K2 The North Ridge 1990

In 1990, K2 had not been climbed since 1986 when 13 people had died on the mountain in one season. The North Ridge had had just one ascent, by a Japanese team in 1982. One of the summit team fell to his death on the descent. By 2020 nearly 400 people had stood on the summit of K2, but 86 had died.

Following his involvement in the 1988 Australian Bicentennial Antarctic Expedition, which made the first ascent of Mt. Minto, one of the frozen contient’s highest peaks, Closs was invited to join the US/Australian team as a support climber on an attempt on the North Ridge of K2. Despite the mountain’s fierce reputation, it was an invitation any climber would find hard to refuse.

Closs tells the story of the expedition from his point of view, including struggles with dangerous rivers and avalanches, massive fatigue and oxygen deprivation – but also the highs of traveling in extraordinary country and climbing with world-leading high altitude climbers Steve Swenson, Greg Mortimer, Greg Child, and Phil Erschler. This is the only book about this successful expedition.