Kuh-e Bandaka
Encyclopedia
Kuh-e Bandaka is one of the highest peaks of the Hindu Kush
mountain range
in northeastern Afghanistan
. It is northeast of Kabul
and west of Chitral
. Separated by a relatively low pass from the core of the Hindu Kush, it is the highest mountain entirely within Afghanistan, and the most topographically prominent
peak in all of Afghanistan.
On September 22, 1960, the second German
expedition to visit the Hindu Kush made the
first ascent of Kuh-e Bandaka. The members of the expedition were Wolfgang von Hansemann, Dietrich Hasse, Siegbert Heine, and Johannes Winkler, all from West Berlin
; all attained the summit. They made four camps, with their base camp in the Dare-Sachi Valley at an altitude of 4100 m (13,451 ft). The expedition also made multiple first ascents in the Pagar Valley of the Hindu Kush, and made meteorological and geological observations and sketch maps.
There have been over fifteen subsequent ascents, via a variety of routes; however there have been no recorded ascents since 1977.
Hindu Kush
The Hindu Kush is an mountain range that stretches between central Afghanistan and northern Pakistan. The highest point in the Hindu Kush is Tirich Mir in the Chitral region of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.It is the westernmost extension of the Pamir Mountains, the Karakoram Range, and is a...
mountain range
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
in northeastern Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. It is northeast of Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
and west of Chitral
Chitral
Chitral or Chetrar , translated as field in the native language Khowar, is the capital of the Chitral District, situated on the western bank of the Kunar River , in Pakistan. The town is at the foot of Tirich Mir, the highest peak of the Hindu Kush, high...
. Separated by a relatively low pass from the core of the Hindu Kush, it is the highest mountain entirely within Afghanistan, and the most topographically prominent
Topographic prominence
In topography, prominence, also known as autonomous height, relative height, shoulder drop , or prime factor , categorizes the height of the mountain's or hill's summit by the elevation between it and the lowest contour line encircling it and no higher summit...
peak in all of Afghanistan.
On September 22, 1960, the second German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
expedition to visit the Hindu Kush made the
first ascent of Kuh-e Bandaka. The members of the expedition were Wolfgang von Hansemann, Dietrich Hasse, Siegbert Heine, and Johannes Winkler, all from West Berlin
West Berlin
West Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945...
; all attained the summit. They made four camps, with their base camp in the Dare-Sachi Valley at an altitude of 4100 m (13,451 ft). The expedition also made multiple first ascents in the Pagar Valley of the Hindu Kush, and made meteorological and geological observations and sketch maps.
There have been over fifteen subsequent ascents, via a variety of routes; however there have been no recorded ascents since 1977.