Mortenson

Uli Biaho

Today, I'm in downtown Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The minarets of the many mosques here remind me that I am back in a Islamic country, similar to Pakistan. Islam came to Malaysia in the fourteenth century and remains the predominant religion. Today there are over one billion Muslims worldwide, spread out over a vast area from Morocco to Malaysia.

The twin colossal Petronas Towers (450 meters high) are visible out my window. A local taxi driver told me they are currently the tallest buildings in the world. But the skyscrapers pale in height to Uli Biaho (about 2,000 meters high) in the Karakorams. In a twisted way, looking at the skyscrapers reminds me of sitting at Concordia camp in the heart of the Baltoro Glacier gazing at the immense spires and peaks above.

"In a twisted way, looking at the skyscrapers reminds me of sitting at Concordia camp...gazing at the immense spires and peaks above..."

The Karakorams are a fascinating, and relatively unknown, region. What really makes for an adventure there, besides exploring the wild peaks and inhospitable terrain, is the ethnic diversity, multiculturalism, geology, history and lore.

I'll sign off with the words of my late father-in-law, Barry Bishop, whenever he started a new journey: "And Away We Go!"

Note: Barry Bishop was a National Geographic photographer and editor who covered the 1963 American Everest Expedition. His summit photos and extensive coverage of the expedition brought the world of high Himalayan climbs and adventure to the general public. Barry's son, Brent Bishop, summited Everest in 1994 and is currently climbing Gasherbrum II in the Karakorams.

— Greg Mortenson, MountainZone.com Correspondent