Gasherbrum I (11th highest peak of the world)

Gasherbrum I is the 11th highest peak of the world. It is located in Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan. It lies on the Pakistan-China border. Gasherbrum I peak is also known as “Hidden Peak” or “K5”. It is Pakistan’s 3rd highest peak. It is at the elevation of 8,080 m (26,509 ft).It’s Prominence is 2,155 m (7,070 ft). It has coordinates : 35°43′28″N 76°41′47″E / 35.72444°N 76.69639°ECoordinates: 35°43′28″N 76°41′47″E / 35.72444°N 76.69639°E. Gasherbrum I is located in Karakoram range.

 

Gasherbrum is often claimed to mean "Shining Wall. It comes from "rgasha" (beautiful) + "brum" (mountain) in Balti which means "beautiful mountain." There are six Gasherbrum Peaks. The reference is may be due to the highly visible face of the neighboring peak Gasherbrum IV.

 

Gasherbrum I is listed in eight-thou sanders ultra. The eight-thou sanders are the fourteen independent mountains on Earth that are more than 8,000 metres (26,247 ft) high above sea level. They are all located in the Himalayan and Karakoram mountain ranges in Asia. Gasherbrum I is part of the Gasherbrum massif, located in the Karakoram region of the Himalaya. It is one of the four 8,000m peaks located in a tight cluster on the upper reaches of the Baltoro glacier, the main access route to the mountains which cuts through the center of the Karakoram. Of the world's fourteen highest mountains, four are located within the Karakoram Range: K2, Gasherbrum I and II, and Broad Peak. There are six Gasherbrum Peaks., namely Gasherbrum I, Gasherbrum II, Gasherbrum III, Gasherbrum IV, Gasherbrum V and Gasherbrum V.Gasherbrum is a remote group of high peaks in the Karakoram, located at the northeast end of the 36-mile Baltoro glacier.

 

Gasherbrum I was designated K5 (meaning the 5th peak of the Karakoram) by T.G. Montgomery in 1856. He sighted a group of high peaks in the Karakoram from more than 200 km away. He named five of these peaks K1, K2, K3, K4 and K5 where the K denotes Karakoram. Today, K1 is known as Masherbrum, K3 as Broad Peak, and K4 as Gasherbrum II and K5 as Gasherbrum I. Only K2, the second highest mountain in the world, has kept Montgomery’s name. William Martin Conway provided the alternate name, Hidden Peak, in reference to its extreme remoteness.

Gasherbrum I was first climbed on July 5, 1958 by an eight-man American expedition led by Nicholas B Clinch. Pete Schoening and Andy Kauffman.were first to reach the summit.

 

The peak was also the venue of the world’s first 8,000 meter climb in pure Alpine Style. This means that the start of the climb is done from the bottom of the mountain and all gears are carried on the way, if any bivouacs, they will be found on the way Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler on 8 August 1975 summitted the peak and thus introduced pure Alpine style climbing to the Karokaram.

The most common way to climb the peak is to from the western side and all routes here leads to "The Japanese Couloir", which is located on top of the north-west face.

June to September is the normal climbing season. Gasherbrum I has never been climbed in the winter season due to  extreme cold, high avalanche risk, difficult logistics and deep snow.