K2

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K2 is the second-highest mountain on Earth (after Mount Everest) With a peak elevation of 8,611 metres (28,251 ft). K2 is part of the Karakoram range located on the border between Gilgit, in Gilgit-Baltistan of Pakistan and the Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County of Xinjiang, China. K2 is just 237 m (778 ft) smaller than the 8,848 m (29,029 ft) tall Mount Everest.

K2 is known as the Savage Mountain due to the difficulty of ascent and the 2nd highest fatality rate among the 'eight thousanders' for those who climb it. For every four people who have reached the summit, one has died trying. Unlike Annapurna, the mountain with the highest fatality rate, K2 has never been climbed in winter.

All major climbing routes lie on the Pakistani side, which is also where the base camp "Abruzzi Spur" is located. Base camp Abruzzi Spur was named after first attempted by Luigi Amedeo, Duke of the Abruzzi in 1909.

There are a number of routes on K2, of somewhat different character, but they all share some key difficulties of extreme high altitude, lack of oxygen, extreme storms of several days, the steep, exposed, and committing nature of all routes on the mountain.

Three hollywood movies have featured K2.

Vertical Limit, 2000

K2, 1992

Karakoram & Himalayas, 2007