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?
Yes, the conditions apply equally to both sides. There isn't really a Pakistani equivalent to the Sherpas in Nepal. The Pak Baltis act as porters, but they are unequipped for travel above snowline, often with no shoes, and because they do not and work at the altitudes that Sherpas do, they are not acclimatized in advance, even though they are the closest thing to natives in the region.
There are a couple Nepalese monasteries I know of above 14,000 feet, and possibly one at 17,000 feet, but I believe it has been abandoned. Humans just aren't comfortable living up that high and the avalanches are brutal.
I have no doubt that our soldiers would give it a try if ordered to ascend to extreme altitudes, and some of the climbing instructors no doubt already have 8,000 meter experience, but the question becomes just how effective they could be up there, willing or not.
If the bad guys want to operate in there, they can eke out a survival in the valleys, but I don't believe you'll find significant numbers up high, and probably not all that many in the valleys. I think the high altitude passes offer conduits for a few hardy souls, but not what I'd call operational areas.
To avoid the dangers posed by avalanche and high winds, and to lighten their loads, many expeditions forego tents and dig snow caves instead. This practice would probably defeat most sensors while the enemy was holed up, but other than that, the warmth of a human being would stand out real nice against all that cold snow.