At 8,611 meters, Qogir or K2 is known as the second highest mountain on the earth. Though it is lower than the Mount Everest at 8,848 meters, K2 is considered a much tougher climb than Mt. Everest and regarded as a death zone above 8,000 meters.
K2 is a main mountain in the Karakoram, part of the Himalayas range, on the border between China and the northern areas of Pakistan. The mountain was first completely surveyed by the British Henry Haversham Godwin-Austen, in 1961.
As of June 2000, 189 people have made it, compared to almost 1500 who have ascended the Mt. Everest. 49 people have died attempting the climb. The first professional attempt to climb it was in 1902 but despite five serious and costly attempts, the summit was not attained until an Italian expedition reached the summit on July 31, 1954 after nearly 100-day's hard work.
The first woman to reach the summit was Wanda Rutkiewicz in 1986. The first five women to reach the summit are all dead (3 of them on the way back). This leads to a belief that K2 carries a curse for women.
According to statistics released in September 2003, 53 of 198 who reached summit had died with a ratio of death reaching 26.77%. The ratio before 1990 was 41%. Hence, the mountain is also known as "death zone" above 8000 meters. Thus, tourists are not advised to do the attempt without being well trained.
About the Author - Master Catherine Jigme
With exceptional passion and outstanding leadership, Mrs. Catherine has dedicated herself to Tibet inbound tourism and China tour for 15 years. As one of the handful females who see great potential of Chinese inbound tourism, Catherine has made great contribution to promoting Tibet tourism and enhancing the employment of Tibetans and prosperity of local Tibetan community.
Over the years, she travelled overseas with Tibet Tourism Bureau many times to promote Tibet tourism. Currently, Catherine works as the marketing director of Tibet Vista, an opinion leader behind the whole team of Tibet Vista.
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