K2

A thrilling chronicle of the tragedy-ridden history of climbing the worlds most difficult and unpredictable mountain, by the bestselling authors of The Mountain and No Shortcuts to the Top

“Gripping . . . reveals a good deal about the rarefied noble-gonzo world of high-altitude mountaineering.”—The New York Times

Ed Viesturs, one of the worlds premier high-altitude mountaineers, explores the remarkable history of K2 and of those who have attempted to conquer it. At the same time, he probes the mountains most memorable sagas in order to illustrate lessons about the fundamental questions mountaineering raises—questions of risk, ambition, loyalty to ones teammates, self-sacrifice, and the price of glory. Viesturs knows the mountain firsthand. He and renowned alpinist Scott Fischer climbed it in 1992 and got caught in an avalanche that sent them sliding to almost certain death before Ed managed to get into a self-arrest position with his ice ax and stop both his fall and Scotts.

Focusing on seven of the mountains most dramatic campaigns, from his own troubled ascent to the 2008 tragedy, Viesturs crafts an edge-of-your-seat narrative that climbers and armchair travelers alike will find unforgettably compelling. With photographs from Viesturss personal collection and from historical sources, this is the definitive account of the worlds ultimate mountain, and of the lessons that can be gleaned from struggling toward its elusive summit.