Our executive producer of audio is Davar Ardalan. The K2 summit is at about 28,251 ft (8,611 meters) above sea level, after Everest (at 29,032 ft or 8,849 meters), making K2 the second-highest mountain worldwide. On the K2, however, it is seen as a dangerous adventure because the K2 mountain is steep and has a more challenging ascent. That said, the K2 treks should not be your first high-altitude trek. Thats all in the show notes, right there in your podcast app. Its really hard to describe how insanely difficult that feat really is. Want to keep your memory sharp? Clients on the paid-for tours are often called short-roped, since they are attached to a Sherpa with a short rope in order to get them up the mountain quickly and easily. 1 , 2 2. And getting food from other parts of Nepal up to where they lived was expensive. #13. Glacier ridges can suddenly explode into cascades of giant chunks of ice. And its windy. They were on K2 for the same reason I was when I went. It was not incompetence that doomed them so much as incredibly bad luck, all of it hinging on the spontaneous collapse of a mass of ice. Published February 15, 2022. GWIN: We caught up with Nims right after the climb too, when he was celebrating with the team in Kathmandu. Many climbers try to conquer the highest point of K2, however, many are forever lying on the snow-covered mountain. There are no porters/helpers, trails or routes and fixed ropes on the K2: In essence, you are on your own, setting your ropes, finding support, and pitching your tent along the way. The truth K2 is more dangerous than annapurna 3 times, than everest 4 times. Please be respectful of copyright. NIMS: All my team members feel like theyre a rock star, and its so good to see the big smile on my team. So when comparing Everest versus K2, they are very, very different. Hurricane-force winds sweep in, forcing everyone to hunker down in their tents. And in a couple of days, theyre ready to make the final push to the historic summit. I saw my friend Gerards boots falling among the blocks of ice and snow, said Confortola. And I go for my nations. All these added up leaves you exhausted even before you get halfway. Check it out on Nimss Instagram account: @nimsdai. K2s most popular ascent route is known as the Abruzzi Spur, or southeast ridge, which extends an extraordinary 3,311 metres (about 10,860 feet) towards the summit. GWIN: Mingma G. would hear his father and uncles talk about expeditions to several of the eight-thousandersincluding Lhotse and Dhaulagiri, where his father had climbed with the legendary Italian climber Reinhold Messner. Extreme 'ghostly' particles detected in our galaxy, A self-guided campervanning safari through South Africa & Eswatini, How to plan a walking tour of Charles Rennie Mackintosh's Glasgow, An expert's guide to the wilds of Costa Rica, Copyright 1996-2015 National Geographic Society, Copyright 2015-2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. This makes ascent a challenging task for daring climbers. Climbing mountains is hard enough. I'm not going to disagree. These are scary, since you dont always spot them, The key differences between rock climbing and mountain climbing are the gear requirements, environmental risk, geographical locations, weather and. Just to give you some background here. GWIN: Why do you think that was, that that peak stayed unclimbed in winter? So I could go summit earlier than they do. GWIN: More Polish climbers started going to the high mountains in winter. Its nicknamed Savage Mountain. Unlike Mount Everest, you cant simply hike to the top. GWIN: In 1980 Zawada led an expedition to climb Everest in thewinter. GWIN: Mingma G. was among the climbers who wanted to claim that prize. According to NASA's Earth Observatory, Annapurna I the 10th-highest mountain is the most dangerous to climb, with a fatality rate of 32% as of 2012. Happy adventures! In the immediate aftermath of the accident, the accounts of the survivors verged on incoherent, and their various stories could not be reconciled. Some heartrending stories also emerged from the disaster. K2 rises in an extremely rugged and remote part of Pakistan, near the border with China. Mountain K2 is the Himalayan equivalent of the siren because of its alluring appearance. . MINGMA G.: It was so difficult to find a way through the crevasse. Most of the time, it is best to practice on lower mountains. #2. GWIN: Even when he found some climbers who wanted to go with him, their wives thought it was way too risky. They might lose their fingers and blah, blah, blah, lots of these things. K2 is more difficult to climb in winter, and so far, the first set of winter climbers were recorded just this year. Overall, the Everest climbing experience is relatively straightforward. 2. Mount Everest Is the 10th-Deadliest Mountain in the Himalayas In mountaineering, history remembers those who reached the summit first. As the climbers move into the Death Zone, above 8,000 meters, most of them start using their bottled oxygen, but Mingma G. discovers a major problem: His regulator isnt working, and he isnt getting enough oxygen. MINGMA G.: I sat on my back and spent almost like an hour just having sunrays on my body just to make myself a warm. And he and his team headed to Pakistan. MCDONALD: I think what, in a way, what were talking about is winter climbing in the high mountains, in the Himalaya, in the Karakoram. PETER GWIN (HOST): Were high on a snowy mountain in Pakistan, where a group of Nepalese climbers are struggling through harsh winds. MINGMA G.: We lived our life under a candlelight, like work every day, working on a field, just growing potatoes. Your email address will not be published. With a historic winter summit of Pakistans K2 in his sights, Nirmal Nims Purjawills his oxygen-starved body upward. Its just mountaineering in the coldest season of the year. I was on the wrong side of the mountain, he said. GWIN: But, there were several huge obstacles before he even set foot on the mountain. The cliffs of K2 have an extremely steep slope (above 45 degrees). GWIN: As badly as he wants to make history for his country, Mingma G. makes a difficult decision: Hell give up the climb. He argues it would be safer, but also it will increase the chances that it will be a Nepali who claims the first winter ascent of K2. Why Annapurna Is So Dangerous? MINGMA G.: We have oxygen at 7,000 meter. And the worst is that it is out of reach for air-raids or medical assistance. Top FAQs About K2 From a No Oxygen Summiter - Eddiebauer This season more climbers than ever will attempt to summit the world's second tallest peak, which is more difficult and dangerous than Everest. To me, they were stupid and reckless beyond all limits. Even the great Tirolean mountaineer Reinhold Messner railed against purported K2 package deals luring beginners to the mountain, and concluded that something like this is just pure stupidity.. Then, theres the approach to K2: a glacier. GWIN: So the teams begin climbing the mountain, hauling bottles of oxygen, tents, sleeping bags, and coils of rope. by Tiffany | Oct 6, 2022 | Climbing | 0 comments The most dangerous mountain to climb is Mount Everest. #14. But doing it in winter? Its torture. First, because of COVID, his guiding business had been slow, and especially bad for a mountaineer about to tackle the climb of his life, he was out of shape. MCDONALD: I'm still trying to figure Nims out, actually. It was a big moment. The huge ice serac looming near the summit is the clearest objective danger as it can release large parts with zero notice falling directly on the most popular route. Interested in an electric car? The steepness is the obstacles that are on the way up, such as alpines, glaciers, and ice. So he has to keep going. After reaching K2s summit in winter, the first all-Nepali team to claim an 8,000-meter climbing record celebrates at Base Camp. Lastly, there are no Sherpas or teahouses. You can risk a no oxygen adventure on Everest, but it is advisable to come prepared with your oxygen kit. And that definitely has kind of a start date, a start person. Nims is throwing a party. Why K2 is More Dangerous Than Everest | Five Reasons Explained Epic Adventure Archives 2.23K subscribers Subscribe 142 Share 3.2K views 1 month ago #Everest #K2 #8000k When it comes. American climber George Bell enshrined K2s reputation and a nickname that stuck after a 1953 summer attempt during which he and his team members nearly plunged to their deaths. 8. In comparison, K2 is a properly lonely mountain. But then along comes Andrzej Zawada, a Polish climber. Whats surprising to me is that unlike many of the guys he climbs with, he didnt really grow up in the high mountains. At this point, Mingma G. and Nims, as the team leaders, could claim the right to be the first ones on the summit. One of the worst accidents in. The time is coming., What or who, in the initial analysis, was to blame for this disaster? All rights reserved. What the hellclimbing is dangerous., Additional reporting by P. Kirkpatrick Reardon; Map by Haisam Hussein, with photograph by Mike Farris, Copyright 1996-2015 National Geographic SocietyCopyright 2015-2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. All rights reserved, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Altitude In 1986, one satellite reading indicated that the K2 peak was higher than Everest, about 11m. There is no need to even comment about how tough it is. MCDONALD: What happened in Poland was that they missed out on all the big firsts, because they were in postWorld War II situation, which didnt allow them to travel. Commentdocument.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a00199417ecfe4f141de0898153989f5" );document.getElementById("d4f449141b").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. And without paying clients, the funding was all on him, so eventually Mingma G. mortgaged a piece of land he owned. On New Years Eve, Mingma G. and his team return down the mountain to rest and analyze the weather forecasts, when they get a strange invitation. Here are some reasons why K2 is a more dangerous climb than Everest and is basically unconquerable except by the exceptionally brave souls: Pakistan Tourism Packages. Conquering the Everest vs. K2 peaks is the ambition of many adventurers. GWIN: And then theres the Death Zonethe region above 8,000 meters, which is slightly higher than 26,000 feetwhere the air gets so thin that humans cant survive for long without bottled oxygen. Sometimes, you know, you will not have a good day at all, but if you think, Oh, its a shit day, if you just think negative about it, youre not going to progress. MINGMA G.: I started working on my body because I need to be like a little more slim and more like, um, more energetic. GWIN: K2 is shorter than Mount Everest, by about two football fields, but its far more difficult to climb, reserved for only the most seasoned mountaineers. So the winds apparently are horrendous on K2, more so than, say, on Everest. K2, a mountain in the Kashmir region of Asia, is the second highest peak on Earth and yet more dangerous than Mount Everest, especially in the winter. MyTrailFork.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. MINGMA G.: It was one of the most beautiful moment of my life. 2008 brought on one of the greatest tragedies in mountaineering history when 11 climbers died on K2 in a single day. But to be one of the most excellent climbers, you must conquer K2. Extreme weather condition and temperature: A successful climb on K2 will be from lots of luck and minor skill due to the unpredictable weather condition. What gets a little harder to understand is why anybody would want to do it. When you have a look at the list of fatalities on K2, you will see some very prominent, highly accomplished mountaineers among them, which is a really scary thought. 9. There was a time when only passion and bravery are required to climb mountains but not anymore. MINGMA G.: Because people from all over the world, they hire Nepalese Sherpa for climbing 8,000-meter peak, right? Why K2 Is More Dangerous Than Everest? Odds are worse in winter. How Many People Have Lost Their Lives on K2? Because there have been, therell be nobody to help on the mountain, besides helping each other. For reflections on the risks of mountaineering, listen to our recent episode about the tragic story of the late renowned climber Alex Lowe. Whitney Johnson is the director of visuals and immersive experiences. GWIN: Despite what would seem to be a career-ending injury, his father continued working as a climbing guide. On K2, the only guarantee is that something will go wrong.. K2, although lower than Mount Everest, is considered one of the worlds most dangerous and challenging mountains. Other names K2 are known as the mountaineers mountain, the king of mountains, etc. The mountain is covered in deep snow all year round. The climbers whose names will be etched into the mountaineering record books include (clockwise from top left): Pem Chhiri Sherpa, Mingma David Sherpa, Mingma Gyalje Sherpa (center), Gelje Sherpa, Dawa Temba Sherpa, Kilu Pemba Sherpa, Sona Sherpa, Mingma Tenzi Sherpa (front), Nims, and Dawa Tenjin Sherpa. This podcast is a production of National Geographic Partners. K2, a mountain in the Kashmir region of Asia, is the second highest peak on Earth and yet more dangerous than Mount Everest, especially in the winter . I think this is one of the hardest climb we have ever made. Between its first ascent in 1954 and 2007, only 284 climbers reached K2s summit, while 66 died on the mountain. GWIN: One by one, the Nepalis gather just below the last slope that leads to the top. After that, I, it was like, kind of more interest in climbing. Climbing K2 is far more technical than Everest, particularly when going up the Bottleneck. McDonnell, the first Irishman to climb K2, had left a farewell note on his online blog upon leaving base camp, a phrase in Gaelic that translates as Thats all for now, friends. So, what makes K2 so dangerous? 3. Furthermore, you dont get a steep climb every day. 1. 1. I'm just curious about this. Upon further analysis, however, this years K2 disaster bore no resemblance to the storm-generated fiasco on Everest in 1996. MINGMA G.: Like one of my Sherpa, he said like, he cannot, he cannot go because he doesnt, he doesnt want to his lose body parts. Episode 5: Summiting the world's most dangerous mountain For professional climbers, its more like a trip than climbing or an expedition. End of story, right? Controversial oil drilling paused in Namibian wilderness, Dolphin moms use 'baby talk' with their calves, Nevada is crawling with swarms of smelly 'Mormon crickets'. GWIN: Partying and then immediately heading up the mountain seems like a bad idea to Mingma G. His team needs to rest before they start their climb. We have been able to give clarity on the topic, which says it is k2 higher than Everest. #12. Of course the pope was Polish, but nevertheless, they had a letter from the pope. You really never know what you will face, so you cant count on a lull in the weather giving you the window you need to reach the summit and get back to safety. Why is K2 So Deadly? GWIN: The important thing, Mingma G. says, is that the summit is claimed for Nepal. K2 is situated farther north than Everest, making for incredibly foul weather thats highly unpredictable. You need to have certain, you know, mindset. Curious about those Polish climbers who started this winter climbing craze? Or if you just think in everything, you can always see positiveness. K2 being slightly shorter than Mt Everest has probably prevented And only one has succeeded, just last month, when 10 Nepalese climbers reached the summit on January 16. No matter where you come from, rescue expeditions above 6000m are challenging. You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings. GWIN: So you guys are there to climb a mountain. Due to the frequency at which Everest is climbed, the routes are very well laid out. I would go summit like 10, 20 steps earlier than other members. We all know that the weather in the mountains is always unpredictable, and some mountains are more unpredictable than others. Another risk on Mount Everest is natural disasters such as avalanches or ice breaks. I actually caught up with Nims by phone briefly last year when he was in Kathmandu between expeditions. As of 2021, only approximately 380 people have completed the ascent to its summit. Do we need to prepare differently to climb k2 and Everest? But K2 has a seeming elevation that makes it look higher than Everest. At one point at a rather high altitude, where you are already oxygen-starved, you will face the Motivator crossing below a vast hanging glacier. Moreover, about 200 bodies remain on the mountain because of the difficulty in recovering them. Manage Settings I was lost. Science Following is a transcript of the video. If you like what you hear and you want to support more content like this, please rate and review us in your podcast app and please consider a National Geographic subscription. It takes about 75 days to climb the K2. Why Is K2 So Dangerous - WHYIENJOY K2 means Karakoram 2. Because Everest is more plied, climbers already leave marks, trails, and routes as markers for subsequent climbers. Mountaineering vs. Rock Climbing The Differences? It also has less slope than K2, making it easier for you to climb. So, even before you get to the mountain, you have to dig deep for grit and stamina. Why K2 is hard to climb mountain? - Doodle Folks . As difficult as the ascent is, the descent is even deadlier, said Vanessa OBrien, the first American-British woman to successfully climb K2. Moreover, there are more avalanches in the K2 area than on mount Everest. Such uncertainties are common in big-range mountaineering. Steep climbs are not something you often face during the entire journey. Everest is more popular, making it very easy to identify a company with paid guides willing to take you up the mountain. Also, support is not nearly available, and the mortality rate is also higher. But in January 2021, a group of Nepali climbers attempted to accomplish what people thought was impossible. This means that there are no fixed ropes and no short-roped clients. K2 is located in a very remote and deserted area, and the base camp trek alone is a significant task before the climb. Why Is K2 So Difficult to Climb? On the other hand, K2, the second-highest mountain in the world, stands at a height of 8,611 meters (28,251 ft) above sea level. And I think that made me bring more closer to him. There were so many moments when I thought I saw a climber and thought I heard voices, but I knew there couldnt be people there. Van Rooijen missed Camp IV altogether but ultimately crawled into Camp III, where teammates revived him. If you are a human, do not fill in this field. Nims increased the difficulty by climbing without bottled oxygen. He knew he was a competitor to me. That gives your fitness direction when the situation changes as you ascend. While Dren Mandic, a Serb, and Jehan Baig, a Pakistani, fell to their deaths during the ascent, at least 18 made it to the top.
