THE NORTH RIDGE
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MOST DIRECT
MOST STABLE
MOST SAFE
ROUTE ON K2
“K2 IS EVEREST SQUARED, THEY ARE NOT EVEN THE SAME SPORT” – CHRIS SZYMIC
THE NORTH RIDGE OF K2 IS THE SINGLE MOST ELEGANT LINE ON ANY 8000m PEAK. DIRECT FROM THE GLACIER, THE RIDGE CONNECTS UNBROKEN TO K2’S SUMMIT, ONLY DEVIATED FROM FOR THE CLIMBING ABOVE THE UPPER-MOST SERACS. ALREADY COLDER LIKE EVERY NORTH SIDE, AND ONLY 25o OFF DIRECTLY NORTH, THE RIDGE IS CLEANLY BIFURCATED INTO EASTERN AND WESTERN SIDES THAT EXPOSE IT EVENLY TO THE SUN. THIS COMBINED WITH K2’S NORTHERN LATITUDE – NEARLY 20% FURTHER NORTH OF THE EQUATOR THAN MOST NEPALESE 8000m PEAKS – MAKES IT REMARKABLY STABLE.
ON THE NORTH SIDE, K2’S ‘PROPRIETRY’ GNEISS IS LESS CORRUPTED BY CLIMATE AND OTHER GEOLOGY, WHICH PAIRED WITH THE DIRECT LINE MAKES FOR STREAMLINED CLIMBING AND ASCENT STRATEGIES. THOUGH STEEP, ASCENTS FOLLOW THE WELL-FEATURED ENDLESS ARETE OF THE RIDGES SHARPLY DEFINED EDGE UNTIL IT’S OWN EQUIVALENT OF THE PAKISTAN SIDE’S INFAMOUS BOTTLE NECK, IN THIS CASE CROSSING ABOVE THE HAZARDS OF COLLAPSING SERACS.
THE NORTH RIDGE LACKS THE DOMINATING ‘SHOULDER’ FEATURE AS FOUND ON K2’S EASTERN FACING ROUTES. THIS GIVES THE NORTH RIDGE LESS PUNCTUATION BOTH PSYCHOLOGICALLY AND PHYSICALLY, WITH THE ABSENCE OF LARGE HIGH CAMPS. THIS IS MADE UP FOR WITH THE CHANCE TO STAY HIGHER ON THE PEAK, THAT ALONG WITH THE ABSENCE OF THE BOTTLE NECK CROSSING CHANGES SOME OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT RISKS ON THE MOUNTAIN. PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANT IS THE ABSENCE OF SIGNIFICANT AVALANCH CHUTES ON THE NORTH RIDGE.
CAMPS ON THE NORTH RIDGE ARE LESS PRONE TO DEBRIS FROM ABOVE DUE TO MORE STABLE TEMPERATURES, THOUGH ALSO DUE TO BEING ON A CLEANER ARETE WHICH BRINGS WITH IT THE DOWNSIDE OF EXPOSURE. SITE OPTIONS ARE SMALLER AND FROM THE LACK OF HUMAN DEBRIS ON THE NORTH RIDGE, LESS OBVIOUS. THIS IS A LINE STILL VERY MUCH OPEN TO INTERPRETATION.
THESE DAYS ASCENTS OF THE NORTH RIDGE ARE USUALLY DONE ‘CAPSULE STYLE’ BLENDING ASPECTS OF ALPINE AND SIEGE MOUNTAINEERING. CAMPS ARE ESTABLISHED BY LEADING, SIMU-CLIMBING AND FIXING SECTIONS UPWARDS BETWEEN CAMPS. AS SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN ISN’T A PART OF NORTH SIDE CLIMBING, LOADS ARE RELATIVELY LIGHTER AND EASIER TO PLAN, AND AS THE ROUTE IS SO DIRECT THERE ARE FEWER (BUT SIGNIFICANT) TRAVERSES REQUIRING MORE SOPHISTICATED RIGGING AND ROPEWORK.
SHORT OF THE LEGENDARY ESOTERIC ROUTES LIKE THE MAGIC LINE AND THE NORTH PILLAR, THE NORTH RIDGE OF K2 OFFERS THE CLOSEST THING TO AN ACCESSIBLE ALPINE ASCENT ON ANY STEEP 8000m ASPECT. THIS IS THE ROUTE FOR CLIMBERS WHO COME NOT JUST FROM 8000m BACKGROUNDS, BUT ALSO FROM HEALTHY ALPINE-STYLE EXPERIENCE IN PLACES LIKE THE GARWHAL, ALASKA, THE ANDES & TIBET. WE RUN SPECIFIC K2 NORTH RIDGE PIPELINE TRIPS THAT CONSIST OF TIBETAN PEAKS WHICH FULFIL VARIOUS ASPECTS THAT WILL BE FOUND ON K2’S NORTH RIDGE INCLUDING CLIMATE, TECHNICAL ABILITY, STRATEGY & STYLE.
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