Gasherbrum IV Expedition (7925 m)

Gasherbrum IV is the 17th highest mountain on earth and the 6th highest in Pakistan, and is one of the peaks in the Gasherbrum massif.The Gasherbrum’s are a remote group of peaks located at the northeastern end of the Baltoro glacier in the Karakoram Range. The massif contains three of the world’s 8,000 metre peaks (which includes Broad Peak). Gasherbrum is often claimed to mean “shining wall”, presumably a reference to the highly visible west face of Gasherbrum IV; but in fact, it comes from “rgasha” (beautiful) and “brum” (mountain) in Balti, hence it actually means “beautiful mountain”.

Gasherbrum also means “beautiful wall”. This refers to 3,050 m/10,000 ft pale limestone walls on the great trapeze shaped Gasherbrum IV peak. There are six Gasherbrum peaks in the Karakoram range. It was Captain Young and their party, which in 1889 discovered Gasherbrum glacier. It was in 1958 that a strong Italian expedition led by Riccardo Cassin climbed Gasherbrum IV 7925 m/ 26,000 ft through the north ridge, after overcoming great climbing difficulties. It was the mountaineers like Walter Bonatti and Carlo Mauri who successfully reached its summit.