A cluster of soaring peaks at the head of the Baltoro that includes two eight-thousanders — Gasherbrum I and Gasherbrum II — among the great prizes of Karakoram mountaineering.
Gasherbrum is not a single mountain but a massif — a connected group of high peaks at the far end of the Baltoro Glacier, straddling the Pakistan–China border. The name is usually translated as "shining wall", a fitting description for the gleaming faces that rise above the upper glacier. The group contains two of the world's fourteen eight-thousanders: Gasherbrum I at 8,080 metres (the eleventh highest mountain on Earth) and Gasherbrum II at 8,035 metres (the thirteenth highest), along with several lower but still formidable peaks.
Gasherbrum I is also historically known as Hidden Peak, because it is largely concealed from the lower Baltoro by surrounding summits. Together these two giants, with K2 and Broad Peak just to the north-west, make the head of the Baltoro one of the densest concentrations of extreme altitude anywhere on the planet.
Gasherbrum II was first climbed in 1956 by an Austrian expedition, and it has since become one of the more frequently attempted eight-thousanders, owing to a standard route that is non-technical by Karakoram standards. Gasherbrum I was first summited in 1958 by an American expedition — the only one of Pakistan's five eight-thousanders first climbed by Americans — and is generally regarded as the harder and more committing of the two.
Both peaks remain full-scale expeditions: weeks on the glacier, multiple high camps and real objective danger from altitude, crevasses and weather. A major mountaineering permit is required for any 8,000m peak in this zone; fees vary by peak and season — confirm current rates with operators in Skardu.
| Gasherbrum I | 8,080m — 11th highest; first climbed 1958. Also "Hidden Peak". |
| Gasherbrum II | 8,035m — 13th highest; first climbed 1956. |
| Range | Karakoram (Gasherbrum / Baltoro Muztagh) |
| Base camp access | Via Askole and the upper Baltoro Glacier |
The Gasherbrums sit at the very head of the Baltoro, so the classic way to see them is the long glacier walk to Concordia (4,600m) and beyond. From Concordia and from the Gasherbrum base camp area, the massif rises in a wall of shining faces — best reached on the same multi-week trek that visits K2 Base Camp. No technical climbing is needed to reach the trekking viewpoints, but the approach is remote, high and demanding.
The season is short: roughly June to August, when the Baltoro is passable and weather windows are most reliable. Outside that window the glacier becomes hostile.
Approach via the K2 Base Camp trek, see all treks, or plan a route with our trip planner. The neighbouring giants K2 and Broad Peak share the same approach.
Two: Gasherbrum I at 8,080 metres (the eleventh highest mountain on Earth) and Gasherbrum II at 8,035 metres (the thirteenth highest). The group also contains several lower peaks.
The name is usually translated as "shining wall", describing the gleaming faces that rise above the upper Baltoro Glacier.
Hidden Peak is another name for Gasherbrum I, so called because it is largely concealed from the lower Baltoro Glacier by surrounding summits.
Gasherbrum II was first summited in 1956 by an Austrian expedition, and Gasherbrum I in 1958 by an American expedition.
Yes. The trek to Concordia and the Gasherbrum base camp area, reached on the same route as the K2 Base Camp trek, brings you beneath the massif without any technical climbing.