News: Deadly K2 Accident Ties For Second Worst in Himalayan History

Text by Kirkpatrick Reardon
Photograph courtesy Charley Mace, showing Ed Viesturs traversing K2's Bottleneck

News Updates:
NG Adventure Blog: K2 Survivor Wilco van Rooijen, In His Own Words

New York Times: Chaos on the ‘Mountain That Invites Death’

NPR: Climber Barely Missed K2 Avalanche

K2climb.net: ExWeb special: A magic mountain named K2

L.A. Times: Dutch K2 survivor describes chaos after avalanche

Bloomberg.com: Italian Climber Reaches K2 Base Camp, Will Be Flown to Hospital

Mounteverest.net: K2: Fredrik Strang's tale of Pakistani guide's fatal fall

More About K2 From National Geographic ADVENTURE:

David Roberts's "The Bitter Legacy"

Time Line: The First Ascent of K2

K2 Vs. Everest Fast Facts

***

Eleven are feared dead after a serac collapsed last Friday near the summit of 28,250-foot K2, located in the Karakoram of northern Pakistan and arguably the most deadly mountain on Earth.

"At this point, the various reports are so mutually contradictory that some of them have to be wrong," says Contributing Editor David Roberts, who regularly reports on mountaineering for the magazine (read his feature "The Bitter Legacy" about the first ascent of K2). "However, if indeed 11 people died in a single event, that would make this the second worst Himalayan tragedy in history. The worst occurred when 16 climbers were killed in an avalanche on Nanga Parbat in 1937—seven Germans and nine porters." In 1986, 13 climbers died on K2, but in a series of storms and accidents, not a single event.

The Accident
Taking advantage of clear skies and low winds last Friday, 22 climbers pushed along the Southeast ridge to the summit of the mountain. But on their way back down, a large block of ice broke loose in a steep couloir at 8,200 feet.

"I can't be sure, but my guess is that the serac that collapsed was this big ice cliff hanging over the Bottleneck, which, while climbing K2 in 1992, I jokingly called the Motivator—the idea being that you want to get out from under it as soon as possible," says alpinist Ed Viesturs, the first U.S. citizen to climb the world's 14 highest peaks. The avalanche demolished the fixed ropes used for traversing the Bottleneck, the most dangerous section of the mountain. "We still don't know what really happened, but some of the climbers reached the summit as late as 8 p.m. I can imagine them coming down exhausted and counting on the fixed ropes. When the ropes where gone, it's possible some waited for daylight and a few, perhaps, tried to down climb the difficult terrain, but fell off," says Viesturs.

Nine, including the first Irishman to ever make the summit, were stranded overnight above the Bottleneck. Today, the Pakistani military scrambled two helicopters to assist with the rescue, helping to recover two Dutch mountaineers. K2climb.net just reported that two missing Austrian climbers arrived at base camp.

"If this disaster was triggered by climbers being stranded above the Bottleneck after a collapsing serac took out the fixed ropes," notes Roberts, "then I can't think of a comparable death trap in mountaineering history."

Comments

[Hermes Birkin]

Really liked your article, very exciting, and gives a lot of thinking, I hope you can see more of your article, thank you

[Burberry Sale]

Thank you for your artice, it is wonderful. Wish you have a happy day.

[Gemstone Jewelry]

I am a fan of this website and I will come back again. Thanks for taking your time to write suc a great article and inform all of us.

[life is good womens tee shirts]

Its always good to get some hints like you share for blog posting. Thanks for your interesting posts and keep on writing blog postings in such a high quality manner.

[Computer Accessories]

Wow! This can be one particular of the most beneficial blogs we have ever arrived across on this subject. Actually Magnificent. I am also a specialist in this topic so I can understand your hard work.

[tyre prices]

the intent of your blog. Please post more such as this so to inspire readers. THanks!

[Cheap Insurance Broker]

most especially the intent of your blog. Please post more such as this so to inspire readers. THanks!

[Lowara pumps]

Hi Admin. These activities may look dangerous but for them it spells FUN and thrilling. Only, they should do this with extreme caution.

[holiday apartments in vienna austria]

The goal, as stated by the Society of Extreme Bathers, is "to bathe in as precarious and picturesque a spot as possible."

[Halloween contacts]

They should have complete protective gears to avoid accidents resulting to serious injuries and worst death.

[music to run to]

Why I can said that, because this article really different with others. Many people can write easily, but they can’t write as good as your article.

[versatables.com]

I am a fan of this website and I will come back again. Thanks for taking your time to write suc a great article and inform all of us.

[business card printing]

Good day. This place is so deadly if you would ask me. But for daredevils, they find this thrilling and exciting.

[Aircraft For Sale]

Your blog seriously brought some items to light which i never would have believed about ahead of reading through it

[phone answering service for small business]

I really appreciate the way you write, most especially the intent of your blog. Please post more such as this so to inspire readers. THanks!

[payday loans]

This post shows the information which is close to standard. Hope next You will again post a nice Article/Information.

[irish rings]

our article was really interesting! I find that the new health care bill is very interesting and you really explained it well. I am a fan of this website and I will come back again. Thanks for taking your time to write suc a great article and inform all of us.

[payday loans]

The goal, as stated by the Society of Extreme Bathers, is "to bathe in as precarious and picturesque a spot as possible."

[silver snowflake earrings]

Yes, the main aim is for webmasters to submit their sites to gain links and hopefully higher ranking on the search engines. Hope this answers your question, I am kind of new on the forums and still trying to gain knowledge.

[pos system]

I know so a great deal a lot more about this than I did previous to. Your blog seriously brought some items to light which i never would have believed about ahead of reading through it

[dog training sunshine]

Hi Admin. I really admire these daredevils. Putting their lives on the lines just for the sake of their hobby. I wish nothing worst will happen to them.

[kaira bliss]

What they are doing is extremely dangerous! They should have complete protective gears to avoid accidents resulting to serious injuries and worst death.

[buy product online]

What they are doing is extremely dangerous! They should have complete protective gears to avoid accidents resulting to serious injuries and worst death.

[product search]

What they are doing is extremely dangerous. They should have complete protective gears to avoid injuries and worst death.

[buy product online]

People should really value life more than anything else. It should always comes first. This is a gift from God, then we are to value this gift until the day that he will take it from us.