Deadly Descent. The Tragedy on One of the Most Difficult Peaks in the World — K2

«Best Book» according to the editors of Outside magazine. Official selection of the American Alpine Club's book club. National Outdoor Book Award. Banff Mountain Book Award. NCTE George Orwell Award. American Society of Journalists and Authors Outstanding Book Award. The summit of K2, or Chogori, due to the extreme difficulty of the ascent, has earned the nickname «The Wild Mountain». Its height is 8,611 meters — it is the northernmost eight-thousander in the world and the third peak after Annapurna and Nanga Parbat in terms of mortality rate. In August 2008, 11 climbers from several expeditions died during the ascent — this number of casualties in one season had never occurred in the mountain's history. The authors of the book conducted an unprecedented study, conducted over 200 interviews, and managed to reconstruct the real story of the tragedy, in part thanks to candid accounts from Pakistani and Nepali high-altitude porters. The book is supplemented with biographies of famous climbers, stories of other attempts to ascend K2, and the region's mythology. «The highest peak in Pakistan and the most difficult mountain in the world. The achievement of K2 is deadly — that is why it attracts climbers who fly like moths to a flame and are burned in flight.» — Alexander Abramov, eleven-time Everest summiter and president of the «7 Summits» club. «An informative and inspiring book... I couldn't put it down.» — Jamling Tenzing Norgay, climber and son of the legendary Tenzing Norgay — the first conqueror of Everest