Gasherbrum I
11th highest mountain, first climbed in 1958.
Gasherbrum I, originally surveyed as K5 and also known as Hidden Peak, is the 11th highest mountain in the world at 8,080 metres (26,510 ft) above sea level. It is located between Shigar District in the Gilgit–Baltistan region of Pakistan and Tashkurgan in the Xinjiang province of China. Gasherbrum I is part of the Gasherbrum Massif, located in the Karakoram range. The mountain was first climbed on July 5, 1958, by Pete Schoening and Andy Kauffman of an eight-man American expedition led by Nicholas B. Clinch, Richard K. Irvin, Tom Nevison, Tom McCormack, Bob Swift and Gil Roberts were also members of the team.
- Elevation
- 8,080 metres (26,510 ft)
- Location
- Between Shigar District (Gilgit–Baltistan, Pakistan) and Tashkurgan (Xinjiang, C
- Range
- Karakoram
- First ascent
- July 5, 1958, by Pete Schoening and Andy Kauffman
- First winter ascent
- March 9, 2012, by Adam Bielecki and Janusz Gołąb
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Gasherbrum I was designated K5 (meaning the 5th peak of the Karakoram) by T.G. Montgomerie in 1856 when he first spotted the peaks of the Karakoram from more than 200 km away during the Great Trigonometric Survey of India. In 1892, William Martin Conway provided the alternate name Hidden Peak, in reference to its extreme remoteness, due to which it remains hidden behind anterior peaks of the Gasherbrum group for most of the way along the Baltoro glacier. The name Gasherbrum is often claimed to mean 'Shining Wall', presumably a reference to the highly visible face of the neighboring peak Gasherbrum IV; but in fact, it comes from 'rgasha' (beautiful) + 'brum' (mountain) in Balti, hence it actually means 'beautiful mountain'.
Reader's Guide
Gasherbrum I holds significance as the 11th highest peak on Earth and a major objective in high-altitude mountaineering. Its first ascent in 1958 by an American team marked a milestone in Himalayan climbing. The mountain saw pioneering ascents, including Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler's 1975 alpine-style ascent via a new route (northwest route), the first on an 8000-metre peak without supplementary oxygen or fixed camps, taking three days in total. The first winter ascent on March 9, 2012, by Adam Bielecki and Janusz Gołąb (Poland) was done without the aid of supplementary oxygen. The peak has been the site of numerous new routes and tragic losses, including the 2012 disappearance of three climbers — Austrian Gerfried Göschl, Swiss Cedric Hählen and Pakistani Nisar Hussain Sadpara — who are considered to have been blown off by strong winds, and the 2013 deaths of Artur Hajzer (falling in the Japanese Couloir) and a Spanish team (Abel Alonso, Xebi Gomez, and Álvaro Paredes) who disappeared after a storm. Its legacy includes the 2017 alpine-style six-day ascent without supplementary oxygen by Czechs Marek 'Mára' Holeček and Zdeněk Hák, establishing a new route named 'Satisfaction!' (in memory of Zdeněk Hrubý) up the Southwest Face.
Did You Know?
- Gasherbrum I was originally designated K5 by T.G. Montgomerie in 1856 during the Great Trigonometric Survey of India.
- The name Gasherbrum actually means 'beautiful mountain' in Balti, from 'rgasha' (beautiful) and 'brum' (mountain).
- Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler's 1975 ascent was the first time an 8000-metre peak was climbed in pure alpine style, taking three days total.
- The first winter ascent on March 9, 2012, by Adam Bielecki and Janusz Gołąb was done without supplementary oxygen.
- In 1982, Sylvain Saudan performed the first ski descent from the top of an 8000-metre peak to base camp on Gasherbrum I.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Gasherbrum I?
Gasherbrum I, long catalogued under the survey name K5 and nicknamed the Hidden Peak, is the 11th-highest mountain on Earth, standing at 8,080 metres (26,510 ft). It belongs to the Gasherbrum Massif within the Karakoram range.
What are Gasherbrum I's powers/role?
Its defining trait is sheer vertical scale: at over 8,000 metres it sits among the very few peaks on the planet that breach that threshold. It also anchors the Gasherbrum Massif, a cluster of giants that collectively dominate the western Karakoram skyline.
Where does Gasherbrum I live?
The peak straddles the border between Shigar District in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, and Tashkurgan in China's Xinjiang province, making it a transboundary landmark in the high Karakoram.
How does Gasherbrum I's story end?
The mountain's first successful summit came on July 5, 1958, when Pete Schoening and Andy Kauffman reached the top as part of an eight-man American team led by Nicholas B. Clinch. A winter ascent followed much later, on March 9, 2012, by Adam Bielecki and Janusz Gołąb.
Why is Gasherbrum I important?
As the 11th-highest peak worldwide and the namesake giant of the Gasherbrum Massif, it is a benchmark of alpine climbing difficulty and a key reference point in Karakoram mountaineering history. Its position on the Pakistan-China border also makes it a notable geographic and surveying landmark.
More in Mountains And Mountain Ranges 1-24
Elsewhere in the Mountains And Mountain Ranges universe
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record