Woman climber dares K2 without oxygen

K-2, or the Mt Godwin Austen or simply Chogori in local Baltit language, is the world second highest mountain after the Everest, located in Pakistan.  This 8,611 meters (28,251 feet) high mountain is also known as the Savage Mountain as it is more dangerous to attempt than the Everest and only those who dare can attempt it. K-2 was first attempted by an Italian expedition in 1954 and since then has been centre of attractions of serious and adventure loving mountaineers.

Recently, K2 was attempted by an Austrian woman – who dared it without Oxygen cylinder and stood atop the savage mountain, happy, smiling and proud of her feat on August 23, 2011 at 6:20 PM (local time). Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner has reason to be happy as she is the first woman ever to have accomplished this unique honour. Not only this, she also becomes the first woman to have conquered all 14 eight thousanders without artificial oxygen.

K-2 has not been new to Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner as she has already attempted it six times. She was accompanied on her way to the top by the Kazakh climbers Maxut Zumayev and Vassiliy Pivtsov, and Darek Zaluski of Poland.The team attempted K-2 from the Chinese north side for the first time. Previously, Kaltenbrunner had scaled K2 from the Pakistani side.

Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner  would badly miss her friend and fellow-climber Fredrik Ericsson from Sweden who died while attempting K-2 in August 2010.

Kaltenbrunner is a trained nurse who started climbing in her youth. She lives in the German state of Baden-Wuerttemberg with her husband.

Related:

K-2 – Chogori - Mt Godwin Austen (Pakistanpaedia)

Eight Thousanders of Pakistan (Jaho Jalal)

Deathly skiing on savage mountain – K2 (Hobby Shobbys)