National Geographic - UK (2022-02)

Base Camp

Reached by Nepali

team16,274 ft Dec. 18, 2020

4,960 m

Ce

sen

ro

ute

2018

Cesen

because

NegrottoPass

Skilbrum24,147 ft

7,360 m

Summa Ri23,957 ft

7,302 m

22,497 ftAngel

6,857 m

20,978 ftNera

6,394 m

The summit of K2

sits 11,191 ft (3,411 m)

above Advanced

Base Camp.

Empire State

Building

A SUMMIT IN THE

DEADLIEST SEASON

Pakistan’s 28,251-foot behemoth, K2, is the world’s second
highest mountain, behind only Mount Everest. But K2 requires
far more technical skill to climb. Of the world’s 14 peaks higher
than 8,000 meters (26,247 feet), it was the only one never to
have been summited in winter. In December 2020, some 60
climbers from around the world gathered at Base Camp on
the Godwin Austen Glacier to try it. Two Nepali teams, led by
Nirmal “Nims” Purja and Mingma Gyalje “Mingma G.” Sherpa,
joined forces for the push up K2’s southeast face and Abruz zi
Spur—rendered here from satellite imagery by the German
Aerospace Center. On January 16, 2021, the 10 Nepali climbers
claimed K2’s first winter summit, the first all-Nepali record on
one of the top 14 peaks.

Savage

K2’s sum

stream

tempe

80°F an

a hund

typical

at the t

Waiting for a window

Other teams have attempted win-

ter summits but lacked the few

days of clear weather required to

reach the top and come down.

Some were never able to get

above Base Camp.

Nirmal “Nims” Purja Mingma Gyalje Sherpa