In 2017, Desnivel.com published an article titled K2, the New Everest? in which we pointed out what we described as “worrying signs” that foreshadowed the Everestization of K2. That year, just five years and one global pandemic ago, there were a total of 85 climbers on Pakistan’s highest mountain, many of them with little preparation but backed by strong support from Sherpa guides, alongside the growing presence of Nepalese expedition agencies.

In 2022, those warnings have become reality, and the Everestization of K2 is now a fact. More than 400 people planned to attempt the ascent this summer, and nearly half that number had already reached the summit. Nepalese agencies — working in close cooperation and harmony with Pakistani agencies that provide most of the local support, mainly at Base Camp — have successfully implemented their commercial expedition business model on the Abruzzi Spur route of K2. A Sherpa team was responsible for fixing ropes throughout the entire mountain, all the way to the summit itself.

Behind them climbs a long line of expedition members, most of them connected to supplemental oxygen and receiving personalized support from nearly two Sherpas and/or high-altitude porters per client. Source: Desnivel.com. Continue reading the full article here.