Outdoor Curious™ | Top Facts & FAQs about K2 Answered by Adrian Ballinger

Ever asked the question, where in the world is K2? Or wondered how many people have climbed K2? Well, Eddie Bauer Alpine Climbing Guide Adrian Ballinger who successfully summited K2 without the use of supplemental oxygen is here to answer the internet’s most frequently asked questions about K2.
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K2 Mountain & Related Resources:
Adrian Ballinger’s and Carla Perez’s Record Breaking Summit of K2 in 2019: www.eddiebauer.com/campaign/e...
Adrian Ballinger’s Feature Film “Breathtaking: K2 - The World’s Most Savage Mountain”: • Breathtaking: K2 - The...
More Facts & FAQs about Mountaineering, including on K2, Everest and more: • Playlist
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In 25 minutes you’ll learn everything you’ve wanted to know about K2, the Savage Mountain, from a professional climber who has reached the summit. The questions answered in this video include:
1. Where is K2?
a. K2 is located in the Karakoram mountain range on the border between Pakistan and China.
2. How high is K2?
a. The second tallest mountain in the world measures at 8,611 meters or 28,251 feet tall.
3. How did K2 get its name?
a. K2 is the mountains survey name which is a system that combines a letter and number to represent the range and position, so “K” for Karakoram and “2” for its second position in the grid.
4. How many people have climbed K2?
a. Reports say 306 people have summitted K2 but it is known to be under 400.
5. Why is K2 so dangerous?
a. A combination of its extreme high altitude, the mountains northwestern location which receives severe and unpredictable weather conditions, as well as the highly technical climbing required especially when navigating the infamous “bottleneck” serac.
6. How long does it take to climb K2?
a. Expeditions to K2 can take up to 2 months that include trekking to and from basecamp, climbing the mountain and cleaning up gear after your adventure.
7. Who was the first woman to climb K2?
a. Reports say it was Wanda Rutkiewicz, a Polish Mountain Climber in the late 1980’s.
8. How far is K2 from Mount Everest?
a. 817 miles.
9. Is there a K1 or a K3?
a. Yes! K1 is also known as Masherbrum and K3 is also known as Gasherbrum IV.
10. Is K2 harder to climb than Mount Everest?
a. The incline of K2 is much steeper so it requires use of ice axes and ice tools more frequently plus it has more uncontrollable obstacles which would make K2 more dangerous but the final summit push on Everest can be harder.
11. Is oxygen needed to climb K2?
a. It is possible to summit without supplemental oxygen (with years of training) but 95% or more climbers use supplemental oxygen on their expeditions.
12. How many people climb K2 every year?
a. Any given year it is common to find 70-80 climbers attempt K2 but in 2019 there were close to 200 climbers attempting to summit K2.
13. How did K2 form?
a. Through continental collision where India collided into Asia producing some of the tallest mountains in the world.
14. How to train for K2?
a. Highly recommended that you climb smaller mountains over a period of years or decades to build experience for such a dangerous climb plus a lot of long, low-intensity cardio training such as running, cycling, and backcountry skiing to build endurance.
15. Who was the first to summit K2?
a. An Italian expedition in 1954 lead by Achille Compagnoni and Lino Lacedelli.
16. Why climb K2?
a. The reason varies from climber to climber but a K2 summit push really challenges a person physical, mentally and emotionally unlike any other sport or activity.
17. Has K2 been climbed in the winter?
a. Short answer, no. It is the only 1 of 14, 8,000-meter peaks to have not been summited in the winter.
18. How cold is K2?
a. It is common find temperatures around -20 degrees Fahrenheit near the summit in season and even colder in the off-season.
19. How high is K2 base camp?
a. Around 16,000 feet.
Other Questions Answered:
20. Does K2 have snow year-round?
21. What is the K2 bottleneck?
22. Is it safe to travel in Pakistan?
23. Why is K2 an important mountain?

[@asifwilliam912]

A team of Nepali mountaineers summited K2 in January 2021 becoming the first team to do so. As Adrian mentions the temperature at K2 during the winter, it was -50 and winds blowing at over 50 miles per hour. I wish that feat had received more coverage and more appreciation that it deserved.

[@paulhunter4265]

You forgot to mention "In Winter".

[@dana102083]

@@paulhunter4265 they did mention winter in the next sentence (unedited comment).. Jump to the gun much?

[@paulhunter4265]

@@dana102083 You just won 'the best eyes' award 😏

[@dana102083]

@@paulhunter4265 hey I make mistakes all the time. But you be drinking skim milk that day🖖😎

[@paulhunter4265]

@@dana102083 Yes "Skimmed Milk" 😜😁

[@zakimtshali8105]

I have so much respect and admiration for Adrian

[@ChrisMillerLite]

Barber - "what can I do for you today" Adrian - "permanent bed head like you went to bed with too much hairspray after a Halloween party" Barber - say no more

[@mylife2252]

They climbed world highest mountain to be trained for K2. K2 is king

[@sultanniazi2394]

True that

[@KingClaw]

7 times

[@gnk6403]

I just etched your K2 climbing video! You’ve great attitude, a must to succeed on K2! Congratulation on coming back alive with the whole team! 👌👍

[@akshaykumar-zp3ui]

Armchair expert here. Excellent video, just one small correction. Gasherbrum-4(K3) is not a 8000-der. Gasherbrum-1,2 belong to that exclusive club.

[@lronbutters5688]

I love watching Adrian climb!

[@Seattle_Kiwi]

You are a rare modern breed sir. Cheers to you! 😊

[@dwest4297]

Andy, props to you on your climb of K2. I completely can't fathom climbing any mountain of that size. You're a bad ass.

[@scottfay3553]

Adrian is a legend !!

[@matthewcollins5344]

Thank you from West Virginia🖖🏼

[@fchau6019]

Really enjoyed this video! Since this video was made, a Nepalese mountaineer Nirmal Purja and his team , have been the first to summit K2 in the winter, earlier this year I believe. The same guy also holds the record for the fastest ascent of all 14 "eight thousanders" in just 6 months. I think Netflix is premiering the latter story on Nov 29. Looking forward to watching it.

[@laurennel3034]

I've seen the documentary - it is awesome!

[@sulemanmunir6150]

Respect Eddie Bauer

[@MQS-ui3ww]

Well done Adrian you are amazing 👍👍👍👍

[@fchau6019]

The Himalayas being the youngest mountain range in the world, are still rising! So climbing these high peaks in the future could set new records.

[@toqiriqbal9061]

Interesting way of speaking on the topic

[@quivalla]

K2 was just climbed in the winter January 16, 2021. A team of 10 Sherpas and Nepalis did it.

[@trueman2467]

Loved the hair style. Very stylish

[@sultanniazi2394]

You are amazing and 2:30 minute Says it all End of that controversy

[@arsalanchauhan]

K2 - The Mountain of Mountains

[@ghoshpuspal5991]

Allah bismillah base camp keliye 9 days kyun lagta hain be? Chutiye? Jaldi POK azad hoga aur public easily base camp ja payega.. .

[@loubnarami8230]

Thank you from Morroco

[@williamhill5933]

Great vid intresting i read a lot and audiobooks on k2 and everest never got the chance to doing any mountaineering 50 now so it arm chair mountaineering

[@trueman2467]

Congratulations on your greatest summit. Savage mountain. 💯👍❤️ from 🇵🇰💚 Pakistan

[@vijaysahni7666]

Dude u r a legend.

[@jamesj3325]

Thank you and congrats on summiting! Really appreciate you taking the time and sharing your experience and knowledge awesome to hear your answers. I'm planning to do the Everest base camp trek. Now hearing about seeing K2 I am going to look into that as well.

[@sultanniazi2394]

K2 is the holy grail. Please see it. And Concordia

[@HarharMahadev-bb1hi]

Update: K2 climbed in winter on 16th Jan 2021 by 10 Nepali climbers. One of them, Nirmal Purja climbed without O2 supplement.

[@rollurowno3339]

What a legend

[@Raumance]

I would be very interested in just explaining different mountains so I can understand what type of route it would be. Like unclimbed peaks and what is known about them.

[@saqlainbhat5104]

I always wondered ,how the first climber ,climbed houses chimney .....it looks almost impossible to climb......please answer my question

[@perpetualgrin5804]

I am so lucky to have visited Northern Pakistan five times, if you like mountains it's number one. Greeting from Australia 🇦🇺

[@bonitaglover]

Adrian is an awesome athlete and I enjoy any alpinist videos he’s in. Amazing achievement to summit K2, no ox!

[@naakatagurung5236]

His summit in K2 without 02 is not a true form of mountaineering. He used high altitude porters and Sherpas with bottled oxygen to trail blaze and fixed ropes. In fact, he ascended using Nims Dai’s fixed ropes. To me it is a Cheating in mountaineering. If he is a true alpinist, he should be self sufficient to ascend but not depend on Sherpas. What is the point of ascending if you use bottled oxygenated Sherpas to do all the job for you? 😳😳

[@georgewalsh7563]

@@naakatagurung5236 Hell yes. You are calling it like it is. This dude is not "climbing" shit. He is ascending fixed ropes set by his oxygenated babysitters. This is NOT alpine climbing. People don't know the difference and this guy is not telling them either.

[@cookingwithjasmeen6476]

Truly enjoyed the thrilling documentary. With love ♥️ from 🇵🇰

[@andresbk93]

The girl that was with them also did it without O2, and she and Topo are Ecuadorians(Irrelevant, but is my country).

[@EddieBauerNW]

Totally relevant! Carla and Topo are amazing members of the team! Ecuador has some amazing outdoor adventures and incredible guides.

[@joemaxie4468]

first, congrats on summiting K2 !!! thats awesome...especially with no O's...you're a "beast & a legend"...I've watched many doc's on K2...the early expeditions by the Italians and British were something, hundreds of porters and tons of gear....did you put out a doc on your climb? it such an beautiful location but so deadly...the tragedy in 2008 was incredibly sad....so glad you and your team made it home safe...hope to come see you guys in Tahoe next Feb...want to go back-country skiing for the first time and can't think of a better outfit than Alpenglow....take care...be safe...Namaste..

[@emptybookdan]

full documentary of his trip: kzbin.info/www/bejne/maeppWWOmNqin9U

[@EddieBauerNW]

You asked and Adrian responded, check out part two from Adrian here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mny8aXSPlLGieJI for an answer to your question! Thanks for watching!

[@nymmaful]

The Karakorum mountains were named by the British when they first came upon them, brilliantly named K1-K9. So yes, there is a K1 and there is a K3 and all the rest. I believe many others have been renamed but K2 remains the same.

[@makylemur7019]

As K2 cannot be seen from any inhabited place in the region (the nearest is Askole about 60-70 miles from the base of K2) there is no local name for the mountain.

[@kingescobar4294]

Would love to know what Adrian thought about ueli steck

[@narditojr.valenton7190]

Kanchenjunga is also difficult to climb beside Mt. Everest and K2?

[@honda116969]

This dude is a Savage! Much props! 👍👍💯%

[@olivertschumi2255]

Great questions, only one thing i doubt if its true like that, i think there are more people how dindt use oxygen on K2 then use it and compared to everest the number f oxygen user in % is for sure much less. Greets from switzerland

[@asjadmemoon]

How you train for K2. On Everest bro on Everest.

[@jmy7622]

Todays climbers have much better equipment than climbers of old. I saw some pictures of some old timers and they looked like they were going outside on a spring day not going up the worlds tallest mountain!

[@makylemur7019]

Be aware that the terrain is actively hostile: scree slopes thousands of feet high which when they get bored pitch rocks and the rivers are icy cold raging torrents too thick to swim in and too thin to plow. If you stand along the Braldu river you can hear sizeable rocks being knocked together. This river drains the Baltoro glacier. The Baltoro glacier is about 30 miles long and is covered with rocks which makes the glacier look like an enormous mine dump. The Balti folks were friendly and Hunza is spectacular.

[@gregkosinski2303]

K2 being the Italian mountain makes sense. It’s hairy asf.

[@jmy7622]

Do yaks go to base camp?

[@dontdropin6048]

your a legend love your work and emily

[@sultanniazi2394]

Thank you so much for your kind words about pakistan regarding travel and safely. As an Islamabad resident I agree. But thank you for your lovely words. Please come back and stay with us please. You are amazing

[@trueman2467]

"I spent 13 years on Everest , get experience to think of attempting to climb K2. " Congratulations on your greatest summit on The Savage mountain. You did it👍❤️.

[@lastpenny849]

Can you visit the base camp without climbing or wanting to climb K2? How long is the hike to base camp?

[@mylife2252]

Yes. 14 days up and down.

[@EddieBauerNW]

You asked and Adrian responded, check out part two from Adrian here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mny8aXSPlLGieJI for an answer to your question! Thanks for watching!

[@WienGolf]

The savage mountain is so hair-raising, we can see it at least by the hairdo of the moderator 😉

[@gabrielvontroil1867]

can i find the picture at 13:39?

[@paksktvlogs2155]

The Savage mountain. Mountain of the mountains. Huge Respect for you Adrian, your summit team mates, Carla, tomo and others. 👍♥️🇺🇸 from 🇵🇰💚 Pakistan.

[@AdrianCalgary]

Adrian, would you say those that climbed K2 are as much as athletic as the Olympic athletes?

[@davecarsley8773]

What Olympic athletes? Long jumpers? Wrestlers? Figure Skaters? Basketball players?? Huge difference in all of those.

[@EddieBauerNW]

You asked and Adrian responded, check out part two from Adrian here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mny8aXSPlLGieJI for an answer to your question! Thanks for watching!

[@AdrianCalgary]

@@EddieBauerNW thank you so much for the reply! It means a lot to me. Thank you again for the detailed clarification there.

[@davecarsley8773]

7:12 I don't think Gasherbrum 4 is an 8000m peak.

[@eanayac]

His voice reminds me a bit of Daniel Day Lewis's...

[@ismailkoya66]

will the serac by the bottleneck ever fall off (slide off) in it's entirety?

[@EddieBauerNW]

You asked and Adrian responded, check out part two from Adrian here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mny8aXSPlLGieJI for an answer to your question! Thanks for watching!

[@ismailkoya66]

@@EddieBauerNW thanks for answering my question.

[@sombre101010]

Did you once in your life drink Ayauasca to obtain such a joyfull soul that you are? :)

[@Jmisslyn]

Hi Adrian, love your videos and have a question. I saw in one of your videos that your prep for altitude includes beet juice(powder). I suffer from altitude sickness and have to take diamox, along with acclimatizing for several days before my backpacking trips in altitude (over 8000ft). Did you find the beet powder of any help ?

[@EddieBauerNW]

You asked and Adrian responded, check out part two from Adrian here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mny8aXSPlLGieJI for an answer to your question! Thanks for watching!

[@thefanone]

❤❤❤ beautiful

[@tchingis14]

Is it possible to get to the K2 base camp without a permit?

[@sultanniazi2394]

No permit is needed for trek to base camp. Only for climbing.

[@EddieBauerNW]

You asked and Adrian responded, check out part two from Adrian here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mny8aXSPlLGieJI for an answer to your question! Thanks for watching!

[@mashhoodahmad5079]

Love from pakistan

[@zubairgashkori2046]

6 climbers died this year on k2

[@ChilliChunks94]

I thought Adrian was from the UK?

[@Andy-rp3ee]

Yea he was born there

[@paulhunter4265]

You could have googled the fatality rate as well out off all. It's 29% for K2 meaning 1 out of 4 dies.

[@ojoj8238]

EDIT: Has k2 been climbed in the winter? YES

[@KingClaw]

Yup i heard , by Nepalians right? K2 is eating lives again,6 souls are gone including top veteran's including ali sadpara and Rest :( 2 in winter is such a beast

[@ojoj8238]

@@KingClaw Yes, What an achievement... in winter is so deadly out there.

[@davidnewman5807]

What's the reason the East Face of K2 has never been attempted?

[@EddieBauerNW]

You asked and Adrian responded, check out part two from Adrian here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mny8aXSPlLGieJI for an answer to your question! Thanks for watching!

[@davidnewman5807]

@@EddieBauerNW Really appreciate you answering my question. Thank you.

[@seanbyrne8767]

No body asked about the " House Chimney " and how difficult of a climb that part is

[@EddieBauerNW]

You asked and Adrian responded, check out part two from Adrian here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mny8aXSPlLGieJI for an answer to your question! Thanks for watching!

[@landwarrior348]

K2 has been climbed this winter 2020-2021 by Nepali Sherpas.

[@mudasarali4438]

3 people missing in k2 2021

[@flyhigh9085]

love from pak 🇵🇰

[@BB-tm7gx]

Does the number of people who climb it include the people that really climb it to put the ropes up that people climb up following the real climbers. or is it just the people that pay the money that are counted as the summiteers.

[@EddieBauerNW]

You asked and Adrian responded, check out part two from Adrian here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mny8aXSPlLGieJI for an answer to your question! Thanks for watching!

[@5ty717]

Sheltered

[@dannydillon997]

Like number 888 🙏

[@Seattle_Kiwi]

If your team made the choice to clean up your K2 venture which is essentially of a similar height to Everest, why can’t the rest of the world clean up their stuff on Everest? Why the discrepancy in climbing best practices and ecological stewardship? What’s wrong with everyone while on Everest? It seems morality and other amiable qualities go out the window for a vast majority of Everest visitors.

[@EddieBauerNW]

You asked and Adrian responded, check out part two from Adrian here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mny8aXSPlLGieJI for an answer to your question! Thanks for watching!

[@TheArizonaAssasin]

How high do you have to be to want to climb that savage mountain? 😂😂😂 I couldn’t even imagine climbing K2. The footage I’ve watched makes me dizzy.

[@EddieBauerNW]

You asked and Adrian responded, check out part two from Adrian here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mny8aXSPlLGieJI for an answer to your question! Thanks for watching!

[@steveohhh5776]

Why climb K2, same reason why you climb Mt. Everest... BECAUSE ITS THERE!!!!

[@danielcarr2675]

Adrian googles questions you could've googled yourself

[@omarmillanbaenas1163]

17, 31 second video. Imposible? Nims purja bro,

[@ozz530]

K2 and Everest aren't the same sport...