I’ve never climbed in my life, never had any intention of climbing and probably never will; quite a bold statement considering the subject matter on review! Don’t get me wrong I don’t have anything against climbing; in fact, I have a great deal of respect and admiration for mountaineers who risk their lives in the name of adventure and dreams. “No Way Down:Life and Death on K2”, written by New York Times journalist Graham Bowley, looks back on that fateful day in early August 2008 when so many lives were lost ascending and descending K2.
K2, along with Everest has always captured my imagination and until I read this book I was always under the distinct impression that the pinnacle of any mountaineering career was to conquer Everest, the highest mountain on earth it stands to reason it’s the hardest to climb. However, as Bowley writes it appears that K2 is a tougher and more dangerous climb despite being 778 feet lower than Everest.
“Yet K2′s deadliness was part of the attraction. For a serious climber with ambition, K2 was the ultimate prize. K2 had retained an aura of mysteryand danger and remained the mountaineer’s mountain. Only 278 people had ever stood on K2′s summit, in contrast to the thousands who made it to the top of Everest.”
Also known as The Savage Mountain, K2 has a peak elevation of 8,611 metres (28,251 ft) and is part of the Karakoram Range located on the border between China and Pakistan. Thomas Montgomerie made the first survey of the Karakoram from Mount Haramukh, some 130 miles (210 km) to the south, and sketched the two most prominent peaks, labelling them K1 and K2. For every four people who have reached the summit, one has died trying.
One thing that …
