Shipton’s Arch
Shipton’s Arch is the tallest natural arch in the world at a towering 500 meters high and 100 meters wide. A small airplane could pass through! It is one of the least known top twenty natural wonders of the world. It was first documented after a visit in 1947 by the English mountaineer Eric Shipton while he was traveling between Tashkent and Kashgar. He made the arch known to the West in his book “Mountains of Tartary”.
Shipton’s Arch
The Guinness Book of World Records had Shipton’s Arch as the highest natural arch in the world. This highest natural arch was a sandstone arch 40 km west-southwest of K’ashih, Sinkiang, China., It was estimated in 1947 to be nearly 305 metres tall, with a span of about 46 metres. The listing was later dropped when Guinness editors could not locate the 1947 reference and also visited the area and couldn’t find the arch.
It stayed forgotten for many years due to its remote, inaccessible location within the Kara Tagh (Black Mountain) range. It was only as recently as May 2000 that an expedition sponsored by National Geographic rediscovered the arch marking its position so that foreigners can now find it. It’s actual location is west-northwest of Kashgar. It is known as Tushuk Tagh or Tushuk Tash “Pierced Rock” by locals. It is reported that the arch is not sandstone but a very crumbly conglomerate.
We can organize half day tours or overnight stays at Shipton’s Arch from Kashgar. The journey involves a couple of hours on the road and off – road driving on the river bed. Ladders have been placed by locals to make the scramble to the base of the arch easier. Paying an entrance fee is required by locals who placed the ladders. If you refuse to pay, they will remove the ladders. This makes it nearly impossible to climb. Therefore, it is advisable to pay the fee and use the ladders.
Shipton’s Arch
“This arch far exceeded all my expectations. It is quite simply breathtaking when the arch comes into view at the summit of your uphill scramble. It is well worth the climb. Due to its extreme remoteness, the absolute silence can be overwhelming. .”
Janina Henly Wales UK, March 2009.
