Gasherbrum is a remote group of peaks situated at the northeastern end of the Baltoro Glacier in the Karakoram mountain range. The peaks are located within the border region of Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan and Xinjiang, China. The massif contains three of the world's 8,000 metre peaks. The highly visible face of Gasherbrum IV has gained the nickname the "Shining Wall" and this has often been claimed as the meaning of the word "Gasherbrum". However the name Gasherbrum comes from "rgasha" (beautiful) + "brum" (mountain) in Balti, hence it actually means "beautiful mountain".

The Baltoro Glacier is a glacier located in the Shigar District of the Gilgit-Baltistan region in Pakistan. It stretches for 63 km (39 mi) in length. It is one of the longest glaciers outside the polar regions. It is home to some of the world’s highest mountains. It runs through the Karakoram mountain range, close to K2, which is the second highest peak in the world, reaching an elevation of 8,611 meters. Within a 20-kilometer radius, there are three more mountains with elevations exceeding 8,000 meters.