With a peak elevation of 28,251 ft, K2 is the second tallest mountain on Earth, second from Mount Everest. It is part of the Karakoram Range, and is located on the border between the Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County of Xinjiang, China, and Gilgit, in Gilgit-Baltistan of Pakistan. It’s name is derived from the notation used by the Great Trigonometric Survey. Thomas Montgomerie made the first survey of the Karakoram from Mount Haramukh, some 210 km to the south, and sketched the two most prominent peaks, labelling them K1 and K2.
Despite it’s natural and captivating beauty, K2 is known as the Savage Mountain. This title is due to the difficulty of ascent, severe weather and the 2nd highest fatality rate of climber. In fact, one in every four people who reached the summit died trying to climb it.
It is typically climbed in June, July, or August. The weather near the summit is very unpredictable and dangerous, especially during winter season. So dangerous that K2 has never been climbed in winter.
There are six major routes to have been climbed on the south side of the mountain: West Ridge, West Face, Southwest Pillar, South Face, South-southeast Spur, Abruzzi Spur. The north side is the steepest where is rises 10,499 ft in only 9,843 ft of horizontal distance.
K2′s very first successful climb to the summit was done by Italians named Achille Compagnoni and Lino Lacedelli in July 31, 1954.
