“K2 IS EVEREST SQUARED. THEY ARE NOT EVEN THE SAME SPORT”
IN 2024 WE WILL RUN THE FIRST TRIP TO K2’S NORTH SIDE IN 13 YEARS
NEW STYLE, NEW TIME LINE, NEW LOGISTICS & NEW PEOPLE
THIS IS THE TRIP FOR ANYONE WONDERING WHAT THE FUTURE OF 8000m COULD BE.
SINCE 2011 A LOT HAS CHANGED. CHINA’S INFRASTRUCTURE HAS CHANGED, THE GLACIER HAS CHANGED, THE MOUNTAIN ASSOCIATION HAS CHANGED AND 8000m CLIMBING HAS CHANGED – AND WE HARNESS ALL OF THAT FOR A NEW PHASE OF HIGH ALTITUDE CLIMBING.
UNATTACHED TO THE INDUSTRY FOUND SOUTH OF THE HIMALAYAS AND ON THE OTHER SIDE OF K2, WE ARE FREE IN THE LAST 8000m WILDERNESS TO CLIMB AS WE CHOOSE.
SURROUNDED BY UNCLIMBED PEAKS AND AS THE ONLY TEAM WITH PERMISSION, WE HAVE THE ENTIRE NORTH KARAKORAM TO OURSELVES. AS ALWAYS WE KEEP AN EXTRAORDINARILY SMALL FOOTPRINT, USING THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY, TO CLIMB IN THE FINEST STYLE POSSIBLE ON THE WORLDS GREATEST LINE.
WE HAVE REWORKED THE ENTIRE 8000m EXPEDITION PROCESS PREACCLIMATE FIRST IN TIBET, THEN TRAVEL TO K2 USING DIRECT FLIGHTS, FREEWAYS & CAMELS.
NEW ACCLIMATION
GONE ARE THE DAYS OF STRUGGLING SLOWLY UP COLD VALLEYS, WE NOW PREACCLIMATE HIGHER AND BETTER IN EASTERN TIBET.
NEW ACCESS
INCREDIBLE ADVANCES IN INFRASTRUCTURE MEANS WE NOW COVER IN HOURS WHAT ONCE TOOK WEEKS, COMBINING MODERNITY AND OLD TRADITIONS FOR A MUCH FASTER TIMELINE.
NEW PEOPLE
A NEW GENERATION RUNS TRIPS IN CHINA, YOUNGER, MORE SAVVY, MORE INTERNATIONAL AND MORE MOTIVATED.
NEW EQUIPMENT
COLLABORATION WITH THE BEST COMPANIES IN THE INDUSTRY, OUR EQUIPMENT IS NOW 50% LIGHTER, STRONGER AND MORE ADAPTABLE MEANING WE CAN TAKE IT HIGHER FOR LESS ENERGY.
NEW STYLE
DOZENS OF TRIPS ELSEWHERE IN XINJIANG AND TIBET HAS LET US REFINE AND REEVALUATE HOW THESE TRIPS ARE DONE, IN FASTER, LIGHTER AND BETTER STYLE WITH BETTER PREPARED TEAMS.
NEW POTENTIAL
ALONG WITH K2 WE WILL HAVE FIRST ASCENT PERMITS TO CLIMB OTHER PEAKS NEARBY. THESE WILL BE THE FIRST FAs IN THE K2 MASSIF IN MANY YEARS, AND LETS US RESTART KARAKORAM HISTORY WITH THE BEST STANDARDS.
THE NORTH RIDGE OF K2 IS THE SINGLE MOST ELEGANT LINE ON ANY 8000m PEAK.
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.
COMBINED WITH K2’S NORTHERN LATITUDE – NEARLY 20% FURTHER NORTH OF THE EQUATOR THAN MOST NEPALESE 8000m PEAKS – MAKES IT REMARKABLY STABLE, WHICH PAIRED WITH THE DIRECT LINE MAKES FOR STREAMLINED CLIMBING AND ASCENT STRATEGIES.
THOUGH STEEP, ASCENTS FOLLOW THE WELL-FEATURED ARETE OF THE RIDGES SHARPLY DEFINED EDGE UNTIL IT’S OWN EQUIVALENT OF THE INFAMOUS UPPER SERAC, IN THIS CASE CROSSING ABOVE THE HAZARDS OF COLLAPSING SNOW AND ICE.
THE NORTH RIDGE LACKS THE DOMINATING ‘SHOULDER’ FEATURE WHICH GIVES IT LESS PUNCTUATION PSYCHOLOGICALLY 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 CHANGES THE MOST SIGNIFICANT RISKS ON THE MOUNTAIN.
SHORT OF THE LEGENDARY ESOTERIC ROUTES LIKE THE MAGIC LINE, THE NORTH RIDGE OF K2 OFFERS THE CLOSEST THING TO AN ACCESSIBLE ALPINE ASCENT ON ANY STEEP 8000m PEAK. THIS IS THE ROUTE FOR CLIMBERS WHO COME FROM HEALTHY ALPINE-STYLE EXPERIENCE IN PLACES LIKE THE GARWHAL, ALASKA, THE ANDES & TIBET.
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