#Savagemountain
Reaching the summit of K2 in winter had never been done before. In January, a group of mountaineers – professionals, amateurs, social media adventurers – attempted it. It ended in #triumph… and tragedy
Monday 15 March 2021
Why this file?
In the world of mountaineering, a “first” is the holy grail. Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay were the first to summit Everest. Junko Tabei was the first woman to reach the peak; Reinhold Messener the first to climb it without oxygen. History will forever remember their names. But since summit fever of the 50s and 60s, the firsts are running out – and the ones that are left are the truly treacherous climbs, the sites of many failed expeditions, and many deaths. Which brings us to K2 in the winter of 2021 – and the story of a risky expedition that has divided the mountaineering world. It’s a remarkable story, in which the competing pressures of national glory, big sponsorship deals and “adventure influencers” all collided on one of the world’s most dangerous mountains. It’s a story of triumph, and of tragedy, and a very contemporary parable about risk in the age of social media.
Basia Cummings, Editor
