Every mountain company has a story. Ours starts in 1988, high above our village of Hushe, when a young local guide namedRozi Ali worked with an Italian expedition on a mountain no one had climbed: the westernmost summit of the Masherbrum group, today known asMasherbrum II orMandu Kangri. This is the story of that first ascent, and of how it shaped Discover Karakoram.
Masherbrum II at a glance
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Other names | Mandu Kangri, Masherbrum Far West |
| Height | 7,127 m (Jurgalski); claimed 7,200 m in 1988; debated |
| Location | Masherbrum group, about 2.3 km south east of Masherbrum, above the Hushe valley |
| First ascent | 8 September 1988, Italian expedition led by Augusto Zanotti |
| Second ascent | 11 to 13 September 1991, British commercial expedition |
| Approach | From Hushe along the Masherbrum Glacier |
A mountain in the shadow of K1
Masherbrum (7,821 m), the K1 of the old survey, rules the head of the Hushe valley. Around it stands a family of summits. The westernmost of them, a big snow and ice peak about 2.3 km from the main summit, was still unclimbed in the 1980s. The Italians who came for it called it Masherbrum Far West. Later climbers called it Masherbrum II, and today mountain lists name it Mandu Kangri.
The 1988 Italian expedition
In the summer of 1988 a ten member Italian expedition led by Augusto Zanotti arrived in Hushe. For the people of Hushe, expeditions were the main source of work, and young men from the village joined as porters, cooks and guides. Among them was Rozi Ali, who would go on to spend his life in these mountains.
The team walked up the Masherbrum Glacier, set Base Camp and high camps, and pushed up the face towards the summit pyramid. On 8 September 1988 Augusto Zanotti, E. Corbellini, S. Andreola, S. Savadelli, F. Bottani, M. Bottani, B. Scanabesi, A. Carminati and P. Campostrini stood on top, the first people ever to reach the summit. The American Alpine Journal recorded the climb as the first ascent of the most westerly peak of the Masherbrum group, by the west face, with a height of 7,200 m.
Rozi Ali: from Hushe guide to company founder
For Rozi Ali the 1988 expedition was more than a job. It showed what local guides from Hushe could do on big mountains, and it started a career of about 40 years with expeditions in the Karakoram. Spanish mountain media have described him as a well known figure of the Karakoram who has worked with famous climbers including Reinhold Messner, Chris Bonington and Doug Haston. Discover Karakoram keeps archive footage from the 1988 expedition, and we made a tribute film for the guides and porters of Hushe who made such climbs possible.
That experience is the base of everything we do today: from the K2 Base Camp trek to Laila Peak, from 8,000 m expeditions to the first ice climbing in the Pakistani Karakoram.
After 1988: the second ascent and the height debate
In September 1991 a British commercial expedition approached from Hushe, set Base Camp at the junction of the Bolux and Masherbrum glaciers, Camp 1 at about 5,200 m and Camp 2 at about 6,400 m below the summit pyramid, and put several teams on top between 11 and 13 September by the Italian route. At the same time another British team on the main Masherbrum photographed the summit and doubted the 7,200 m height. In 1994 an Irish British team checked altitudes on the route and argued that the true height might be close to 6,600 m. Today the most used figure is 7,127 m, while other measurements give about 7,100 m.
In winter 2018 the Hushe climbers Ali Durani and Ali Rozi, both K2 summiters, with Maqsood from Karachi, tried a winter ascent in alpine style, showing that the mountain is still a goal for the climbers of our valley.
The name puzzle: Masherbrum II, Mandu Kangri and Cathedral
Mountain names in the Karakoram can be confusing. Masherbrum II has been used for at least three different summits. The American Alpine Journal notes that a lower peak of about 6,100 m to 6,200 m in the Masherbrum valley, which was once known as Cathedral Peak, is also called Masherbrum II by some locals. The higher peak first climbed in 1988 is usually listed today as Mandu Kangri. Its western neighbour, Yermanendu Kangri, was first climbed in 2023 by Simon Messner and Martin Sieberer.
Climb in the footsteps of 1988
Discover Karakoram organises expeditions to Masherbrum II (Mandu Kangri), Masherbrum, Yermanendu Kangri and the other peaks of the Hushe valley, with guides from the same village that supported the first ascent.
Frequently asked questions
What is Masherbrum II?
Masherbrum II, also called Mandu Kangri and first named Masherbrum Far West, is the westernmost summit of the Masherbrum group in the Karakoram, about 2.3 km south east of Masherbrum (7,821 m), above the Hushe valley in Gilgit Baltistan.
How high is Masherbrum II?
The list of Eberhard Jurgalski gives 7,127 m. The 1988 Italian team estimated 7,200 m, a 1994 team argued it might be closer to 6,600 m, and later measurements suggest about 7,100 m.
When was Masherbrum II first climbed?
On 8 September 1988, by a ten member Italian expedition led by Augusto Zanotti.
Who reached the summit in 1988?
Augusto Zanotti, E. Corbellini, S. Andreola, S. Savadelli, F. Bottani, M. Bottani, B. Scanabesi, A. Carminati and P. Campostrini.
What was the role of Rozi Ali?
Rozi Ali from Hushe, the founder of Discover Karakoram, worked with the 1988 Italian expedition as a local guide. This climb is one of the foundations of our 40 years of mountain experience.
Has Masherbrum II been climbed since?
Yes. A British commercial expedition reached the summit on 11, 12 and 13 September 1991 by the Italian route. A 1994 team attempted it, and Hushe climbers tried a winter ascent in 2018.
Is Masherbrum II the same as Cathedral Peak?
The names are confusing. In Hushe, Masherbrum II is used for more than one peak, and the American Alpine Journal notes that a lower peak of about 6,100 m to 6,200 m in the Masherbrum valley, once called Cathedral Peak, is also called Masherbrum II by some locals.
Can I climb Masherbrum II with Discover Karakoram?
Yes. We organise expeditions to Masherbrum II (Mandu Kangri) from Hushe, the home of our team. Prices are on request.
