Concordia Korakoram

Concordia is in the heart of the Karakoram range of Pakistan. It is located in Baltistan region of Pakistan. The name was applied by European explorers, and comes from this location’s similarity to a glacial confluence, also named Concordia.

Concordia is the name for the confluence of the Baltoro Glacier and the Godwin-Austen Glacier, in the heart of the Karakoram range of Pakistan. It is located in Baltistan region of Pakistan. The name was applied by European explorers, and comes from this location’s similarity to a glacial confluence, also named Concordia, in the Bernese Oberland, part of the Central Alps.

Around Concordia are clustered some of the highest peaks in the world. Four of the world’s fourteen “eight-thousanders” are in this region, as well as a number of important lower peaks.

 

Concordia offers the region’s best place to camp for mountain enthusiasts not involved in climbing. With breathtaking views, it also offers short hikes to several important base camps: K2 (three hours), Broad Peak (two hours) and the Gasherbrums (three hours). An alternative exit to returning down the Baltoro Glacier is available by climbing the Gondogoro Pass (5450 meters). Visitors to the region are advised to carefully monitor their water intake with concern. To avoid often painful and sometimes debilitating stomach upsets at high altitude, water should be obtained from clear water sources and brought to a rolling boil, or purified before consumption.

 

 

Gasherbrum

Gasherbrum II – first Karakorum eight-thousander climbed in winter (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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 (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”.

In 1856, Thomas George Montgomerie, 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. Only K2, the second highest mountain in the world, has kept Montgomerie’s name.

Amazing Karakaram Highway

On Way to Chillas – Karakaram Highway

On Way to Chillas2 – Karakaram Highway (First View of Nanga Parbat)

On the Way to Tirshing

On the Way to Tirshing

On the way to Sheosar – Deosai

Near Dasu – Karakaram Highway

Nanga Parbat from Tirshing

Nanga Parbat from Jaglot – Karakaram Highway

Nanga Parbat from Deosai 1

Nanga Parbat from Deosai 2

Nanga Parbat from Deosai 3

Nanga Parbat from Deosai 4

Lady Finger – Hunza

Karimabad Hunza

Junction of 3 great mountain ranges – Karakaram, Hindukush and Himaliya

Jalgot – Karakaram Highway

Hunza Valley

Golden Peak(spantik) from Hunza Valley 

Gilgit Valley

Gilgit Astor Road

Closeview of Nanga Parbat

Chilam Choki – On way to Deosai

Butgram – Karakaram Highway