▁because ▁of ▁its ▁similarity ▁in ▁appearance ▁to ▁that ▁Al pine ▁peak . ▁While ▁not ▁of ▁locally ▁great ▁elev ation , ▁it ▁is ▁a ▁dram atic ▁rock ▁peak , ▁and ▁most ▁vis ually ▁striking ▁peak ▁seen ▁from ▁Ga um uk h ; ▁that ▁and ▁the ▁difficulty ▁of ▁the ▁clim b ▁make ▁it ▁a ▁f amed ▁prize ▁for ▁mount aine ers . ▁ ▁The ▁mountain ▁and ▁its ▁setting ▁Sh iv ling ▁forms ▁the ▁western ▁gateway ▁for ▁the ▁lower ▁Gang ot ri ▁Gla cier , ▁opposite ▁the ▁triple - pe aked ▁Bh ag ir ath i ▁mass if . ▁It ▁lies ▁on ▁a ▁sp ur ▁project ing ▁out ▁from ▁the ▁main ▁r idge ▁that ▁forms ▁the ▁south west ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁Gang ot ri ▁Gla cier ▁bas in ; ▁this ▁r idge ▁contains ▁other ▁well - known ▁pe aks ▁such ▁as ▁Bh ag ir ath i , ▁Th al ay ▁S agar ▁and ▁Mer u . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁also ▁called ▁Mah ade o ▁Ka ▁L ing a ▁or ▁( M ah ade v ▁Ka ▁L ing a ) ▁App ear ing ▁as ▁a ▁single ▁py ram id ▁when ▁seen ▁from ▁Ga um uk h , ▁Sh iv ling ▁is ▁actually ▁a ▁tw in - sum m itted ▁mountain , ▁with ▁the ▁n ortheast ▁sum mit ▁being ▁slightly ▁higher ▁than ▁the ▁south west ▁sum mit , ▁. ▁Between ▁Ga um uk h ▁and ▁Sh iv ling ▁lies ▁the ▁T ap ovan ▁me adow , ▁a ▁popular ▁pil gr image ▁site ▁due ▁to ▁its ▁insp iring ▁view