K2

K2 is the second highest mountain in the world after Mount Everest. K2 is part of the Karakoram Range and is located on the China-Pakistan border. K2 is known as the Savage Mountain due to the difficulty of ascent and has the 2nd highest climber fatality rate among the 8000 meter peaks (after Annapurna). K2 has never been climbed in winter. K2 is notable for its local relief as well as its total height. It stands over 3,000 metres above much of the glacial valley bottoms at its base. More extraordinary is the fact that it is a consistently steep pyramid, dropping quickly in almost all directions. The north side is the steepest: there it rises over 3,200 metres above the K2 Glacier in only 3,000 metres of horizontal distance. The mountain experiences extreme storms of several days' duration, which have resulted in many of the deaths on the peak. All routes on the mountain are steep, exposed, and committing, which makes retreat more difficult. The extreme height means there's only one third as much oxygen available to a climber on the summit of K2 as there is at sea level. All in all, K2 is an extremely difficult peak to bag.