Gasherbrum IV

F6

Gasherbrum IV is with 7932 meters of siebzehnthöchste mountain in the world and the fifth highest peak of the Gasherbrum group, for which he was eponymous. About its northeast and northwest ridge is the boundary between Pakistan and the People's Republic of China. The summit ridge to the main summit, however, lies south of the border and thus in Pakistan. In warm weather, its western wall shines in the evening sun, therefore Gasherbrum is often translated as " Bright wall ". The actual meaning is " beautiful mountain ", but not a less apt description.

Climbing history

On August 6, 1958 an Italian expedition led by Riccardo Cassin succeeded by Walter Bonatti and Carlo Mauri the first ascent of G IV on the northeast ridge.

The west wall has long been considered one of the last great problems of Mountaineering. 1985 increased the Austrian Robert Schauer and the Pole Wojciech Kurtyka this wall in alpine style, without beam, overhead storage, fixed ropes or bottled oxygen. The two arrived at the exactly 20 meters lower north summit. Because of the bad weather and their exhaustion they dropped the traverse over the summit ridge to the main summit.

The main peak was only in 1986 climbed for a second time, Greg Child, Tim Macartney - Snape and Tom Hargis were successful on the northwest ridge. 1997 a Korean team managed the second ascent of the west wall through a different route.