Gasherbrum II

Gasherbrum II is located on the border of Gilgit–Baltistan, Pakistan, and Xinjiang, China. It is part of the Karakoram mountain range in the Himalayas, and located at the top of the Baltoro Glacier.{{cite web|last=Seyfferth|first=Guenter|title=Die Berge des Himalaya|url=http://www.himalaya-info.org/Map%20karakorum_baltoro.htm|language=de|publisher=himalaya-info.org|access-date=11 March 2013|date=5 March 2013}} With an elevation of {{convert|8034|m|ft}} it is the third-highest member of the Gasherbrum group, behind Gasherbrum I ({{convert|8080|m|ft|disp=or}}){{cite peakbagger|pid=10527|title=Gasherbrum I, China/Pakistan|access-date=30 March 2013}} and Broad Peak ({{convert|8051|m|ft|disp=or}}).{{cite peakbagger|pid=10519|title=Broad Peak, China/Pakistan|access-date=30 March 2013}} Gasherbrum III is sometimes considered to be a subpeak of Gasherbrum II,{{sfn|Dyhrenfurth|2011|p=199}} because the former has a topographic prominence of only {{convert|461|m|ft}}.{{cite peakbagger|pid=10523|name=Gasherbrum III|access-date=24 March 2013}}

In 1856, Thomas George Montgomerie, a member of the British Royal Engineers and part of the Great Trigonometric Survey, sighted the mountain and named it "K4", meaning the fourth mountain of Karakoram.{{cite web|last=Green|first=Stewart|title=Gasherbrum II: 13th Highest Mountain in the World|url=http://climbing.about.com/od/8000metermountains/a/GasherbrumIIFac.htm|publisher=About.com|access-date=10 March 2013|archive-date=22 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150922162651/http://climbing.about.com/od/8000metermountains/a/GasherbrumIIFac.htm|url-status=dead}} The name "Gasherbrum" comes from the Balti words rgasha ("beautiful") and brum ("mountain"). Contrary to popular belief, it does not mean "shining wall", which is how Sir William Martin Conway described nearby Gasherbrum IV on an 1892 exploration.{{cite summitpost|id=152035|name=Gasherbrum I|accessdate=9 March 2013}}{{cite web|title=Gasherbrum IV Photo Gallery Home|url=http://www.mountainsoftravelphotos.com/Gasherbrum%20IV/Main.html|publisher=Mountains of Travel Photos|access-date=10 March 2013|date=June 2011}}{{sfn|Dyhrenfurth|2011|p=187}}

The mountains of the Gasherbrum group were explored in 1909 by the Duke of the Abruzzi and Vittorio Sella. The Abruzzi Glacier, a tributary of the Baltoro Glacier, is named after the Duke.{{cite book|last1=Filippi|first1=Filippo de|last2=di Savoia|first2=Luigi Amedeo|author-link2=Prince Luigi Amedeo, Duke of the Abruzzi|title=Karakoram and Western Himalaya 1909: An Account of the Expedition of H.R.H. Prince Luigi Amadeo of Savoy, Duke of the Abruzzi|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qmIxAQAAMAAJ|access-date=27 March 2013|year=1912|publisher=E. P. Dutton|location=New York}}{{sfn|Messner|1999|p=128}}

In 1934, Günter Dyhrenfurth and his International Himalayan Expedition, including André Roch, explored Gasherbrum I and II, making it {{convert|6250|m|ft}} up Gasherbrum II.{{sfn|Messner|1999|p=128}}{{sfn|Dyhrenfurth|2011|p=198}}

The first ascent came on July 7, 1956, by Austrians Fritz Moravec, Josef Larch and Hans Willenpart by the Southwest Ridge. After they set up Camp I, they had to descend, and found the camp—and all their supplies and food—buried by an avalanche when they returned. Despite this, they decided to make a quick summit attempt. After opening up a route, they left Camp III on July 6. The group spent the night in a bivouac sack and reached the top at 11:30 am the next day.{{sfn|Messner|1999|p=128}}{{cite web|title=Gasherbrum II Photo Gallery Home|url=http://www.mountainsoftravelphotos.com/Gasherbrum%20II/Main.html|publisher=Mountains of Travel Photos|access-date=27 March 2013|date=June 2011}}Isserman, pp. 327–328

In 1975, four expeditions successfully climbed Gasherbrum II, including Jean-Pierre Fresafond's French expedition, a Polish group under Janusz Onyszkiewicz, and another Polish expedition led by Wanda Rutkiewicz.{{sfn|Messner|1999|p=128}}

Four years later, a Chilean group claimed to have used the "normal" route to reach the top. Several others, including Reinhard Karl, Hanns Schell, and Kurt Diemberger also reached the summit.{{sfn|Messner|1999|p=128}}

Swiss Mountaineers Romolo Nottaris and Tiziano Zünd were the first to reach the summit in alpine style on August 3, 1981.

On July 24, 1982, Reinhold Messner, along with Nazir Sabir and Sher Khan, climbed the peak via the Southwest Ridge.{{sfn|Messner|1999|p=128}}{{cite news|last=Hussain|first=Manzoor|title=Nazir Sabir - The Mountaineer and A Fighter|url=http://www.pakistaneconomist.com/issue2000/issue26/etc3.htm|access-date=15 March 2013|newspaper=Pakistan & Gulf Economist|date=July 2, 2000|archive-date=7 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107013542/http://www.pakistaneconomist.com/issue2000/issue26/etc3.htm|url-status=dead}} During the ascent, Messner discovered the body of a previously missing Austrian mountaineer, whom he buried two years later at the G I – G II crossing.Messner, Reinhold (2002). Überlebt – Alle 14 Achttausender mit Chronik BLV, Munich. He wrote of his climb of Gasherbrum II in the book 3 x 8000: My Great Year in the Himalaya ({{langx|de|3 x 8000: Mein grosses Himalaja-Jahr}}).{{cite web|last=Chessler|first=Michael|title=Who is Reinhold Messner?|url=http://www.traditionalmountaineering.org/Faq_Messner.htm|publisher=Traditional Mountaineering|access-date=30 March 2013}}

In July 1984, Reinhold Messner and Hans Kammerlander reached both Gasherbrum II and Gasherbrum I without returning to base camp, in alpine style.

In August 1984, a French expedition led by Daniel Croisot, reached the summit and achieved the integral first descent by ski of Gasherbrum II, as witnessed and joined by Dominique Dock who was medical officer for the expedition. Patrice Bournat and Wim Pasquier skied the southwest ridge to Base Camp from {{cvt|7,500|m}}.{{Cite aaj |last=Croisot |first=Daniel |year=1985 |title=Asia, Pakistan, Gasherbrum II Attempt |article_id=12198531102|volume=27|issue=59|page=311|access-date=2024-06-14}}

In August 1986, Gasherbrum II was successfully ascended by a Slovene expedition in only 32 hours from the base to the peak, with only 22 hours of climbing and 10 hours of rest at the altitude of 5900 m. This was by far the fastest ascent until then.{{cite news |url=http://www.delo.si/zgodbe/sobotnapriloga/gaserbrum-najnizji-med-stirinajstimi-najvisjimi-vrhovi-sveta.html |language=sl |first=Viki |last=Grošelj |title=Gašerbrum, najnižji med štirinajstimi najvišjimi vrhovi sveta |trans-title=Gasherbrum: The Lowest Among the Fourteen Highest Peaks of the World |date=17 November 2012 |newspaper=Delo.si |issn=0350-7521}}

In July 1996, Jean-Christophe Lafaille climbed Gasherbrum I and II in four days, without stopping at Base Camp in between.{{cite aaj|title=Asia, Pakistan, Gasherbrum I and Gasherbrum II, Enchainment|article_id=12199732902|volume=39|issue=71|page=329|links=off|access-date=2025-05-15}}{{cite book|author=American Alpine Club|author-link=American Alpine Club|title=1997 American Alpine Journal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FattUWiYu80C&pg=PA329|access-date=10 March 2013|year=1997|publisher=The Mountaineers Books|isbn=978-1-933056-44-9|issn=0065-6925|page=329}}

In 1997 Anatoli Boukreev achieved a solo speed ascent, camp ABC (5800 metres) to summit in 9 hours 30 min.{{citation needed|date=April 2019}}

In 2006, Sebastian Haag and Benedikt Böhm climbed Gasherbrum II twice within a week. At 8:00 am on July 29, they reached the top and then skied down without abseiling or removing their skis. They rested for a few days before leaving Camp I again on August 3. They started out fast, reaching Camp IV in six hours, but {{convert|50|cm|in|}} of fresh snow slowed them down, and they reached the summit after over six hours of tough climbing. They descended on skis again, this time made even more dangerous by packed-down snow and the risk of avalanche. Despite this, they both made it safely back to Camp I in under 17 hours, whereas a normal expedition takes four to seven days.

Karl Unterkircher and Daniele Bernasconi, two Italians, climbed Gasherbrum II in 2007 in alpine style. They were the first to use the North Face through China. The route had been attempted a year earlier by a German–Swiss team, but they abandoned it after an avalanche. During the attempt they fixed around {{convert|1200|m|ft}} of rope. They arrived at the summit around 8:00 pm on July 20, after spending the night in a bivouac shelter. A third member, Michele Compagnoni, grandson of Achille Compagnoni, turned back just {{convert|150|m|ft}} before the summit. The team reunited and descended down the normal, northwest route.

On July 22, 2011, Leila Esfandyari successfully completed the ascent to the peak but she died while descending.

On February 2, 2011, Cory Richards, Denis Urubko, and Simone Moro made the first winter ascent of Gasherbrum II. Despite being buried by a class-four avalanche, they reached the summit at 11:30 am, without supplemental oxygen or porters. Richards, who was the first American to climb an eight-thousander in winter, filmed the expedition, which he turned into the film Cold.

On July 16, 2018, Felix Berg and Adam Bielecki summited Gasherbrum II making what is arguably the first ascent of the true West Face.{{Cite news|url=https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2018/07/adam_bielecki_and_felix_berg_make_first_ascent_of_gasherbrum_ii_west_face-71650|title=NEWS: Adam Bielecki and Felix Berg make First Ascent of Gasherbrum II West Face|access-date=2018-10-14|language=en}}

In 2021, two French ski teams, including Boris Langenstein, Tiphaine Duperier, Aurelia Lanoe, and Guillaume Pierrel successfully skied Gasherbrum.{{Cite web |last=Benavides |first=Angela |date=2021-07-11 |title=Two French Ski Teams Summit Gasherbrum II and Diran Peak |url=https://explorersweb.com/two-french-ski-teams-summit-gasherbrum-ii-and-diran-peak/ |access-date=2024-06-14 |website=Explorersweb}} On July 18, 2023, Hugo Ayaviri climbed Gasherbrum II without oxygen, the fourth 8000’er in his quest to be the first Bolivian to summit all fourteen 8000m peaks.{{Cite news|url=https://eju.tv/2023/07/ayaviri-conquista-su-cuarta-montana-el-gasherbrum-ii/|title=Ayaviri conquista su cuarta montaña: el Gasherbrum II|access-date=2023-07-19|language=es}}

On July 19, 2023, Andrzej Bargiel made the highest descent from Gasherbrum II on skis. He summitted the mountain without using supplemental oxygen and began his ski descent from 26,362 feet up, over 8,000m.{{Cite web |last=Close |first=Greta |date=2023-07-26 |title=Skiing Amongst Lions: Andrzej Bargiel's Gasherbrum II Descent |url=https://backcountrymagazine.com/stories/skiing-amongst-lions-andrzej-bargiels-gasherbrum-ii-descent/ |access-date=2024-06-14 |website=Backcountry Magazine |language=en-US}}

{{Portal|Mountains|Pakistan|China}}

• List of deaths on Gasherbrum II
• List of highest mountains

• {{cite book

| last = Dyhrenfurth | first = G. O. | author-link = Günter Dyhrenfurth

| title = To the Third Pole

| orig-year = 1955 | year = 2011

| publisher = London

| isbn = 978-1-4465-4447-1

| url = https://archive.org/details/tothethirdpole029954mbp

| access-date = 28 March 2013

}}

• {{cite book

| last1=Isserman|first1=Maurice|author-link1=Maurice Isserman

| last2=Weaver | first2=Stewart Angas

| title=Fallen Giants: A History of Himalayan Mountaineering from the Age of Empire to the Age of Extremes

| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JgEKGGYEpZIC&pg=PA327

| publisher=Yale University Press | isbn=978-0-300-16420-6 | year=2010

| access-date=27 March 2013}}

• {{cite book

|last = Messner

|first = Reinhold

|author-link = Reinhold Messner

|title = All 14 Eight-Thousanders

|year = 1999

|publisher = The Mountaineers Books

|url = http://www.mountaineersbooks.org/All-Fourteen-Eight-Thousanders-P936.aspx

|access-date = 24 January 2014

|isbn = 978-0-89886-660-5

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140204001156/http://www.mountaineersbooks.org/All-Fourteen-Eight-Thousanders-P936.aspx

|archive-date = 4 February 2014

|url-status = dead

}}

{{Reflist|3|refs=

{{cite aaj | title = Gasherbrum II and Hidden Peak Traverse | article_id = 12198531101 | department = Climbs and Expeditions

| year = 1985 | volume = 27 | issue = 59 | page = 311 | access-date=2025-05-15}}

{{cite news|last=Cahall|first=Fitz|title=Climber Cory Richards

| url=http://adventure.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/adventurers-of-the-year/2012/cory-richards/

| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111113183201/http://adventure.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/adventurers-of-the-year/2012/cory-richards

| url-status=dead

| archive-date=November 13, 2011

| newspaper=National Geographic Adventure

| access-date=10 March 2013}}

{{cite web | url=http://www.everestnews.com/pak2006/germang208252006.htm

| last=Winter | first=Stefan | title=Germans summit G2 and then ski down: great pictures!

| publisher=EverestNews.com | year = 2006

| access-date=16 March 2013}}

{{cite web

|url = http://www.manaslu.baiern.net/docs/Medienmitteilung_Dynafit_Gore_GII_english.pdf

|title = Cool: Speed climb and successful ski down Gasherbrum ll

|publisher = Expedition Manaslu

|access-date = 16 March 2013

|url-status = dead

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121207185439/http://www.manaslu.baiern.net/docs/Medienmitteilung_Dynafit_Gore_GII_english.pdf

|archive-date = 7 December 2012

}}

{{cite news|last=Griffin|first=Linsay|title=Italians climb Chinese face of Gasherbrum II

| url=http://www.alpinist.com/doc/ALP20/newswire-italians-climb-gash-chinese

| newspaper=Alpinist

| date=30 July 2007 | access-date=15 March 2013}}

{{cite news|last=MacDonald|first=Dougald|title=Italians Climb G-II's North Face

| url=http://www.climbing.com/news/italians-climb-g-iis-north-face/

| newspaper=Climbing

| access-date=24 January 2014}}

{{cite news | last=MacDonald|first=Dougald|title=First Winter Ascent of Gasherbrum II

| url=http://www.climbing.com/news/first-winter-ascent-of-gasherbrum-ii/

| newspaper=Climbing

| date= 2 February 2011 | access-date=10 March 2013}}

{{cite web | url=http://peaklist.org/WWlists/ultras/karakoram.html

| title=Karakoram and India/Pakistan Himalayas Ultra-Prominences

| publisher=peaklist.org | date=20 March 2011 |access-date=2013-03-09}}

{{cite web

| url=http://www.cknp.org/cms/treks-valleys/trekking-routes/highest-peaks/

| title=Trekking Routes - Highest peaks

| website=cknp.org

| access-date=2014-08-24

| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191009122555/http://www.cknp.org/cms/treks-valleys/trekking-routes/highest-peaks/

| archive-date=2019-10-09

| url-status=dead

}}

{{cite peakware|id=626 | name=Gasherbrum II |accessdate=2014-08-24}}

{{cite peakbagger|pid=10525|name=Gasherbrum II|access-date=9 March 2013}}

}}

{{refbegin}}

• {{cite book

| last = Moravec

| first = Fritz

| author-link = Fritz Moravec

| title = Weiße Berge, schwarze Menschen

| year = 1958

| publisher = Österreichischer Bundesverlag

| location = Vienna

| language = de

}}

• {{cite book

| last = Soriano

| first = Rosa Real

| title = Gasherbrum II: Expedición "Cinc Segles" de la Universitat de Valčncia

| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=PXzaWAm3Cr8C

| year = 2001

| publisher = University of Valencia

| language = es

| isbn = 978-84-370-4938-0

}}

{{refend}}

{{Commons}}

• [http://www.himalaya-info.org/Map%20karakorum_baltoro.htm Gasherbrum II on Himalaya-Info.org (German)]
• [http://www.summitpost.org/gasherbrum-ii/153264 Gasherbrum II on Summitpost]
• [http://previous.cmc.org/cmc/rpt/g2.html Gasherbrum II: A Journey to 26,360 Feet in the Karakoram] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205172535/http://previous.cmc.org/cmc/rpt/g2.html |date=December 5, 2008 }}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080529094033/http://www.k2climb.net/news.php?id=15143 Gasherbrum II-express debrief: The first German ski descent of G2; a 17-hour round trip]
• {{IMDb title|id=tt2093084|title=Cold}}
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uDH6jYazeo Cold on YouTube]

{{Eight-thousander}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gasherbrum Ii}}

Category:Eight-thousanders of the Karakoram

Category:Mountains of Gilgit-Baltistan

Category:Mountains of Xinjiang

Category:China–Pakistan border

Category:International mountains of Asia