Broad Peak Central is a secondary peak of the Broad Peak, which is also referred to as a relatively independent main peak.[2]

Broad Peak Central
  • Zhongyang
  • Broad Peak Mid Peak
  • Broad Peak Middle
Broad Peak in the background. Broad Peak Central on the left, the long ridge from the sub to the main summit on the right
Highest point
Elevation8,016 m (26,299 ft)[1]
Prominence196 m (643 ft)[1]
Coordinates35°49′11″N 76°34′0″E / 35.81972°N 76.56667°E / 35.81972; 76.56667
Geography
Broad Peak Central is located in Karakoram
Broad Peak Central
Broad Peak Central
Location of Broad Peak Central
Broad Peak Central is located in Gilgit Baltistan
Broad Peak Central
Broad Peak Central
Broad Peak Central (Gilgit Baltistan)
Broad Peak Central is located in Southern Xinjiang
Broad Peak Central
Broad Peak Central
Broad Peak Central (Southern Xinjiang)
LocationBaltistan, Gilgit–Baltistan, Pakistan
Tashkurgan, Xinjiang, China, China–Pakistan border,
Parent rangeKarakoram
Climbing
Easiest routesnow/ice climb
Map

It belongs to the Gasherbrum massif. Due to its visual independence, it was long disputed whether it was the 15th eight-thousander. The mountain lies in the disputed border region of Kashmir (Pakistan and India) and Xinjiang (China).

First ascent edit

The first ascent was on 28 July 1975 by a Polish expedition. The six climbers Roman Bebak, Kazimierz Głazek, Marek Kęsicki, Janusz Kuliś, Bohdan Nowaczyk and Andrzej Sikorski began their summit attack from Camp III at an altitude of about 7200 m. Shortly before the summit, Bebak turned around so that a short time later five climbers reached the summit. Nowaczyk disappeared while descending in a snowstorm. The search of the other climbers was unsuccessful. Since they could not descend far due to the search, they had to bivouac near the summit. The search continued the next morning, but to no avail. During the further descent, Kęsicki, Kuliś and Sikorski slipped. Kęsicki and Sikorski died in the process. Thus, only two of the first climbers survived the expedition.[3]

First ascent of the east side edit

On 4 August 1992, a Spanish expedition made the first ascent of a route on the Chinese east side to Broad Peak Central (and thus the third ascent of this summit). After three failed attempts in July, Catalans Òscar Cadiach, Enric Dalmau, Lluis Ráfols and Italy's Alberto Soncini finally reached the summit, having previously bivouacked at almost 8000m. The group had already set off on a reconnaissance trip to the remote area last year; Kurt Diemberger, who first climbed Broad Peak, also took part in both trips and explored the area geographically. This ascent was not only the first on the east side of this mountain, but the first ascent of a mountain of the Gasherbrum massif from the east, from the Trans-Karakoram Tract belonging to China.[4][5] It was not until 15 years later that a Swiss expedition made the second ascent from the Chinese side with the first ascent of the north face of Gasherbrum II.

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Broad Peak Central". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  2. ^ "Gipfellisten damals und heute – Dominanzklassen". extrem-collect.de (in German). Archived from the original on 4 April 2005.
  3. ^ "Broad Peak: Some background and History". k2news.com. Archived from the original on 27 January 2013.
  4. ^ "Oscar Cadiach: Broad Peak Central from China" (PDF). American Alpine Club Journal 1993. p. 39–48. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  5. ^ "Kurt Diemberger: Shaksgam Exploration. Tilman's Loop and Gasherbrum Glacier to K2 Glacier" (PDF). American Alpine Club Journal. 1995. p. 82–91. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2023.

External links edit