K2 Expedition

Overview of K2 Expedition

K2 Expedition 2021 registration are open now. K2 is located on the border of Pakistan and China. Being the second highest mountain in the world, it is thought by many climbers to be the ultimate climbing challenge. The giant Pyramid Peak towers in isolation 12,000 feet above the wide Concordia glacial field at the head of the Baltoro Glacier.

K2 expedition was first successful ascent in 1954 started with over 500 porters, 11 climbers, and six scientists. One of the climbers died of pneumonia after40 days of raging storms. The final ascent was made by a team of two after their oxygen supply had run out, and an emergency descent was made in darkness.

Brief Detail of K2 Expedition

K2 is the only major mountain in the world which has surveyor’s notation as its common name (K stands for Karakoram, 2 means it was the second peak listed).T.G. Montgomery was the surveyor who assigned K-2 this designation in 1856. The mountain’s remoteness had rendered it invisible from any inhabited place, so apart from an occasional local reference as Chogori (meaning Great Mountain), it had no other name prior to Montgomery’s survey. Since that time, the name Mount Godwin-Austen has occasionally been used in honor of the man who directed the survey. For the most part, K2 has been the name of choice and has even evolved into Ketu, the name used by the Balti people who act as porters in the region.With respect to the commentary on the Italian expedition which was the first to summit K2 8611m in 1954, it has since been proven that Compagnoni and Lacedelli did indeed have oxygen until they reached the summit of K2. The myth was dispelled through libel proceedings brought on by climber Walter Bonatti, who had been accused of sabotaging the expedition by keeping the oxygen for himself. The best evidence available in a properly translated format can be found in the latest edition of “The Mountains of My Life” by Bonatti, or the short book entitled “Trial on K2”.

The route to K2 goes through the famous Shigar Valley and Baltoro Glacier region of Baltistan. There are several high peaks, which are situated in this world’s largest temperate zone glacier. Only the highest or more prominent ones have been named or climbed. An incredible nineteen of these peaks in the Baltoro region tower over 7,600m while four of them are 8000ers.

As we know K2 to be the 2nd highest mountain on the planet but the “Savage Mountain” is the king in the mountain realm. Among the 8000 peaks. It is a very strenuous and tough climb. It is 10x less climbed and highly technical compared to the Mount Everest. Only those who dare to conquer the Savage Mountain will be remembered in the books of history.

The first route ever taken for the K2 Expedition was attempted via the Abruzzi Ridge or the Standard Route. This is most used route for the K2 Expedition via the Abruzzi Spur (Southeast Ridge) although there are other routes to climb but this one is sound and has higher chances of the ascent. In 1909, K2 Expedition was first attempted by Luigi Amedeo, Duke of the Abruzzi but was its first successful K2 Expedition was completed by an Italian Team on July 31, 1954. The K2 Expedition was led by Ardito Desio and the two climbers who actually reached the top were Lino Lacedelli and Achille Compagnoni.

We will use the Aburuzzi Route for our ascend. This spur begins at an altitude of 5,400 m/17,700 ft, where Advanced Base Camp is usually placed. The route follows an alternating series of ice fields, rock ribs, snow slopes and some technical rock climbing on two famous features, “House’s Chimney” and the “Black Pyramid”.

Above the Black Pyramid, dangerously exposed and difficult to navigate slopes lead to the easily visible “Shoulder”. The last major obstacle is a narrow couloir known as the “Bottleneck”, which places climbers dangerously close to hanging seracs. It was partly due to the collapse of one of these seracs around 2001 that no climber’s summited the peak in 2002 and 2003 and most of the eleven people lost their lives due to the breaking of huge ice blocks from this cliff and often on their way down.

K2 Expedition Information