I am an arm chair mountaineer who has read a lot of books about mountain climbing. Montgomery was the surveyor who assigned the peak this designation in 1856. Haramukh 125 miles to the south, noted two prominent peaks to the north, calling them k1 and k2. This documentary tells the story of our successful climb of k2 via the abruzzi spur on july 31 2012. K2, at 8,611 metres above sea level, is the second highest mountain in the world, after mount everest at 8,848 metres. Soaring 8,612 meters 28,253 feet into the sky, k2 is a mountain in the karakoram range that crosses the border of china and pakistan. These rugged snowy peaks make mining difficult, which is why this special stone is extremely rare and hard to find. The first two chapters of the book recount k2s initial exploration and early climbs. Although the subtitle refers to k2 as the worlds most dangerous mountain, the subtitle of a more recent viesturs book calls annapurna the worlds deadliest peak. The classic true story of disaster and survival on the worlds second highest mountain paperback. The epic saga of the first ascent, draws on those interviews, as well as newly released diaries and letters, to take us inside the obsessions, feuds, and acts of. On the other hand, k2 is a really serious mountainmore serious than everest in some respectsand climbers whose ambitions dont match their experience, i think, can get in over their heads. The chinese call the mountain qogir meaning great mountain, while balti locals call it kechu. Life and death on the worlds most dangerous mountain 1 by ed viesturs isbn.
For climbers, it is extremely challengingover one threeyear period, 15 expeditions attacked k2 without putting a single climber on its summit. Buy the ghosts of k2 reprint by mick conefrey isbn. The first successful ascent was by an italian expedition in 1954. Why k2 brings out the best and worst in those who climb it. I have been to baltoro glacier and concordia few times in past 25 years. Thomas montgomerie made the first survey of the karakoram from mount haramukh, some miles to the south, and sketched the two most prominent peaks, labeling them k1 and k2. It is located on the chinapakistan border between baltistan in the gilgitbaltistan region of northern pakistan, and the taxkorgan tajik autonomous county of xinjiang, china. While the name was rejected by the royal geographical society, it was used on several maps and continues to be used occasionally. The savage mountain by charles houston and robert bates charles houston the author led the 1953 american bid to be the first to reach the top of the second highest mountain in the world, k2, and be the first to reach the top of an 8,000meter peak. The adventure was full of peril and houstons book was full of harrowing moments. K2, at 8,611 metres 28,251 ft above sea level, is the second highest mountain in the world. Montgomerie with k designating the karakoram range and 2 since it was the second peak listed. To the mountaineer, k2 can be regarded as the mountain of mountains.
Free delivery on book orders dispatched by amazon over. At that time, the surveyors gave each mountain a simple label of k followed by a number. But k2 is so remote even today its 75 miles from the nearest village that there wasnt an agreed local name. K2 is the only major mountain in the world which has surveyors notation as its common name k stands for karakoram, 2 means it was the second peak listed. Houses chimney, named after 1938 team member bill house, who led the route up it. It is believed that the mountain is harder to climb than mount everest because of its very bad weather. It is 8,611 metres high and is located in the karakoram range on the border of china and pakistan. With the mountain lacking a local name, the name mount godwinausten was suggested, in honor of henry godwinausten, an early explorer of the area. Vanessa obrien, a 52yearold exmorgan stanley banker from new york, on july 28 became the first american woman to summit pakistans k2, the worlds second highest mountain at 28,251 feet.
They arrived in pakistan in late may to maximize their chances. The author gives a fascinating account of the attempts to climb k2. Fred sanders at 28,251 feet, the worlds secondtallest mountain, k2 thrusts skyward out of the karakoram range of northern pakistan. K2 is a rocky mountain up to 6000 meters, beyond which it becomes an ocean of snow. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. Nickname is the savage mountain k2 is nicknamed the savage mountain for its severe weather. This winter, a group will attempt k2, the worlds most dangerous mountain. Watanabe had been part of 10person japanese team, which had spent the last two years preparing for k2. Montgomerie of the survey of india, and it was given the symbol k2 because it was the second peak measured in the karakoram range. So remote it doesnt even have a real name, k2 is, at 28,251 feet, the worlds secondbiggest mountain. The name is from the original survey designation of peaks in the karakoram by the british 19th century survey of india, which first surveyed k2 in 1856. Other names for the mountain are chhogori and kechu.
As you would expect from the name, this book is about climbing k2, one of the highest mountains, and technically way more difficult than mt everest. A frozen corpse discovered on the slopes of the worlds second highest mountain, the pakistani peak of k2, has finally shed light on one of the last great mysteries of climbing history the. Also occasionally known as chhogori, or mount godwinausten, other nicknames for k2 are the king of mountains and the mountaineers mountain, as well as the mountain of mountains after climber reinhold messner titled his book about k2 the same. Then they would give it a local name, like gasherbrum or kanjut sar. K2, also known as mount godwin austen or chhogori is the second highest mountain in the world, after mount everest, at 8,611 meters 28,251 feet above sea level it is just 237 meters 777 feet shorter than mt. The incredible story of k2 is ironic in the sense that, for such a fearsome and famous mountain, it literally has no name.
Its about a wife who ran away from her husband and had his daughter. In the second fatality of the k2 season, japanese climber kojiro watanabe has died while descending from his successful summit bid. The name k2 came from the first survey of karakoram. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. K2 simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. It is said by the climbers that the weather around k2. K2 is the second highest mountain in the world, after mount everest. K2 is notable for its local relief as well as its total height. Haramouk 5,142m, which the locals considered the home of the god shiva, montgomerie spotted two prominent peaks about 200km to the north, in the socalled. Its about ed viesturs climb of k2, plus a look back at other expeditions that tackled the 2nd highest mountain in the world. K2 is the second highest mountain in the world, at 8,611 metres 28,251 ft. A climbers guide to the second tallest mountain k2. When eleven climbers died on k2 on august 1, 2008, it was a stark reminder that the worlds secondhighest mountain has, for more than a century, been regarded as the most difficult and dangerous of all.
The k2 peak is situated on the pakchina border in the mighty karakoram range. K2s difficulties begin with its remoteness, reflected by the fact that the balti hill people dont even have a. A name for k2 is chogori, derived from balti words chhogo ri, meaning large mountain. I realize that i dont get to have an opinion, since i am reading these books from the comfort of my home and have hiked exactly 0 8000m peaks, but i liked reading about his opinions and experiences.
It is also known as mount godwinausten or chhogori. Francis younghusband, the heart of a continent, 1896, yakushi y27 1892 british conway. With christine barnes, hoselito bite, walter bonatti, marco confortola. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. The secondhighest mountain on earth is called k2 and is located on the border of china and pakistan. The name k2 is derieved from the name of mountain range karakoram. The name k2 was given in 1852 by british surveyor t. Scaling the worlds most lethal mountain, in the dead of. The following is a list of books about k2, a mountain in the karakorum range between pakistan and china, listed by expedition date. For reasons of history and culture, polish climbers are among the worlds most audacious. Ketu and rahu are the lunar nodes in hindu mythology and have been connected to the galactic center through the exaltation of the south node in sagittarius which is where the galactic center is located, as. These were the six visible peaks from his station on mount haramukh in kashmir. Everest 8,848 meters, many people assume that the name k2 is due to its silvermedal standing.
It is located partly in china and partly in pakistan. Martin conway, climbing and exploration in the karakoram himalayas, 1894, yakushi c336a. Situated on the border of pakistan and china, it is commonly known as the savage mountain due to its difficult ascent and high fatality rate. Our challenging route takes us onto the well documented abruzzi spur. Heroine who was damsel in the distress, had a daughter and had some power. Once, a fierce storm trapped them at altitude for 22 days. The story of the deadliest day on the worlds most dangerous mountain, when 11 climbers mysteriously perished on k2. His simple sketch detailed the two most prominent peaks of the karakoram range as k1 and. Ed viesturs is a renowned mountaineer, has climbed all 14 8000 meter peaks, and is also a good writer. The mountains name comes from a survey made of the region in the 19th century. Mick conefrey delivers the definitive account of the savage mountain. The name mount godwin austen is for the peaks first surveyor, col. Its allure arises from the combination of its isolation, extremes of weather, great altitude and technical climbing demands.
Life and death on the worlds most dangerous mountain by ed. The peaks were surveyed from a high point 200 km away in kashmir, which was typical for the ti. K2 is pronounced ketu by the locals, but one of its real names in the local balti language is chogori, which means king of the mountains. K2 is the second highest mountain in the world, with a peak rising 28,251 feet 8611m above sea level.
Life and death on the worlds most dangerous mountain was my next step on my recent nonfiction mountaineering kick after finishing jon krakauer s into thin air. Melting snows shed new light on k2s great mystery world. With the mountain lacking a local name, the name mount godwinausten was suggested, in honor of henry. During an 1850s survey of india, thomas montgomerie named 6 peaks in the karakoram range k1 through k6. Life and death on the worlds most dangerous mountain. K2 is the highest point of the karakoram range and the highest point in both pakistan and xinjiang. Why is the secondhighest mountain in the world called k2. The name k2 is derived from the notation used by the great trigonometric survey. Climbers regard it as the ultimate achievement in mountaineering, with good. Most mountains have resonant, poetic names like the matterhorn or.
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