Gasherbrum V
Encyclopedia
Gasherbrum V is an unclimbed mountain in the Gasherbrum
massif
, located in the Karakoram
range
of Gilgit-Baltistan territory (Pakistan
).
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
(if one includes Broad Peak). Gasherbrum is often claimed to mean "Shining Wall", presumably a reference to the highly visible face of Gasherbrum IV; but in fact it comes from "rgasha" (beautiful) + "brum" (mountain) in Balti, hence it actually means "beautiful mountain."
While the four highest Gasherbrum peaks (Gasherbrum I to IV) have been named and numbered since the 19th century, Gasherbrum V (as well as its neighbour Gasherbrum VI) were only considered as "Peaks on the south ridge of Gasherbrum IV". The Swiss Geologist and Himalayan expert Günter Oskar Dyhrenfurth recommended to give this independent mountain an own name and proposed in 1934 the name of "Gasherbrum V", which is now well established.
Gasherbrum V is one of the highest unclimbed mountains. Considering a prominence cut-off of 500m, it is the fifth highest unclimbed peak in the world and the highest unclimbed peak in Pakistan. With a prominence cut-off of 150m, Gasherbrum V is the 15th highest unclimbed peak in the world.
Gasherbrum
Gasherbrum is a remote group of peaks located at the northeastern end of the Baltoro Glacier in the Karakoram range of the Himalaya on the border of the Chinese Shaksgam Valley and the Gilgit-Baltistan territory of Pakistan. The massif contains three of the world's 8,000 metre peaks...
massif
Massif
In geology, a massif is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole...
, located in the Karakoram
Karakoram
The Karakoram, or Karakorum , is a large mountain range spanning the borders between Pakistan, India and China, located in the regions of Gilgit-Baltistan , Ladakh , and Xinjiang region,...
range
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
of Gilgit-Baltistan territory (Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
).
Location and Naming
The Gasherbrum massifGasherbrum
Gasherbrum is a remote group of peaks located at the northeastern end of the Baltoro Glacier in the Karakoram range of the Himalaya on the border of the Chinese Shaksgam Valley and the Gilgit-Baltistan territory of Pakistan. The massif contains three of the world's 8,000 metre peaks...
is a remote group of peaks
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
located at the northeastern end of the Baltoro Glacier
Baltoro Glacier
The Baltoro Glacier, at 62 kilometers long, is one of the longest glaciers outside the polar regions. It is located in Baltistan, in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan, and runs through part of the Karakoram mountain range. The Baltoro Muztagh lies to the north and east of the glacier, while...
in the Karakoram
Karakoram
The Karakoram, or Karakorum , is a large mountain range spanning the borders between Pakistan, India and China, located in the regions of Gilgit-Baltistan , Ladakh , and Xinjiang region,...
range of the Himalaya. The massif
Massif
In geology, a massif is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole...
contains three of the world's 8,000 metre peaks
Eight-thousander
The eight-thousanders are the fourteen independent mountains on Earth that are more than high above sea level. They are all located in the Himalayan and Karakoram mountain ranges in Asia....
(if one includes Broad Peak). Gasherbrum is often claimed to mean "Shining Wall", presumably a reference to the highly visible face of Gasherbrum IV; but in fact it comes from "rgasha" (beautiful) + "brum" (mountain) in Balti, hence it actually means "beautiful mountain."
While the four highest Gasherbrum peaks (Gasherbrum I to IV) have been named and numbered since the 19th century, Gasherbrum V (as well as its neighbour Gasherbrum VI) were only considered as "Peaks on the south ridge of Gasherbrum IV". The Swiss Geologist and Himalayan expert Günter Oskar Dyhrenfurth recommended to give this independent mountain an own name and proposed in 1934 the name of "Gasherbrum V", which is now well established.
Altitude and climbing status
Although in former literature a height around 7,320 m was traditionally given, the mountain is more likely to be around 7,150 m high. The Russian military 1:100,000 topographical map shows a height of 7,120 m. The currently most accurate map of the region probably is that in the series of "Maps of Snow Mountains in China", which gives a height of 7,147 m. On this map the pass connecting to Gasherbrum III is 6,493 m high (654 m prominence).Gasherbrum V is one of the highest unclimbed mountains. Considering a prominence cut-off of 500m, it is the fifth highest unclimbed peak in the world and the highest unclimbed peak in Pakistan. With a prominence cut-off of 150m, Gasherbrum V is the 15th highest unclimbed peak in the world.