What can make a mountaineering expedition, an adventure one could never forget? If its done on the glaciers that are still craving to be explored. The Himalayan range offers some of the most rigorous mountaineering challenges one can ever come across. The glaciers of Ladakh and Kashmir regions can test one's survival to the fittest and most testing of them all is the Siachen glacier, known as the largest glacier outside the Polar Regions.

The Biafo glacier is located on the south-facing slopes of the Karakoram Range in the Baltistan area of Ladakh. It has a length of about 60-km and descends from a large glacial trough

The main stream originating from this glacier flows into the Shigar River, which in turn is a tributary of the Indus River. Small valley glaciers feed the main glacier at various points. There is virtually no vegetative cover in this tract.

Accessible
The Biafo glacier can be approached via Skardu in Ladakh.

The Siachen glacier lies in the extreme north-central part of Jammu and Kashmir near the border of India and Tibet. With a length of about 72-km, Siachen is known as the largest glacier in the world outside the Polar Regions. Located on the north-facing slopes of the Karakoram Range, Siachen feeds the Mutzgah or Shaksgam River that flows parallel to the Karakoram Range before entering into Tibet.

Large tributary glaciers like the Shelkar Chorten and Mamostang open into the main glacier from both sides of its trough. The trunk glacier and its tributaries are in the form of a vast ice field, particularly during the winter season when there is continuous snowfall for several weeks at a stretch.

A Mountain Of Ice
The Siachen glacier lies in a vast trough more than 2-km wide and the sides of the glacier are strewn with rocks and boulders. The central part of this glacier, however, is a vast snowfield.

Numerous icefalls have been formed at the junction of small valley glaciers and the trunk glacier. Lateral moraines occur at the confluence of larger tributary glaciers and the trunk glacier. The sidewalls of the glacial trough are steeply sloping and avalanches roll down these slopes quite often, particularly in winter.

This glacier encompasses a vast are in winter. There are virtually no signs of recession. This tract is more or less devoid of a vegetative cover due to its high elevation as well as its latitude. The bulk of the total annual precipitation is in the form of snow.

A Group Of Glaciers
To the east of the Siachen lies the Rimo glacier group, a group of three glaciers -- North, Central and South -- located at an altitude of between 6,000 and 7,000 m above sea level. Between them, these glaciers have almost 700 -sq-kms of ice, which at places is 100 m deep. Thus the Siachen glacier empire contains about 2,000-sq-kms of ice surface and almost 200 cubic kilometers of ice.

Accissible
The Siachen glacier can be approached via Skardu in Ladakh.

The Baltoro glacier is situated on the southern slopes of the central Karakoram Range in the Baltistan area of Jammu and Kashmir. The location of Boltoro is in a huge arena hemmed by high peaks.

A Surrounding Of Snow
This glacier gives rise to the Shigar River, which is a tributary of the Indus River. With a length of about 62-km, it is the second largest glacier in the great Himalayan range. Large tributary glaciers feed the main Baltoro glacier. These include a glacier from the southwestern slopes of the Gasherbrum peak and a tributary glacier from the northwestern slope of the Masherbrum peak, both in the Karakoram.

The trough of this glacier is very wide and its central part is a vast snowfield. Small valley glaciers form icefalls where they meet the trunk glacier. The sidewalls vary from very steep to precipitous. The Baltoro glacier has carved striations on the surrounding country rocks. Moving ice has formed depressions, which serve as basins for numerous glacial lakes.

Accissible
The Baltoro glacier can be approached via Skardu in Ladakh.

Situated on the southern slopes of the Karakoram Range in the Baltistan area of Ladakh is Hispar Glacier. A very large glacier feeding the main stream of the Shigar River, which in turn drains into the Indus River. The main glacier has a length of about 60-km and is the third largest glacier in the Himalayan region.

Numerous smaller glaciers join the main glacier on both sides of the amphitheater in which it is located. The central portion of this glacier is a vast snowfield while its sides contain debris eroded by the huge body of moving ice. The entire tract is completely lacking in vegetation of any kind.

Accissible
The Hispar glacier can be approached via Skardu in Ladakh.

The Nubra glacier is located on the southern slopes of the Karakoram Range in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir. It is a large glacier located in a huge amphitheater that is ringed by towering peaks.

This glacier gives rise to the Nubra River, which in turn flows, into the Shyok River. Large tributary glaciers open into the main glacier. These include valley glaciers from the northwestern slopes of the Sasser La massif and the southeastern slopes of the Karakoram Range.

Small glaciers in hanging valleys feed the Nubra glacier and they occur on all sides of the glacial amphitheater. The central part of this glacier takes the form of a vast snowfield. Lateral moraines are found along the flanks and at the junction of the tributary glaciers and the main glacier. No vegetation grows in this tract as it lies above the snow line.

Accissible
This glacier can be approached via Leh in Ladakh.