K2 Massif

The main peak of the K2 Massif stands at 8,611 meters, making it the second-highest mountain on Earth after Mount Everest. However, despite being roughly 237 meters shorter than Everest, K2 is widely considered far more technically difficult to climb.

The K2 Massif is located within the Karakoram mountain range, which spans the borders of Pakistan, India, and China. Specifically, K2 itself is situated on the border between the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan and the Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County of Xinjiang, China.

K2 is often called the "Savage Mountain" because of its extreme steepness, unpredictable weather, and high avalanche risk, resulting in a disproportionate number of climber fatalities. Unlike Everest, it lacks an "easy" route, forcing climbers to navigate severe technical obstacles like the Bottleneck, a dangerous couloir overhanging by massive seracs.

K2 was temporarily named Mount Godwin-Austen in honor of Henry Haversham Godwin-Austen, an early British surveyor who explored the Karakoram region in the 19th century. However, the name K2, designated by the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India, remained the most universally accepted designation due to its simplicity.