The Russians are the toughest people, probably more than anybody else, but this time they’ve gone too far to demonstrate it…
This year a team formed by several prestigious Russian eight thousanders attempted what as of today is probably the most ambitioned climbing record, sadly yet to be achieved…
K2 is known as the Savage Mountain due to the difficulty of ascent and the second-highest fatality rate for those who climb it. For every four people who have reached the summit, one has died trying. And it’s said that whoever attempts to climb it doesn’t descend without paying its toll. It might be frostbitten body parts or the live of you climbing partner that you have to leave behind.
Unlike Annapurna, the mountain with the highest fatality rate, K2 has never been climbed in winter.
The Russian Expedition has lost few of its team members in the last few weeks, due to severe frostbite in hands and feet. And yesterday Vitaly Gorelik died in his tent at basecamp when his heart stopped beating after four days clinging to life. I don’t think many people can understand how extreme the conditions are up there, and how severe the suffering for each one of these tough Russian mountaineers has been for the last few weeks, while they tried to conquer one on the most extreme climbing challenges yet to be achieved.
May his soul rest in peace…
Unlimited Potential, Up to 8000m 