Broad Feng Berg

Twelve Kilometers southeast of Qogir Feng, at 76.6 0E and 35.8 0N, stands Broad Feng of 8015 meters above sea level, which is ranked the third highest peak in Karakorum Shan and the twelveth highest peak in the world.

With its lofty lie of mountain and covered by snow all the year round, Broad Feng contains three major ridges: the North Ridge, the South Ridge and the Southwest Ridge, among which the North and the South Ridges from the main ridge line of Karaorum Shan and the Sino-Pakistan boundary. The three towering peaks, the central peak (8016 meters above sea level) on the north ridge and the North Peak (7538 meters) on the south ridge, together with Broad Feng, are tall and straight and pierce into the the sky. Consequently the local resi-dents name them “Fuloqingrigang” (transliteration), meaning “the mountain with three pinnacles”. “Broad”, however, was named after an American explorer who came here in 1892.

In the years from 1902 to 1954, mountaineering teams from such coun-tries as U. K., Switzerland and Italy began t leave their footprints on the Broad Feng area, but it was not until 1957 that an Austrian Team of 4 persons- M•Schmuck, H•Babl, K•Diemberger and F•Diemberger and F•Wintersteller, succeeded for the first time in human history in reaching the summit on June 9. In spite of this, the steep and precipitons east slope of the peak blocks the way to the summit and nobody has yet made it from the east slope.