How should we define the "most beautiful" peak?
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| Because of weather conditions in the mountains,once they reach base camp, most climbers usually stay there for two months. | Another mountain lover Wang Haozheng(author of Dangerous Footsteps)said,"The peaks I find safe and reliable are the most beautiful."
By this criterion, even if every other mountain in the world were chosen. The dangerous Chogori (K2)could not perhaps qualify. Even so, 1 want to look at it with the "most beautiful" eyes.
In fact, we should have done so much earlier. Chogori stands on the Chinese-Pakistan border, but the first time China surveyed this absolutely masculine peak at a close distance was nearly 1 40 years later than the Englishman Henry Godwin-Austen in l 856.
Chogori is a transliteration of the Tajik language, meaning "high, great and magnificent."Internationally, it is better known as K2, which is the only major mountain in the world that has surveyor's notation as its common name(K stands for Karakoram, 2 means it was the second peak listed).
Like Qomolangma which was once incomparably remote from US, Chogori still looks very
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| Chogori is a steep and dangerous peak. |
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| The dangerous landform and changeable weather have caused a death rate as high as 30% in attempts on the summit. | remote from US.
Chogori lies in the middle of the Karakorum Range. Its southern slopes are in Pakistan, and its northern face is part of Yecheng County in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
There are six ridges on Mount Chogori: The northwestern-southeastern ridge is the principal ridge line of the Karakorum range, also the dividing line between China and Pakistan. The other five ridges are the northern ridge, the western ridge, the northwestern ridge and the southwestern ridge. It is more difficult to climb the Karakorum Range from the northern slope than from the southern slope. It is even more difficult to climb Chogori.
First of all, the dangerous slope with an average gradient of 45กใ, as if shaped by knives and axes, are covered with steep cliffs and sliding chutes arising from avalanches. From the base camp on the northern slope to the summit, the vertical height differ Fence is 4, 700 meters. It is the biggest vertical height difference among the Deaks 8, 000 meters above sea level in the world. The steep slope makes it extremely difficult to find safe places for setting up high-altitude camps. If too many climbers climb the same route. it is very likely that the later climbers have to climb non-stop for lack of intermediate camps. thus greatly increasing the risks.
Even grimmer than the steep slope is the nasty weather on the Karakorum Range. Between May and September, none of the lucky mountaineers have ever had one whole week of fine weather for decades. although this is the best season for mountain climbing.
"The peak from which the fewest return" has left the following bloody statistics: Since l 954, only l 64 people have scaled the summit, and 49 others have been killed;of all the 8,000-meter-plus peaks, it has the third highest death rate.
Since the l 990s. commercial mountain-erring has developed rapidly on a global scale. It is no exaggeration to say that, provided you have the time and the money, even if you are blind or one-legged. there will be commercial exploration organization willing to try and take you to the summit of Qomolangma, the highest peak in the world.
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| Because of its special landform and geomorphology, ropes have to be fixed along the whole route from the advance camp to the summit. | But, the Karakorums are not the Himalayas, and Chogofi is not Qomolangma. This great peak is for expert climbers only. Here. no commercial mountaineering organization will provide you any services, and even top-class mountaineers will choose their climbing partners with a particularly eagle eye. The leader of a Japanese K2 team said sternly when organizing his team in l 982. "We are professional climbers, and all know that if we run into trouble at a height of 8,000 meters on K2. it is absolutely impossible to get help. If you do not have the confidence and determination to face possible trouble, you should not go!"
This is Chogori!In the eyes of the top-class mountaineers, it is the most beautiful peak; it is its matchless danger that seduces them. This is also the reason why, following last century's enthusiasm for the Himalayas. the focus of professional mountaineering has now shifted to the Karakorums.
The Chinese team bid farewell to K2 in 2000 following an unsuccessful attempt. A strong Chinese Tibetan expedition failed again in 2002 in the teeth of an unexpected blizzard, just when it was within sight of success at a height of 8,400 meters. On July 27th, 2004, seven Chinese Tibetans finally scaled the summit at their third attempt.
Renna, an outstanding Tibetan climber (sadly killed by a rock fall on May 27, 2005 while attempting the last unscaled 8, 000-meter peak, Jiashulbrum l) said that he resolved in a third attempt on K2:succeed or die tryin9.
This is what the great Chogori means to the world's top-class mountaineers.
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