Not sure if anyone's heard of them, but I did satellite support for a pair of brothers who climb 8,000 meter peaks named Adrian and Alan Burgess in 2001 for an expedition to one of the peaks shown in the maps above, named Rakaposhi. They took a shot at K2 via the NW ridge back in '88 I believe, but got shut down at about 24k by heavy snow and avalanche risk. They went around to the standard route up the Abruzzi Ridge and got up to 27k before being pinned down by bad weather and having to retreat. Their expedition leader stayed for another attempt and was killed along with six others when bad weather pinned them down so long they basically lost the ability to move and the will to live.
According to US military doctrine, mountainous terrain can be roughly divided into three main categories.
Category I represents the valleys and populated areas. Military operations in Cat-1 areas are usually channelized, resupply can be an issue and mobility is low to moderate. The surrounding terrain throws "support shadows", areas where artillery and other indirect fires cannot reach.
Category II represents the steep and often inaccessible slopes above the valleys. Mobility is extremely low. When accessible, there are resupply problems which may or may not offset the ability to rain fire down on the enemy in the Cat I areas.
Category III represents the ridgelines. While often inaccessible from Cat I and II areas, once access is gained, the ridgelines can often offer relatively good mobility and excellent fire support.
At and above about 19,000 feet, (about 6000 meters) the human body begins to die, regardless of acclimation. Appetite dwindles to zero, the expenditure of calories just to maintain basic body rhythms and internal warmth rises significantly, the body's ability to process and obtain oxygen is dramatically lowered, rest or sleep are often disturbed by Cheyne-Stokes breathing cycles (forgetting to breathe, trust me, not the way you want to wake up every five minutes, all night long), and recovery from even minor injuries is slow or even reversed.
Every major system of the human body breaks down at high altitude, and there are other, even more significant risks. High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE) strikes without warning, and can strike anyone, at anytime, above even the modest elevation of 8,000'. It makes no difference if you've knocked off Everest several times or haven't been off the couch for two decades. The lungs begin to fill with fluid and you basically drown in your own bodily fluids.
High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE) also strikes without warning, and is in no way selective about who it strikes. Cerebral fluid leaks across the membranes creating pressure on the brain, and disorientation, hallucinations, coma and eventually death are the result.
In many cases, even the terrain in Cat-1 areas, the valleys, is unforgiving. The temperatures at night can sink lower than 40 below zero. Daytime movement in glaciated areas poses three main dangers, avalanche, hidden crevasses, and movement of apartment building sized blocks of ice as the glacier surges downhill. Winds ranging from 100 to 150 miles per hour are not uncommon.
The bottom line is this. Military operations on either side are essentially impossible above 19,000 feet, and from 12k to 19k they are severely curtailed. During Operation Anaconda, our troops had troubles operating at the comparatively low altitudes of ten and eleven thousand feet. Rotary wing aircraft had severe restrictions placed on their use.
The use of any mountainous region in the Hindu Kush, the Karakoram, and the Kashmir regions, except Cat I areas is, for all intents and purposes other than a small team ascent, impossible. Adjust expectations accordingly.
With that said, doesn't all the same restrictions hold true for Al Qeade as well then - operating in those areas? - I mean UBL & Al Zawahiri can't be living continually up in those heights ....can they?
And if so, what are our options - I would still believe we have guys willing to go operate in those areas for short time periods....no?
Also what type of reconnaissance options do we have - I mean UBL can't be operating with very large numbers in that area - can he be -without reconnaissance having a chance at sighting a source?
Your post #152 and #154 were an interesting read.
I think that much of the concern about the far northern reaches of Kashmir, is more a concern about a possible linkage (or sanctuary, support, etc.) with China via the Khunjerab (Karakoram) Pass. It has a drivable road that enters China at "only" 16,200 feet.
Back in January, we had a conversation (here with more in #12) with poster "rogue yam", who related his (harrowing) bus trip in 1987 from China to Pakistan via this very same pass.
However likely or unlikely, clandestine Chinese collaboration with al-Qa'ida and Osama bin Laden may seem, the possibility can't be ignored.
--Boot Hill