K2

K2

The second highest mountain in the world next to Mount Everest, K2 is located on the borders of Pakistan and China in the Himalayan mountain range. Only accessible through Pakistan, K2 is separated by 65 miles of rugged mountainous terrain from the nearest village.

Fast Facts

28,251 feet high
First surveyed in 1856
Located in the region formerly known as Kashmir
At least 55 people have died climbing K2
Local name is Chogori, which means "king of the mountains"
In 2007, 246 climbers has successfully reached the summit using 10 different routes

Reaching the Summit

The first expedition to successfully reach the summit was led by Italian Ardito Desio in 1954. The second successful climb was not until 23 years later, in 1977, when 1,500 porters accompanied a Japanese crew to the summit. In 1986, three women successfully reached the summit and did so without supplemental oxygen, but two of them died during the descent.

K2 provides an exceptional challenge to climbers, as it experiences severe winter storms that can last several days. The mountain is a consistently steep pyramid and the exposed nature of any route to the summit means that once travelers commit to climbing, descent becomes difficult.

Categories

Geography | Travel | Mountains | Asian Destinations | Outdoor Travel

| View Note History

Also try: K2 Avalanche Deaths

The Mahalo Top 7

Adventure Tours Pakistan: K2
Shared Summits: K2 Facts
Wikipedia: K2
EverestNews.com: K2: Some Background and History
K2climb.net: A Timeline of Human Activity on K2
K2: Discover the 2nd Highest Peak in the World With its 28,250 ft (8611 m)
Video: K2 and Broad Peak (Time: 3:15)

K2 News

Google News: K2 News

ExplorersWeb: Himalaya Winter Special: The Weather and the History (February 1, 2008)
448: K2 Resists To Mountaineers (September 7, 1007)
EverestNews.com: Five Pakistani Die in 50th Anniversary Ascent of K2

K2 History and Background

Leica Geosystems: The Himalayas K2
Jerberyd.com: K2-The Savage Mountain
Peakware: K2
OmniMap.com: K2 Map

Early History

Google Books: K2 the 1939 Tragedy
EverestHistory.com: Ardito Desio

Modern History

Jim Loy's Geology, Geography, and Weather Page: Everest and K2
EverestNews.com: Austria International Broad Peak and K2 Expedition 2004
ExplorersWeb: K2 Cesen Route Update - "Marty can't come and play"

K2 Educational Resources

The Dan Culver Follow Your Dreams Foundation: Death Zone: The K2 Story
MSN Encarta: K2
Daring to Dream: A K2 Documentary
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency: K2, Broad Peak, Gasherbrum I, and Gasherbrum II...

K2 Travel

Snow Lion Expeditions: Destinations: K2
SummitPost.com: K2
Jasmine Tours: K-2, Chogori, 8611m
Mountain Madness: Gasherbrum Support Trek
Adventure Peaks: K2 8616m

K2 Photos and Videos

Google Image Search: K2 Images
Yahoo! Image Search: K2 Images
Live Image Search: K2 Images
YouTube & Google Video Search: K2 Videos
Live Search Videos: K2 Videos

K2 Blogs and Forums

Google Blog Search: K2
EveryTrail.net: Broad Peak and K2 - Alan's Next Adventure ( May 24, 2006)
The Adventure Blog: Thoughts on NBC's K2 Special ( December 17, 2007)
Buzzle.com: Melting Snows Shed New Light on K2's Great Mystery (July 18, 2002)

K2 Organizations and Societies

K2 Fun Stuff

IMDb: Vertical Limit (2000)
MountainZone.com: Mountaineering & Mountain Climbing Tips and Articles
Offroad Pakistan: K2 Base Camp Hike Photos

K2 Books and Merchandise

Amazon.com: K2 Merchandise
Barnes & Noble: K2 Books
Google Product Search: K2 Merchandise

Related Pages on Mahalo

Mount Everest | Lhotse | Pakistan | Himalayas | Nepal | China | Mountain Climbing