The Mountain Of Mountains: Explorer’s Web has been running a fascinating series on K2, and how it is slowly changing. It is far more remote than Everest, and more difficult to climb (just over 200 summits, as opposed to more than 2000 on Everest), so it has long been the preserve of serious–and high level–climbers, as opposed to the tour groups who trek up Everest. The latest installment looks at the astonishing fact that on K2 about 65 percent of the summits are achieved without supplemental oxygen (only 7 percent of Everest summits are au naturel). This is one indication of the fact that K2 is a climbing purist’s climb. But there is a massive price. Of the 52 deaths on K2, 22 have occured on the way down. And every single one the 22 descenders who died was climbing without oxygen:

“K2’s summit day is very long. Yesterday’s summits came late in the afternoon after a 14 hr push. By the time climbers are headed down, they are exhausted. Add in descending in the dark and a possible turn of weather to the worse, you have a recipe for disaster – no wonder nearly half the death on K2 are during descent.”

So if you want risk, and you want displays of courage, look not to the world’s tallest mountain, look to K2. The rest of the ExWeb series looks at the debates over fixed ropes on K2, the appearance of guided expeditions on a mountain that has long been the preserve of professionals because it is so dangerous, the problems of weather forecasting, the growing crowds, and the lack of good climbing sherpas in the K2 region. If I was ever to get off my ass to try and climb a big mountain, K2 would be the one. No question…



K2 Tent City: More like a tent village, for now…

(Photo: Explorer’s Web)