Summiting the World’s Most Dangerous Mountain

K2, a mountain in the Kashmir region of Asia, is the second highest peak on Earth and yet more dangerous than Mount Everest, especially in the winter. But in January 2021, a group of Nepali climbers attempted to accomplish what people thought was impossible. Team co-leader Mingma Gyalje Sherpa tells the story of the epic journey on what experienced climbers call the Savage Mountain.
For more information on this episode, visit nationalgeographic.com/overheard (nationalgeographic.com/podcasts/overheard).
Want more?
Watch the video (youtube.com/watch?v=KkszaawGCi0&ab_channel…) of the Nepali climbers summiting K2, singing their national anthem.
Check out Nims’s new, adventurous memoir, Beyond Possible (amazon.com/Beyond-Possible-Soldier-Fourteen-Pe…).
And learn about previous attempts to summit K2.Our article (nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/two-c…) follows a couple of European teams trying—and failing—to summit the mountain.
Also explore:
Curious about those Polish climbers who started this winter climbing craze? Read Bernadette McDonald’s book Freedom Climbers (amazon.com/Freedom-Climbers-Bernadette-McDonal…).
For reflections on the risks of mountaineering, listen to our recent episode about the tragic story of the late renowned climber Alex Lowe.
For subscribers:
There’s way more to this K2 expedition than we could cover in one episode. For more on Mingma G. and Nims’s journey, check out our magazine story (nationalgeographic.com/magazine/graphics/follo…).

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