographic Society Map of the Karakoram from 1939 as below :

Sasser Muztagh : Main Peak Groups

Shyok Group

Kunzang Group

Arganglas Group

Shukpa Kunchang Group

Chhusku Group

Sasser Group

Rimo Muztagh : Main Peak Groups

Rimo Group

North Terong Group

South Terong Group

Kumdan Group

Shelkar Group

Siachen Muztagh : Main Peak Groups

Teram Kangri Group

Teram Shahr Group

Singhi Group

Kyagar Group

Main Peaks (Out of the 20 Highest Peaks in India 12 Lie in the Karakorams)

Saltoro Kangri 7742

Sasser Kangri I 7672

Mamostong Kangri 7516

Sasser Kangri II 7513

Sasser Kangri III 7495

Teram Kangri I 7462

K12 7428

Ghent Kangri 7401

Rimo I 7385

Apsarasas Kangri I 7243

Rimo III 7233

Leaving you with a Classic Royal Geographic Map of the Karakorams in 1939 and a Map with some marked lines and places circled for reference. The Yellow Line is the LOC / Border while the Purple line is the extent of the Karakorams in India. (As in De Facto)