At the head of the Baltoro Glacier, at the end of one of the world's most famed m
ountain walks, lies the heaviest and most remote concentration of high peaks on the planet.
Gasherbrum II is part of the greater Gasherbrum group of 5 peaks, 2 of which soar over 8000m, and is the world’s 13th highest mountain. She is roundly held as one of the most straight-forward and accessible of the fourteen, and climbers on her normal route, if sufficiently resourced and prepared, enjoy reasonable summit rates in clement weather. She is of course an 8000er, and as such repels many dozens of climbers every year. In 2004 some 38 climbers from multiple nationalities reached her summit after a small weather window opened near the end of the season.
The route of choice is the SW ridge. A mostly clearly defined spur that is relatively free of objective dangers. Nonetheless history shows more than a few climbers have perished on this route due to these causes. If you want to climb G2, you will need outstanding stamina, a fierce determination, and an ability to deal with 'expedition downtime' - boredom, apathy, lethargy, and cold lonely nights on the glacier.
8K peaks are to climbers what the Grand Slam series is to tennis players (with the exception that there are no spectators at 26,000ft). So if your not ready yet for your "Wimbledon" your not ready for G2. In real terms, you should have several serious seasons of climbing at or above 6500m before you can contemplate an ascent of Gasherbrum II or any other 8000m peak. Generally most expeditions that come here allot up to 55 days to climb this mountain from arrival in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan.
ountain walks, lies the heaviest and most remote concentration of high peaks on the planet.Gasherbrum II is part of the greater Gasherbrum group of 5 peaks, 2 of which soar over 8000m, and is the world’s 13th highest mountain. She is roundly held as one of the most straight-forward and accessible of the fourteen, and climbers on her normal route, if sufficiently resourced and prepared, enjoy reasonable summit rates in clement weather. She is of course an 8000er, and as such repels many dozens of climbers every year. In 2004 some 38 climbers from multiple nationalities reached her summit after a small weather window opened near the end of the season.
The route of choice is the SW ridge. A mostly clearly defined spur that is relatively free of objective dangers. Nonetheless history shows more than a few climbers have perished on this route due to these causes. If you want to climb G2, you will need outstanding stamina, a fierce determination, and an ability to deal with 'expedition downtime' - boredom, apathy, lethargy, and cold lonely nights on the glacier.
8K peaks are to climbers what the Grand Slam series is to tennis players (with the exception that there are no spectators at 26,000ft). So if your not ready yet for your "Wimbledon" your not ready for G2. In real terms, you should have several serious seasons of climbing at or above 6500m before you can contemplate an ascent of Gasherbrum II or any other 8000m peak. Generally most expeditions that come here allot up to 55 days to climb this mountain from arrival in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan.
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