Winter Assault on K2

Victor Kozlov - Team Leader

A team of 15 climbers from Russia are making a winter attempt at the summit of K2.  K2 is considered the second most deadly mountain above 8000 meters, for every four who reach the summit one dies in the attempt. This is a summer statistic as no one has made a winter attempt until this year.  This means of the 15 at least three will never return home.  In the winter the temperatures will be twice as cold and the wind twice as fast, making the danger of frostbite and hypothermia even greater, not to mention the increase in danger from avalanche.  

So why do it?  The very real possibility of dying or losing a limb or two just to say you have done it.  This is a chance to get their names in the history books.  To be like Hillary, more likely many will end up like Mallory though, dead and left on the mountain.  

Does this qualify as adventure? Yes, and is it worth it?  Only if you live through it.