Laila Peak (6096 m) Karakoram Range, Pakistan

Laila Peak in Hushe Valley near Gondogoro Glacier is in Karakoram range and is 6096 m high. It has a distinctive spear-like shape. Its northwest face has a slope of 45 degrees in more than 1500 vertical meters. It has been climbed by Simon Yates, among others. According to the local people in Hushe, Laila peak has been climbed only twice, a total of only seven people have summited.

It was climbed in winter for the first time by Spanish mountaineers Alex Txikon and José Fernandez, in February 2013. The height of the Laila peak in Hushe Valley is controversial. Some believe it to be 6200 m whereas some mention it as 6614 m. In a Japanese mountaineering map by Tsuneo Miyamori (published in 2003), the height of Laila Peak is mentioned as 6096 metres. In the summer of 2005, the first ever ski attempts on Laila Peak were made by Fredrik Ericsson and Jörgen Aamot from Scandinavian countries. Although they could not reach the summit, they skied down the North-West face of the peak. They described it as "one of the most amazing mountains they have ever seen, like a needle it points straight up in the sky". The mountain lies in a restricted zone. The village of Hushe is the gateway to the mountain, in the Masherbrum Valley below but the Gondogoro and Chogolisa valleys are restricted. In order for non Pakistani citizens to visit these valleys a permit must be purchased from the Ministry of Tourism ($50 per person), and a licensed guide is required for the duration.

/Wikipedia.org/

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