The local name of K2 is Chogori, which in Balti
language means, The King of Mountains. This name
is little known
to the outside world. It is therefore desirable,
that, the present name - K2 is used: It is,
however, beneficient to popularize the local
name which so succinctly conveys the hugeness of
this gigantic mountain. K2 has variously been
described as the "awesome", "killer" and
"savage" mountain. This is because of the
massiveness of its size and some unsuccessful
attempts, made upon it, by various expedition
parties, including Americans who apperently have
made quite a few attempts on it.
K2 is a rocky mountain climbing upto 6,000 m,
beyond which, it becomes an ocean of snow. K2
peak is situated on the Pak-China border in the
mighty Karakoram Region. The traditional route
to its base camp goes from Skardu, which is
linked with Islamabad by a fairly good road, as
well as, by air. From Skardu the route goes via
Shigar-Dassu-Askole upto Concordia over the
Baltoro glacier. The exact height of the peak is
8,611 m/28,251 ft. However, some American
magazines show its height as 8,760m/28,740ft
which does not seem to be correct.
It was in 1856, when the British were enforcing
their control over India, provoking the
1857-War-of-lndependence, that a young
Lieutenant of the Royal Engineers, T.G.
Montgomerie, was quietly busy in surveying the
mountains of Kashmir. During this survey he saw,
in the far distance, a tall and conspicuous
mountain in the direction of the Karakorams and
immediately named it K1 ('K' stands for
Karakorams). Later on, it turned out to be the
beautiful mountain of Hushe valley in Khaplu
area of Baltistan, called Masherbrum by locals.
He also saw another tall and dominating summit
behind K1 and named it K2, which turned out to
be "Chogori". The name K2, however, still
stands.
Lieutenant Montgomerie was a good triangulator.
It was he who planned and organised the survey
of Kashmir.
He was also an unofficial political adviser to
Gulab Singh, the then Maharaja of Kashmir. After
Gulab Singh's death in 1857, Montgomerie
continued his survey-work as he carried the same
influence with Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the then
successor of Gulab Singh. Montgomerie trained
many locals in the art of survey. His students
did good reconnaissance work in remote areas
forbidden to foreigners because of local
suspicions. A famous but unfortunate student of
his was Muhammad Hameed.
In 1860, Captain Henry Haversham Godwin-Austen,
of the Survey of India, went to Baltistan area
and surveyed the famous Shigar and Saltoro
valleys. This greatly contributed to the
knowledge of the area. He was an officer in the
24th Foot Battalion, later the South Wales
Borderers, and had also served in the Second
Anglo- Burmese War in 1852. Earlier, he had
joined Montgomerie at a survey station in
Kashmir in 1857. He also surveyed the Kajnag
range in southern Kashmir and was the first to
put Gulmarg on the map. In 1858-59, he surveyed
eastern Kashmir including Jammu. In 1861, he
started from Skardu and entered Braldu valley
from Skoro-La (5,043m). He then climbed and
surveyed Chogo-lungma, Kero Lungma, Biafo and
Panmah glaciers. It was from Kero Lungma that
Godwin-Austen climbed the Nushik pass (4,990m/1
6,371 ft) and is stated to have entered the
53-km-long Hispar glacier. He was perhaps the
first European to reach there. He, however, did
not survey it. He was considered to be one of
the greatest mountaineers with great power of
endurance and bravery. It is a myth that the K2
peak, which is erroneously called Godwin-Austen
peak, was discovered by him. It is, however, a
fact that he explored the gateway to K2 i.e.
Baltoro glacier, alongwith famous glaciers
including Godwin-Austen glacier. This was indeed
his outstanding contribution to the geography of
the area.
Another famous explorer of the area was Francis
Younghusband (later knighted), a noted soldier
and thrill-seeker. Showing his courage and
tenacity in 1887, he crossed Gobi desert from
Peking and entered India by crossing Mustagh
pass. It was during this journey that he saw K2.
In this way he was the first European to cross
Mustagh pass. He was also the first European to
set eyes on K2 from the northern side. His guide
on this inward journey was a former resident of
Askole village, situated at the start of Baltoro
glacier, who had been living on the other side
of the mountain for a very long time. When he
entered the village of Askole with his guide,
Younghusband was extended due courtesies. "His
guide was, however, looked down upon because he
had shown a foreigner the possible route of
invasion." Subsequently in 1903-4, Sir Francis
Younghusband became the head of the famous
mission to Tibet.
It was probably for the first time in 1902 that
an organised expedition of Oscar J.L. Eckenstein
travelled to K-2
from Baltoro glacier. The expedition was without
any guide. Its aim was to explore approaches to
the mountain and possibly have a try on the
peak. It was, however, harsh weather which
prevented it from attempting the peak. The
party, however collected useful information
about the upper Godwin-Austen glacier which was
used as a stepping stone by expeditions in later
years. Two members of the expedition - one a
Swiss by the name of Dr. Jules Jacot Guillarmot
and the other an Austrian by the name of Dr. V.
Wessley - succeeded in reaching 6,523m
(21,400ft) on the north-eastern ridge of K-2.
The party also ascended Skyang La (6,1 50m) to
ascertain climbing possibilities of Skyang
Kangri peak (7,544m). Eckenstein was the first
mountaineer who applied the principles of
engineering to mountaineering and its equipment.
In 1909, a big Italian expedition under the
leadership of resolute Luigi Amadeo Giuseppe
(Duke of Abruzzi) the grandson of King Victor
Emmanuel II of Italy, journeyed the peak. Its
members produced a very good account of the
expedition with photographs and accurate maps of
Baltoro area. The Duke, however, rejected the
southern and western ridges of the mountain for
a climb. His party attempted the peak from the
south-east ridge-which later came to be known as
Abruzzi ridge - but could not proceed beyond
5,560m/1 8,242ft because of porter problems. The
party, however, carried out a thorough
reconnaissance of K2 from south to north-east.
Vittono Sella, a photographer and a climber,
accompanied the Duke on this expedition. Sella
pass, near Godwin-Austen glacier, is named after
him.
Two famous British mountaineers, Harold William
Tilman and Eric Earle Shipton, explored and
surveyed the north
face of K2 and its subsidiary glaciers in 1937.
Actually they were on a survey mission to
Shaksgam valley when they also visited the
Trango and Sarpo Laggo glaciers. They also
explored and surveyed the famous Skamri glacier.
Tilman was a famous explorer, mountaineer,
sailor and writer. He also distinguished himself
as a planter in Kenya.
Shipton, on the other hand, was one of the
significant explorers of the present century. He
was Tilman's companion on most of the
expeditions. Shipton was also Consul-General of
India in Kashgar in 1940-42 and then in 1946-48.
In 1938, the American Alpine Club sponsored a
reconnaissance party for a visit to the K2 area.
The party reached a height of 7,925m/26,000ft
after setting up eight camps. When compared with
the heights climbed by previous expeditions,
this seems to be a considerable advancement.
Famous American mountaineers like Dr. Charles
Houston and Robert Bates were in this party. Six
sherpas from Nepal were also on this expedition
as porters etc... After a proper reconnaissance
of the routes leading to K-2, the party rejected
the north-west and north-east routes. Instead,
it selected the south-east ridge (Abruzzi
ridge). It was the shortage of food supplies
that forced Houston and Petzoldt to return to
lower altitudes. In the opinion of the party it
was through this ridge that K2 peak could be
climbed, which eventually proved correct.
The next year saw another American expedition on
K-2. It was led by Fritz Hermann Ernst Wiessner,
a German-American chemist and mountaineer. The
expedition, alongwith nine sherpas, made very
good progress on the already-identified
south-east ridge. Two members and five sherpas
set up camp VIII at about 7,711 m/25,300ft and
left one member by the name of Dudley Wolfe in
this camp as he had fallen sick. Wiessner,
alongwith one sherpa, went up to approximately
8,382m/27,500ft. On their way back they found
that Wolfe was short of food. They, therefore,
hurriedly brought him down to camp VII and made
him stay there. They then descended in search of
food and aid but found all camps abandoned until
they reached camp II. Immediately three sherpas
were sent to rescue Wolfe. They, however, did
not return. In this way, Wolfe and the sherpas
died on the K2. What a tragic but heroic death.
Another American attempt on the K2 was made in
1953. The expedition leader was Dr. Charles
Houston, who had also led the 1938 American
expedition on this peak. Dr. Houston, medical
professor, is noted for his contribution to
research on the effects of high altitude on
human body and diseases originating from such
effects. One Pakistani, late Colonel M. Ataullah,
Vice President, Karakoram Club of Pakistan,
accompanied the party. This time the party took
porters from Hunza instead of sherpas from
Nepal. As against the previous expeditions,
which entered Baltistan from Srinagar (in the
Indian occupied Kashmir) through a very long
route, the party flew into Skardu and then
adopted the traditional route to K2 over Baltoro
glacier. It was at camp VIII, at about
7,772m/25,500ft that the party was hit by a
blizzard which lasted many days. On the 7th
August one member, Arthur Gilkey, developed
thrombophlebitis. In view of his serious
condition it was decided to start descent in
spite of bad weather. At the end of the day, the
party was involved in a "fall on a steep slope
as a result of a slip and tangling of ropes".
Luckily nobody was seriously injured.
Subsequently all members assembled at the nearby
camp VII. Gilkey was secured on the snow slope
with two ice axes until a party could be
mustered to bring him across the slope to the
camp. However, when three members of the party
returned to Gilkey, they found that he had been
swept away by an avalanche. It took rest of the
party five hard days to reach to the base camp.
Upon reaching there, the party immediately
started for Skardu because of very bad
frost-bitten feet of one of the members, George
Bell. In this way, in spite of very best
efforts, the Americans could not climb K2 from
the south-east ridge.
In 1954, an Italian expedition came to Pakistan
to try its luck on K2. It consisted of twelve
climbers and four
 scientists
and was led by veteran mountaineer, Professor
Ardito Desio, who had come to these mountains
with Italian expeditions before the World War
II. Colonel M. Ataullah and Arshad Munir
accompanied the expedition from Karakoram Club
of Pakistan. Captain (later Lt. General) G.S.
Butt was the liaison officer. Poor weather
hindered progress of the party for a pretty long
time. As soon as the weather cleared, the party
made very good progress and set up camp II. It
was at this camp that one of its members, Mario
Puchoz, a 36-year old guide, died of pneumonia
on the 21st June. It Is believed that he had
contracted high altitude pulmonary oedema (water
on the lungs) which was not well known at the
time and does not respond to antibiotics.
The party established six more camps on the
south-east ridge. Camp IX was a bivouac. On the
31st July, Lino Lacedelli and Achille Compagnoni
started from the bivouac. They exhausted their
oxygen supply 500 feet short of summit but could
not resist the temptation to be the first to
climb the mighty K2 peak. They, therefore,
continued their assault and reached the summit
at six in the evening. After staying for a while
they started descending and reached camp VIII
round about eleven at night.
In this way the saga of K2 ended. The story of
the climb has been narrated by Professor Desio
in his book. "Victory over K-2" in a detailed
manner. But alas this book is available only in
a few foreign libraries.
The peak has now been climbed from almost all
ridges. Demand to climb it from different, newly
identified and difficult routes is on the
increase. This is because the peak has yet to be
climbed for as many times as its elder sister,
the Everest.
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