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Three great mountain ranges make their presence felt in Pakistan: the Himalayas, the Karakorams, and the Hindu Kush. The Himalayas form the highest mountain system in the world. Two hundred and fifty of the world's highest peaks are found in Pakistan.The Karakoram chain of mountains stretches for about 300 miles and contains 60 peaks that rise over 22,000 feet. Most of Pakistan's highest mountains are part of the Karakorams and are to be found near the disputed Kashmir border with India.
All the mountain passes are perpetually snow-covered, but this has not prevented them from providing a passageway between Pakistan and Kashmir or China.
The Hindu Kush range of mountains stretches for about 500 miles along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan. These mountains are permanently covered with snow. This is where the famous Khyber Pass, linking Pakistan and Afghanistan can be found.
Mountaineers are fascinated by the challenge of scaling the high peaks of all three ranges, and Pakistan provides many of the people who form part of any climbing expedition. Some are just porters, carrying supplies to base camps from which the real climbing begins, but others are professionals in their own right. They accompany the climbers and provide invaluable information and assistance in coping with the rigors of the high-altitude environment. During the winter months, the snow freezes into a slippery, icy mass, making climbing impossible, and it is usually in mid-April that the mountaineering season gets under way. Even then the temperature drops to below freezing above 2,000 feet, and there is a danger of frostbite although the sun may be shining brightly overhead.
K2 was previously called Godwin-Austen, after the eldest son of an English geologist, but this name was never officially recognized. The mountain was named K2 because it was the second to be measured in the Karakorams.
K2 is considered by most professional mountaineers to be far more difficult to climb than Everest, and many consider it virtually unscalable. Before 1954 there had been five expeditions on K2, all failing to reach the summit. Two of the five expeditions resulted in several deaths.
Despite such dangers, an Italian team conquered K2 on August 31, 1954. Then, in 1986, nine expeditions converged on the mountain and seven climbers, including the first woman, reached the summit. Tragedy, however, took its toll and 13 people died that year on K2, including the seven who had reached the summit.