An insider's account of one of the deadliest and most controversial tragedies in mountaineering history - the 2008 K2 disaster.
K2 is the world's second-highest mountain. 'The Savage Mountain', as it's often called, is regarded by climbers as far more challenging than Everest, and perhaps the most dangerous peak on Earth.
When eleven men perished on the slopes of K2 in August 2008, it was one of the single deadliest events in Himalayan climbing, and it made headlines around the world. Yet none of the surviving Western climbers could explain precisely what happened. Their memories were admittedly fogged by exhaustion, hypoxia, and hallucinations. The truth of what occurred lies with four Sherpa guides who were largely ignored by the mainstream media in the aftermath of the tragedy, who lost two of their own during the incident, and whose heroic efforts saved the lives of at least four climbers.
Based on his numerous trips to Nepal and on in-depth interviews he conducted with these unacknowledged heroes, the other survivors, and the families of the lost climbers, alpinist and veteran climbing writer Freddie Wilkinson presents this insider's account of one of the most devastating disasters in mountaineering history. At once a critique of the mainstream press's less than complete coverage of the tragedy, a comprehensive report of what actually happened on the mountain, and an incisive journey into the lives of the six Sherpas who were involved, One Mountain Thousand Summits is a dark portrayal of the hubris, racial tensions, and ethnic ambiguities that threaten to consume modern mountaineering. It is also an honest portrait of how heroism can transcend these divisions.
