Why is K2 called K2?

Surveyors simply catalogued the peaks by number, giving each the prefix K for Karakoram followed by the number peak it was. K2 was the second mountain they came across. What the surveyors called K1, another peak in the area, was later changed to Masherbrum, the name used by local people.



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K2, however, appeared not to have acquired a local name, possibly due to its remoteness. The mountain is not visible from Askole, one of the highest settlements on the way to the mountain, nor from the nearest habitation to the north.

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Only 300 have survived K2. It is the deadliest peak on earth. For Chhiring Dorje, who runs a Himalayan guiding business, adding K2 to his own resume could help him attract discerning clients. He knew it was risky, but he trusted his own climbing abilities.

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No, they aren't. K2 which is on the border of Pakistan and China and Kilimanjaro in Tanzania are two vastly different mountains. Sure, they are both thousands of meters tall, but when it comes to climbing difficulty, preparation requirements, and topography, they don't have a whole lot in common.

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