● JAPANESE ALPINE NEWS 2013
TATSUO
TIM
(TATSUO)
(TIM) INOUE
The FirstReceding
Ascent ofinLopchin
Feng (KG-2)
6,805m
Glaciers
Kangri Garpo,
Eastern
Tibet
Autumn 2009 Expedition
toChange
the Kangri
Garpo
Mountains, Tibet
The Climate
of the
AtaEast
Glacier
Ruoni 6,882 m, highest peak in Kangri Garpo (east face) – Unclimbed
Map-1 Climbing route to Lopchin Feng
Lopchin 6,805 m first climbed by ACKU & China joint party in 2009 (east face)
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The Ata Glacier
As the Fig-1 shows the two streams of the Ata Glacier, south and north tongues, we can see well
developed glaciers in the southeast Kangri Garpo Mountains. Heavy snowfall fosters and nourishes
four glaciers having two principal streams over the ridge sharing watershed.
The Lhagu Glacier has about 31 km length whereas the Ata Glacier has about 28 km length. The
south stream of the Ata Glacier has about 15 km length and the north stream has about 5 km length.
Such long glaciers are seen only in the Karakorum Range.
What we saw in the Ata Glacier
The global warming accelerating glacial retreat began to affect climbing in the Himalaya. On the
contrary, glaciers are growing in the Scandinavian Peninsula. Warming in winter takes place in high
altitude of the Himalaya, but warming in summer is not observed.
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Even warming climate of winter cannot melt ice in high altitude over 5,000 m where glaciers exist
and temperature is far below a freezing point. What is occurring on earth? Mountaineers observations
on the spot would hopefully contribute to provide specialists with valued information for scientific
research, analysis and elucidation.
We noticed the climate change in four times visits to the Ata Glacier in 2002, 2003, 2007 and 2009.
One change is shrinkage of the Ata Glacier. We had forecasted heavy snowfall in 2002, 2003 and
2007, and it actually happened. In 2009 there was no such heavy snowfall. At Deposit Camp (DPC)
4,400 m we had daily snowfall but no cumulative snow on the glacier. We put tents on bare ice.
Snow laid 130 cm on the glacier ice at Advance Base Camp (ABC) 4,600 m, around which unique
climatic conditions are seen. The south branch of the Ata Glacier flows into the lower valley of 2,50
m altitude. When warm and dump wind blows upwards in the south glacier, clouds are generated near
the ABC and it snows. But the DPC has the same conditions as the Camp 1 4,890 m. We could get
water on the glacier ice.
Hanging ice cornices on the flanks of the Three Sisters (KG-1 [Ruoni], KG-2 [Lopchin] and KG-3)
were felt to have shrunk in comparison with the past years. Supposedly climate is recently becoming
drier in southeast Tibet. I read a report of a ski party to the Ata Kang Ka in autumn of 2006 and 2008.
They enjoyed smooth down hill skiing on the glacier as the conditions were favorable in 2006. 2008
was different. The surging glacier was too bad to ski in 2008. A reconnaissance in 2007 resulted in no
ski expedition in 2009.
Map of Fig-2 shows Lusho Lake. Fig-3 is a current image of Google Earth on which three lakes of
Lusho are seen. Two additional lakes were born in a half century time.
What happed on the end of South Tongue of Ata Glacier? As we did not go to the Ata Qu, we are
unable to mention about how the glacier is receding. Here only a Google Earth image, Fig-4, of
viewing the south tongue snout of the Ata Glacier is attached. It is likely that dead ice or debris and
small lakes lie down in the valley and about 100 m depth of sinking glacier is visible. Approximately
3,400 m length of the tongue had already disappeared.
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10 Years Change of the Ata Glacier
Mr. Tamotsu (Tom) Nakamura provided a couple of pictures taken from the Hyona pass 4,450 m in
1999. I have pictures taken from the same pass in 2009. Fig-5 and Fig-6 are comparison of a decade
change of the glacier.
The three lakes of Lusho already existed in 1999. But the 2nd and 3rd lakes were smaller than those
in 2009. The north snout of the Ata Glacier touched down to the 2nd lake in 1999, but the end
moraine of the glacier snout had been formed in 2009. A part of the ice in the 2nd and3 rd lakes in
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1999 melted away in 2009. The depth of the Ata Glacier Tongue had become thin in 2009. I wonder
that the 4th lake would be born in future on the right (southern side moraine) bank of the glacier.
The Kangri Garpo Mountains is in the front between wet–warm air zone (Bay of Bengal) and dry–
cold zone (Southeast Tibet). Obviously the wet–warm air has recently been dominant and it would be
probable that the climate change had caused the front to be unstable.
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