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Gasherbrum

Gasherbrum is a remote group of peaks located at the northeastern end of the Baltoro Glacier in the Karakoram range of the Himalaya. The massif contains three of the world's 8,000 metre peaks. Gasherbrum means "shining wall" in the local language.

Peak metres feet Latitude (N) Longitude (E)
Gasherbrum I 8,068 26,470 35°43′ 76°42′
Broad Peak 8,047 26,400 35°48′35″ 76°34′25″
Gasherbrum II 8,035 26,360 35°45′ 76°39′
Gasherbrum III 7,952 26,089 35°44′ 76°38′
Gasherbrum IV 7,925 26,001 35°44′ 76°35′

In 1856, T.G. Montgomery, a British Royal Engineers lieutenant and a member of the Great Trigonometric Survey of India, 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, K4 as Gasherbrum II and K5 as Gasherbrum I. K2, the second highest mountain in the world has stuck as the main name.

Last updated: 05-15-2005 05:42:26