Is K2 the hardest mountain in the world?

K2 is a monster and it's widely considered the world's toughest and most dangerous mountain to climb. Located on the border of Pakistan and China, it's the second highest in the world, standing at a whopping 8,611 meters (28,251 feet)–just around 250 meters shorter than Mount Everest.



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K2 (8,611 meters / 28,251 feet) – Pakistan/China Border. As the second-highest mountain on Earth, K2 boasts a notorious reputation as the “Savage Mountain.” Its fatality rate is around 23 deaths per 100 successful summits.

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K2 should not be your first 8000er. In order to have a fair chance of success and survival, you need prior practice. For Everest, good starts are Cho Oyu, Lhotse, Shisapagma, Aconcagua, MountMcKinley or GII. For K2, a great experience is gained at Everest, Makalu, Manaslu, Gasherbrum 1, Broad Peak and the likes.

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However, K2 is less climbed, and fewer people have mapped it out. Currently, K2 has a recorded number of 91 deaths. Most of these are attributed to the Death Zone, located 26,000 feet at the bottleneck of the mountain.

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Because 75% of people who climb K2 use the Abruzzi Spur, these listed routes are rarely climbed. No one has climbed the East Face of the mountain due to the instability of the snow and ice formations on that side. Besides the East Face, the North Face has not yet been climbed either.

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The mountain most widely claimed to be the highest unclimbed mountain in the world in terms of elevation is Gangkhar Puensum (7,570 m, 24,840 ft). It is in Bhutan, on or near the border with China. In Bhutan, the climbing of mountains higher than 6,000 m (20,000 ft) has been prohibited since 1994.

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Mount Kailash is considered sacred in four religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Bon. Because of its status as a sacred mountain, it is a site of annual pilgrimage, but setting foot on the mountain's slopes and attempting to climb it is forbidden.

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