Northwest Ridge

The Abruzzi Spur is the standard and by far the most frequently climbed route on K2. It is a long, serious high-altitude alpine route with major objective hazards, especially avalanche-prone slopes, rockfall, and the exposed Bottleneck beneath seracs near the upper mountain.

The North Ridge is a major documented route on K2 from the Chinese side. It is a very serious high-altitude climb with complex glacier travel, steep mixed sections, and severe weather exposure.

The South-Southwest Pillar is a named technical line on K2, known from expedition reports and climbing literature. It is a steep, highly committing route with difficult mixed and rock climbing, objective hazards, and very limited traffic.