A Pakistani climber has died after other adventurers attempting to climb K2 in Asia continued their journey while he lay in the snow on the mountain.
Mohammad Hassan, 27, was just 1,300 feet from the summit of K2 and about to complete the entire 28,300 feet of his perilous mission. However, an avalanche threw him over the ledge and sustained serious injuries that resulted in his death. However, images showing colleagues have caused a stir in the mountaineering community.
The climbers in question risked their lives to avoid Hassan and continue their journey in the snow, the Chron newspaper reported on Wednesday using drone photos. The same source claimed that only one person actually attempted to keep him conscious before his death. No rescue operation was carried out either. Did some have a stronger desire to continue to face the challenge than to stand by the unfortunate?
“It was a hard fought and competitive race to the top. What happened there was outrageous, Wilhelm Steindl, a climber who also took part in the expedition, told Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf but turned back earlier due to the dangerous conditions.
“A living person is left behind for records to be broken. It would have taken only three or four people to rescue him. I saw that and would have come here to help this poor man. […] He was treated like a second-class citizen.”
The downside
Since then, Kristin Harila’s team, which has been the fastest team to climb every 8,000 meter summit in the world, has been the target of criticism. But the 37-year-old insisted on defending herself, saying she did everything she could to save Hassan. Inhospitable places don’t help anyway, partly because the lack of air forces people to wear oxygen masks, and in their opinion the possibilities of rescuing someone on the spot remain limited.
Kristin Harila – PRAKASH MATHEMA / AFP AFP
“To pretend we didn’t do anything to help him is just not true. We tried to transport him for an hour and a half. My cameraman then stayed there for another hour. He was never left alone, Harila told The Telegraph newspaper. Given the circumstances, it’s hard to imagine how he could have been saved. He fell at what is arguably the most dangerous part of the mountain, where the narrow path and unfavorable snow conditions limit the ability to bring anyone back.
With a height of 8611 m, K2 is the second highest peak in the world after Everest. The Norwegian Harila climbed 14 mountains of 8,000 m or more in three months or 92 days.