The Pamir Mountains are vast mountain range in Central Asia, which lies mostly in Gorno-Badakhshan province of Tajikistan. The range forms a type of plateau, with the total area of 100 thousands of km² and an average elevation of 4000m, which is a base for rising peaks. The precise extent of the range is debatable. It is usually assumed however, that it is constrained from north by Alay Valley, from east by Kashgar Mountains, from south by Hindu Kush Mountains, and from west by Panj River.
In the Pamir Mountains, an area of nearly 8000 km² is covered by over 1000 glaciers in total. There is also 77km long Fedchenko Glacier, which is the longest glacier outside the Polar region.
The highest mountain in the Pamir Mountains is Ismoil Somoni Peak (known also as Stalin Peak during 1932–1962, and as Communism Peak during 1962–1998), which has 7,495m. With regard to mountain elevation, Karl Marx Peak (6,723m), which is the expedition’s objective, is placed on the sixth place.