Broad Peak

German-Austrian expedition explored the mountain and identified the West Spur as the most logical route.

Fritz Winterstetter, Marcus Schmuck, Kurt Diemberger, and Hermann Buhl summited on June 9, remarkably with no high-altitude porters.

Just days after Broad Peak, Hermann Buhl disappeared on nearby Chogolisa. His Broad Peak ascent was his final successful summit.

Polish climber Krzysztof Wielicki made a remarkable solo ascent, demonstrating the route's feasibility for strong individuals.

Maciej Berbeka and Tomasz Kowalski (Poland) summited on March 5, tragically both died during the descent.

Broad Peak is 8,051 metres high, the twelfth-highest mountain on Earth, and it stands in the central Karakoram of Gilgit-Baltistan on the Pakistan-China border, just 8 kilometres from K2. It sits at the head of the Baltoro Glacier as part of the Gasherbrum massif, and its name comes from the long, broad summit ridge that stretches more than 1.5 kilometres across the skyline. Base camp lies at around 4,900 to 5,000 metres on the Godwin-Austen Glacier, only a short walk from K2 Base Camp. To get there you travel from Skardu to the village of Askole, then trek roughly seven days up the Baltoro Glacier past the Trango Towers and Masherbrum to Concordia, where four eight-thousanders are in view at once. From Concordia it is a short stage to base camp. Gasherbrum I and II are reached from the same approach, so many climbers combine Broad Peak with K2 or a Gasherbrum in one season.

Broad Peak is moderate by eight-thousander standards, with no extreme technical crux, but it is long, high and the summit day is exhausting. Objective danger is relatively low compared with K2 or Nanga Parbat, and nothing like K2's Bottleneck seracs hangs over the route. The climbing on the West Spur is mostly snow slopes and moderate ground, with fixed ropes on the steeper sections. The real hazards are altitude, weather and the false summit. Climbers first reach a rocky fore-summit at around 8,030 metres, and the true 8,051-metre summit lies along an exposed, corniced ridge that can add two to three hours each way. Many people have turned back there, and descents from that ridge after dark have proved fatal. We set a conservative turnaround time for exactly this reason. You should arrive with solid experience on 6,000 and 7,000-metre peaks and be comfortable on crampons and fixed ropes.

Yes, for the right climber Broad Peak is one of the more sensible first eight-thousanders, as long as you arrive with solid experience on 6,000 and 7,000-metre peaks. The West Spur is mostly snow slopes and moderate ground with fixed ropes on the steeper sections, and objective danger is relatively low compared with K2 or Nanga Parbat, with nothing like K2's Bottleneck seracs hanging over the route. What makes it hard is length and altitude. The summit day is very long, and the false summit at around 8,030 metres catches people out, because the true 8,051-metre top lies a further two to three hours each way along a corniced ridge. You need to be comfortable on crampons and fixed ropes and fit enough for that final stretch. Many climbers use Broad Peak as a first or second 8,000-metre peak on the way to K2, and we set a conservative turnaround time on every summit push.

The false summit is a rocky fore-summit at around 8,030 metres that many climbers mistake for the top, or choose to stop at when they are tired. The true summit is 8,051 metres, only a little higher, but it lies along an exposed, corniced ridge that can add two to three hours each way. In poor visibility or failing daylight many people have turned back there. Descents from that ridge after dark have proved fatal. You reach it after leaving the top camp at about 7,100 metres and gaining a col at roughly 7,800 metres, then following the long summit ridge. Any honest attempt has to plan for the final traverse from the start rather than treating the fore-summit as the goal. We set a conservative turnaround time for exactly this reason, and the waiting days built into the 45 to 55 day schedule mean nobody has to rush the push.

Almost every team climbs the West Spur, the same line the Austrian team used on the first ascent in 1957. From base camp at around 4,900 to 5,000 metres on the Godwin-Austen Glacier, we establish three camps up the spur, typically at about 5,800, 6,400 and 7,100 metres. Above the top camp the route reaches a col at roughly 7,800 metres, then follows the long summit ridge, which stretches more than 1.5 kilometres, to the top. The ground is mostly snow slopes and moderate terrain, with fixed ropes on the steeper sections, so the challenge is length and altitude rather than hard technical climbing. Before the summit push, climbers make several rotations between the camps, climbing high and sleeping progressively higher. Many use some supplemental oxygen on summit day because it is so long, while a good number climb without bottled oxygen in keeping with the peak's alpine-style history.

Our indicative price for a Broad Peak expedition starts at $36,000 per person, and a full expedition takes 45 to 55 days. That time covers the drive and trek in from Skardu, roughly seven days up the Baltoro Glacier from Askole, several acclimatisation rotations between the camps, and a buffer for waiting out the weather at base camp. The permit and royalty are lower than K2's, which is one reason Broad Peak is among the more affordable eight-thousanders. Our programme includes experienced high-altitude guides, the full Baltoro approach, permit and liaison officer handling, fixed camps, oxygen and base-camp support. International flights, travel insurance, personal climbing gear and personal expenses are not included. The final figure depends on group size and the level of support you want, so we quote each expedition individually. Custom expeditions are available for groups of 2 or more, and combining Broad Peak with K2 or a Gasherbrum can make the trip better value.

The season for Broad Peak runs from June to August, and July and August give the most reliable summer weather windows in the Karakoram. That is the only realistic period for a normal expedition. The upper mountain does not become climbable until the jet stream lifts north of the range, and even in a good year teams can sit at base camp for days or weeks waiting for a clear, low-wind window. We build that waiting time into the 45 to 55 days on purpose, because a rushed summit push on this mountain is how people get into trouble on the final ridge. The first ascent in 1957 went to the top in June, but most modern teams time their summit push for July or August after completing their acclimatisation rotations. Fixed ropes are set on the steeper sections early in the season, and the walk-in along the Baltoro Glacier in June also serves as the first stage of acclimatisation.

Broad Peak stands about 8 kilometres from K2, and the two share the same Baltoro Glacier approach and the same base-camp area on the Godwin-Austen Glacier. Getting there means one of the great treks on Earth. From Skardu you travel to the village of Askole, then walk roughly seven days up the Baltoro Glacier past the Trango Towers and Masherbrum to Concordia, where four eight-thousanders are in view at once. From Concordia it is a short stage to base camp at around 4,900 to 5,000 metres, only a short walk from K2 Base Camp. Gasherbrum I and II are reached from the same approach, which is why so many climbers combine Broad Peak with K2 or a Gasherbrum in a single season. For many people Broad Peak is the logical stepping stone toward K2, and the long walk-in doubles as valuable acclimatisation before any climbing starts on the mountain itself.

An Austrian team in June 1957, Schmuck, Wintersteller, Diemberger and Buhl, in alpine style without supplemental oxygen.