HISTORY: K5, the Hidden Peak

The year was 1856 when T.G. Montgomery spotted it. When he saw the peak he was still 200 kilometers away and had no idea of the true remoteness that was before him. It was during the Great Trigonometric Survey of India that the mountains of the Karakoram were first documented in detail and given basic names for the purpose of mapping. Thus, the world was given K5 (26,509 ft), the 11th tallest mountain in the world and the 3rd tallest in Pakistan, it's K5 designation coming from the fact that it was the 5th peak of the Karakoram that was spotted by Montgomery. It was not until 1892 that K5 received a more appropriate name for the masses, Hidden Peak. Hidden peak was named by mountaineer, explorer and map maker Martin Conway who was subsequently knighted for his surveying efforts in Pakistan. He cited the mountain's great remoteness as the reason for the name. There is no doubt to all who attempt climbing in the Karakoram that the peaks are very, very remote. The mountain stood idle until an international expedition was organized by the Swiss in an attempt to scout and climb the mountain. Two years later an expedition, mounted by the French, made the second attempt on the mountain. They also failed to reach the summit, reaching a new high on the mountain at 22,630 ft before being forced off the mountain. It wasn't until 1958 that the peak was finally realized, this time by an American team. It was Andy Kauffman and Pete Schoening who became the first humans to climb to the top of what would come to be known as the "beautiful mountain" or, left untranslated as Gasherbrum I. Of special interest in this first ascent is a little known fact that the summit team was forced to use makeshift snow shoes to complete the ascent. Using crampons and plywood from food boxes the pair rigged their snowshoes and completed the task at hand, signaling their success from the summit with small mirrors they carried with them. Gasherbrum's history doesn't end with the first ascent, however. It was 1975 and Gasherbrum I was the latest undertaking of Reinhold Messner, world famous climber. Inspired by limited success of an Austrian team on Broad Peak, Messner decided that the best way for him to climb Gasherbrum was in pure alpine style. He and his partner, having only 200 kg of gear between them and 13 kg of gear during the actual climbing, took 3 days to complete their new route. It was the first time in history that an 8000 meter peak had been climbed in pure alpine style.

Clinch, N. (1982). A Walk in the Sky. Mountaineers Books

Corax. (2010, January 29). Gasherbrum 1. Retrieved May 3, 2010 from Summit Post website: http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/rock/152035/gasherbrum-i.html

Remembering Gasherbrum I: the first ascent of an 8000 meter peak. (2006) Retrieved May 3, 2010, from Gasherbrum I website: http://www.gasherbrum1.org/

Gasherbrum I. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved May 3, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasherbrum_I

Martin Conway. (n.d.) In Wikipedia. Retrieved May 3, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Martin_Conway