Broad Peak

Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan

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Broad Peak is a towering giant of the Karakoram range, straddling the border between Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan and Xinjiang, China. At 8,051 meters (26,414 feet), it’s the 12th highest mountain in the world, and just a few kilometers from the legendary K2. Its name—Broad Peak—aptly describes its massive summit ridge, which stretches over 1.5 kilometers.

Locally, it’s known as Falchan Kangri, though that name isn’t commonly used by the Balti people. The mountain was first summited in June 1957 by an Austrian team led by Marcus Schmuck, including climbers Fritz Wintersteller, Kurt Diemberger, and the legendary Hermann Buhl.

They achieved this feat without supplemental oxygen or high-altitude porters—a remarkable accomplishment for the time. Broad Peak is often considered one of the more “approachable” 8,000-meter peaks, though that’s relative—it still demands serious mountaineering skill, endurance, and respect for the extreme conditions.

The climb typically begins from Concordia, a surreal confluence of glaciers surrounded by some of the highest peaks on Earth.