K2

Life and Death on the World's Most Dangerous Mountain

By: Ed Viesturs, David Roberts

Narrated by: Fred Sanders

A thrilling chronicle of the tragedy-ridden history of climbing K2, the world's most difficult and unpredictable mountain, by the bestselling authors of No Shortcuts to the Top

At 28,251 feet, the world's second-tallest mountain, K2 thrusts skyward out of the Karakoram Range of northern Pakistan. Climbers regard it as the ultimate achievement in mountaineering, with good reason. Four times as deadly as Everest, K2 has claimed the lives of seventy-seven climbers since 1954. In August 2008 eleven climbers died in a single thirty-six-hour period on K2–the worst single-event tragedy in the mountain's history and the second-worst in the long chronicle of mountaineering in the Himalaya and Karakoram ranges. Yet summiting K2 remains a cherished goal for climbers from all over the globe. Before he faced the challenge of K2 himself, Ed Viesturs, one of the world's premier high-altitude mountaineers, thought of it as "the holy grail of mountaineering."

In K2: Life and Death on the World's Most Dangerous Mountain, Viesturs explores the remarkable history of the mountain and of those who have attempted to conquer it. At the same time he probes K2's most memorable sagas in an attempt to illustrate the lessons learned by confronting the fundamental questions raised by mountaineering–questions of risk, ambition, loyalty to one's teammates, self-sacrifice, and the price of glory. Viesturs knows the mountain firsthand. He and renowned alpinist Scott Fischer climbed it in 1992 and were nearly killed in an avalanche that sent them sliding to almost certain death. Fortunately, Ed managed to get into a self-arrest position with his ice ax and stop both his fall and Scott' s.

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

©2009 Ed Viesturs and David Roberts (P)2009 Random House

Critic reviews

“Riveting . . . Viesturs illuminates K2’s challanges, triumphs, tragedies, and follies.”—The Daily Beast

“Viesturs’s you-are-there narration communicates effortlessly the enormous effort, and high adventure, of scaling K2.”—Publishers Weekly

Gripping views into the Super-Alpine world

Worth every penny, this historical perspective of one of the world’s most perilous peaks will enthrall you with extraordinary feats and shine light on human despair and ambition as well as triumph.

Entertaining Listen

This is a great history of k2 climbing attempts told through the lens of a true mountaineer.

Account of the Most Notable K2 Expeditions

This was a fascinating book about probably the most difficult mountain to climb in the world. Much has been noted about Everest, but K2 has far more drama surrounding it. The author is an expert mountaineer who possesses a rare talent, common sense. I enjoyed reading about his approaches to climbing and safety and it undoubtedly has saved his life on more than one occasion.

The book covers several major expeditions in a straigforward manner. The author's insights very helpful. So much went wrong with the many expeditions, greed, envy, cultural bias among others that led to many deaths which could have been prevented. You feel like you are there with them on the mountain, congratulating the ones who made it and mourning the ones who didn't. I specifically enjoyed how he explained events and contrasted them with other written accounts by those on the expeditions. It was also interesting to note how a different country influences the approach to climbing and how things have changed. So many deaths were from over extending the body's limits, decisions that made no sense or impacted others. It is also sad to note that most who die on the mountain are left there, since it is too dangerous to remove them. Rivalries are a major component of the majority of expeditions and caused either lifelong friendships or hated animosities.

I read this book using immersion reading while listening to the audiobook narrated by Fred Sanders. Narration was in a straightforward manner without a great deal of expression. A livelier narrator would've added more to the story in my opinion. A great book for those interested in adventure from an expert with a solid comprehension of the difficulty, skill and common sense needed to survive.

Great book

Interesting listening as to what the climbing men endorse day after dar to hopefully fulfill their quest to reach these summits.

Good Stories

This is a group of stories about climbers on K2 spanning the last century or so - mainly profiling disasters, summit attempts, and provides an in depth look at climbing K2.

The author, a renowned mountaineer whom has climbed many of the tallest mountains on the planet, must feel a need to validate his experiences amongst his peers. He tends to draws parallels between his own experience climbing K2 and the expeditions of the past. Some may find this interesting...however to me, the author did this constantly, and it became sort of annoying - causing the stories timelines to bounce around and fragment.

An entertaining listen, but consider Into Thin Air a much more entertaining story.

Makes you proud to be human

I knew nothing about K2. I actually thought it was next to Everest. This book is breathtaking. That picture on the cover must be The Motivator. It's probably Ed himself. He is a humble storyteller while singing the rightful praises of others. Go onto YouTube and see how scary this mountain is. It is steep steep steep! This book takes you there. I really liked it, and I am hard to please.

Ed-Inspired

Would you listen to K2 again? Why?

I've listentened to K2 twice through, and my favorite sections, three and four times. I find the commitment of these Climbers, the early attempts, the isolation, in a word the HISTORY, exhilerarating.

What was one of the most memorable moments of K2?

Having heard of "the belay" (Pete Schoening), for years, I especially enjoyed the chonicling of the American Expedition of 1954. The trek, just to reach the foot of the mountain by the early expeditions (350 miles), the glacier and river travel, their 1st view of those giant mountains; just fascinating.

Which scene was your favorite?

My favorite scene has to be the 1939 expedition when Fritz Wiessner turns back near the summit because his Companion is not wanting or able to proceed. Leadership.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Yes, I did have an extreme reaction to K2. I was inspired to sign up for my first climb, Spring 2013...Mt Whitney (no spring chicken here).

Any additional comments?

I've read and enjoyed three of Ed Viesturs' books, and await a tome.

interesting but a little conceited

I guess it’s inevitable that the author, as someone who has climbed and survived all 14 8000ers, is a little judgey towards other climbers, a little elitist, and more than a little defensive … if you can look beyond that, it’s a good listen.

Good book

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

A good book on K2 from the point of history and climber prospective. I would read it again.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

good close

Which scene was your favorite?

The summary of the 2008 tragedy

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

no

Any additional comments?

no

Great book

Good listen but the epilogue is self serving at times but still a good listen...