Concordia (Karakoram)
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 Concodia , in the Bemese 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-thousander” 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. Notable peaks in this area
include:
§
K2, second highest in
the world at 8,611m.
§
Gasherbrum 1 (K5), 11th highest in the world at
8,080m.
§
Broad peak (K3), 12th highest in the world at
8,047m.
§
Gasherbrum 11 (K4), 13th highest in the world at
8,035m.
§
Gasherbrum 111, 7,952m.
§
Gasherbrum -4, 17th
highest in the world at 7,925m.
§
Masherbrum (K1), 22nd highest in the world at
7,821m.
§
Chogolisa, 36th
highest in the world at 7,665m.
§
Muztagh Tower,
7,273m.
§
Snow Dome, 7,160m.
§
Biarchedi, 6,781 m
§
Mitre Peak, 6,010m.
