The second-highest mountain on Earth
K2 rises to 8,611 m (28,251 ft), about 240 m lower than Everest. A Pakistani–Italian expedition measured 8,609.02 m by satellite in 2014, but 8,611 m remains the figure on maps. What makes K2 famous is less its height than its shape and difficulty: it is a steep pyramid that stands more than 3,000 m above the glaciers at its foot, and on the north side it gains over 3,200 m in only 3,000 m of horizontal distance. It is the highest point of Pakistan and of the Karakoram, the most prominent peak in that range, and the Asian entry among the "Seven Second Summits", the second-highest peaks of each continent.
K2 is also known as the "Mountain of Mountains", a phrase made popular by Reinhold Messner, and as the "Savage Mountain". By August 2023 an estimated 800 people had reached the summit and 96 had died trying. Its east face and north face have never been climbed.
Where it is and how to get there
K2 lies in the Baltoro Muztagh of the Karakoram, in the Shigar district of Gilgit-Baltistan on the Pakistani side and in Taxkorgan County of Xinjiang on the Chinese side. All the main climbing routes and the busy base camp are in Pakistan, inside the Central Karakoram National Park. The north side, reached by crossing the Shaksgam River in China, sees at most a couple of teams in a season.
The gateway is Skardu (about 2,230 m). Pakistan International Airlines flies there from Islamabad in about an hour, but only in clear weather; by road along the Karakoram Highway the journey can take up to 36 hours, often broken in Gilgit. From Skardu a jeep road leads through the Shigar and Braldu valleys to Askole (about 3,050 m), the last village, about six hours away; with a new bridge finished, many groups now drive on to Jhola and start walking there. K2 is not visible from Askole at all.
The trek to K2 Base Camp and Concordia
The walk follows the Braldu River and then the Baltoro Glacier, with camping grounds at Jhola (3,200 m), Paiju (3,450 m), Urdukas (about 3,990 m), Goro II (about 4,380 m) and Concordia. Concordia, the confluence of the Baltoro and Godwin-Austen glaciers, lies at about 4,600–4,700 m (sources differ) and was named by Aleister Crowley in 1902 after a glacier junction in the Bernese Alps. From here K2 fills the head of the valley, with Broad Peak, the Gasherbrums, Masherbrum and the Trango Towers around it. A final four hours or so lead to K2 Base Camp at about 5,000 m and the Gilkey Memorial, a cairn covered with metal plates bearing the names of climbers who died on the mountain.
The round trip from Skardu takes 10–16 days and covers about 180 km. Instead of returning down the Baltoro, experienced trekkers can cross the Gondogoro La (about 5,585 m) to Hushe; this needs crampons, harness and ice axe, and fixed ropes are only in place in July and August. There are no lodges: from Askole on it is camping, with very basic shelters only at Askole and Hushe. Most groups travel with guides, cooks, porters and often horses or mules.
Climbing routes
Abruzzi Spur (southeast ridge). About three-quarters of all climbers use this route, first tried in 1909 by the Duke of the Abruzzi. Advanced Base Camp sits at about 5,250–5,400 m on the Godwin-Austen Glacier. Typical camps are Camp 1 at about 6,000–6,065 m, Camp 2 at about 6,650–6,700 m just above House's Chimney (a crack first climbed by Bill House and Robert Bates in 1938), Camp 3 at about 7,250–7,300 m above the rock and ice of the Black Pyramid, and Camp 4 on the Shoulder at about 7,600–7,900 m. The summit push then climbs the Bottleneck, a narrow couloir above 8,200 m directly under a wall of seracs, and traverses left beneath them before the final snow slopes. A serac collapse in the Bottleneck triggered the disaster of 1–2 August 2008, when eleven climbers died.
Other routes. The Cesen (Basque) route on the south-southeast spur avoids the Black Pyramid and joins the Abruzzi at the Shoulder. The long, corniced Northeast Ridge was climbed by Americans in 1978. The North Ridge on the Chinese side, first climbed by a Japanese team in 1982, is more technical. The Polish "Magic Line" on the southwest pillar (1986) has been repeated once, and the 1986 Polish Line on the south face by Jerzy Kukuczka and Tadeusz Piotrowski never.
Permits, costs and rules
Pakistan does not allow foreigners to trek to K2 independently: an approved guide is required, and the trekking visa needs a letter from a government-approved tour operator, which can take about four weeks. The operator pays the Central Karakoram National Park entry fee on the trekker's behalf. Climbing K2 requires a separate expedition permit, with a royalty per climber that depends on the season, plus insurance for porters and high-altitude staff; figures change, so check current rates with a licensed Pakistani operator. Even a minimally supported trek is expensive by Himalayan standards, and helicopter rescue, flown only by the Pakistani military, costs US$13,000–15,000.
When to go and weather
Most ascents of K2 are made in July and August, the warmest months. Because it lies about 8° of latitude farther north than Everest, the monsoon is weaker here but the weather is colder and less predictable, and storms lasting several days have caused many deaths. The trek is possible from June to September, best in July and August; outside that window winter conditions return. In winter the summit was −40 °C on the day of the first winter ascent.
Water on the trek
Running water is never far away on the Baltoro, because the route follows the glacier, but it is meltwater collected from streams fouled by animals and campsites. Infectious diarrhoea is the most common illness on the trek. Boil water properly or treat it with a filter and tablets, keep hands clean, and carry rehydration salts. Jhola, Paiju and Urdukas have toilets and washing water; higher up there are few facilities. Cooks on organised treks boil water for drinking; carry two litres between camps. At base camp and above, expeditions melt snow and ice.
Mobile coverage and internet
Skardu has mobile networks and Wi-Fi in cafés and hotels, but do not count on a mobile signal once you leave the road head: on the glacier and at base camp expeditions rely on satellite phones and satellite messengers, and trekking groups should carry one. Agree check-in times with your operator. In Pakistan call 1122 for rescue and ambulance and 15 for police; far from roads, evacuation depends on the operator and on military helicopters, so make sure your insurance covers it.
Altitude, dangers and safety
Before 2021 the death rate was roughly one fatality for every four summits, the worst of the five highest mountains. The main killers are storms, avalanches, falls on steep ground where retreat is slow, and the seracs above the Bottleneck. Major disasters occurred in 1986 (thirteen deaths in the season), 1995 (six) and 2008 (eleven). Since 2018 commercial teams with fixed ropes and bottled oxygen have changed the numbers: 2018 saw a record 62 summits, and on 22 July 2022 about 145 people reached the top in a single day, with some 200 in that season. The mountain still turns teams back: in 2026, after heavy snow and rockfall, nobody reached the summit. For trekkers the risks are altitude (base camp is at about 5,000 m and the Gondogoro La at about 5,585 m), rockfall on unstable trail sections and gut infections; aim to gain no more than 400 m of sleeping altitude a day.
History and name
In 1856 Thomas Montgomerie of the Great Trigonometrical Survey sketched the Karakoram from Haramukh in Kashmir, about 210 km away, and labelled two peaks K1 and K2. K1 turned out to have a local name, Masherbrum; K2 apparently had none, being hidden from the valleys. The name Chogori ("big mountain" in Balti) was later suggested and is the basis of the Chinese name Qogir, and "Mount Godwin-Austen" after an early explorer appears on some maps.
The first serious attempt was made in 1902 by Oscar Eckenstein and Aleister Crowley. The Duke of the Abruzzi reached about 6,250 m on the spur that now bears his name in 1909 and declared K2 unclimbable. American expeditions came close in 1938 and 1939, and in 1953 Pete Schoening's famous belay saved almost the entire team in a fall. The 1954 Italian expedition led by Ardito Desio succeeded: on 31 July Lacedelli and Compagnoni reached the summit using oxygen carried up by Walter Bonatti and the Hunza porter Amir Mehdi, who were forced to spend the night in the open above 8,000 m. Mehdi lost his toes to frostbite, and the truth about that night was acknowledged only decades later. The second ascent came in 1977 by a Japanese team that included Ashraf Aman, the first Pakistani on top; Wanda Rutkiewicz became the first woman to summit on 23 June 1986.
On 16 January 2021 ten Nepali climbers led by Nirmal Purja and Mingma Gyalje Sherpa stood on the summit together at −40 °C, completing the winter ascents of all fourteen eight-thousanders; Purja climbed without bottled oxygen.
Interesting facts
- A 1986 measurement briefly suggested K2 was higher than Everest; it was corrected in 1987, but the claim had already spread.
- In 2018 the Pole Andrzej Bargiel became the first person to ski from the summit to base camp.
- The mathematician André Weil named K3 surfaces partly in honour of the mountain.
- Balti speakers today also call the peak "Kechu" or "Ketu", a local rendering of K2.
FAQ
How high is K2? 8,611 m (28,251 ft), the second-highest mountain on Earth; a 2014 GPS survey gave 8,609 m.
How long does it take to climb K2? Many weeks: the approach from Skardu alone can take more than two weeks, followed by acclimatisation rotations and waiting for a weather window; summit day from Camp 4 on the Shoulder is long and committing.
How long is the trek to K2 Base Camp? About 10–16 days from Skardu and back, roughly 180 km, with camping all the way above Askole.
How difficult is K2? The climb is among the hardest of the eight-thousanders: steep rock and ice, the Bottleneck under seracs and severe weather. The trek is non-technical but long, rough and remote; the Gondogoro La variant needs glacier gear.
Do I need a permit and a guide? Yes. Foreigners must trek with an approved guide, obtain a trekking visa via a government-approved operator and pay the national park fee; climbers need an expedition permit with a seasonal royalty.
Is there water on the trek? Plenty of glacier streams, but the water is contaminated: always boil or filter and treat it.
Is there mobile coverage? Not on the glacier in practice; carry a satellite phone or messenger. Emergency numbers in Pakistan are 1122 (rescue) and 15 (police).
When is the best time to go? July and August for both climbing and trekking; the trekking season runs roughly from June to September.