Spantik or Golden Peak is a mountain in Spantik-Susbon Mountains sub-range of Karakorum. Its northwest face features an exceptionally hard climbing route known as the “Golden Pillar”. It lies east of Diran and northeast of Malubiting.
Spantik was first climbed in 1955 by Karl Kramer’s German expedition. The most commonly climbed line follows the south-east ridge, which was attempted by the Bullock Workman party in 1906. The ridge rises 2700 meters over a lateral distance of 7.6 km, at angles which are mostly less than 30 degrees, with a few sections up to 40 degrees. It contains varied terrain, from rocky outcrops to snow and ice and scree.
The mountain is very popular with organized commercial expeditions, due to its relative ease of ascent and scarcity of objective dangers. The short 3-day approach trek across straightforward terrain also provides for easy access and gradual acclimatization.
