Why K2 is a harder climb than Mt. Everest

Vanessa O'Brien is an expert mountaineer. She is the fastest woman to climb the highest peak on every continent and the first American and British woman to climb K2, the second-highest mountain in the world.

Here, we talk with her about why Mt. Everest isn't the hardest mountain in the world to climb, and why so fewer who attempt K2 ever make it to the top. You can learn more about O'Brien's adventures by following her on Facebook and Twitter. Following is a transcript of the video.

So when comparing Everest versus K2, they are very, very different.

First, you have two different countries. You have Nepal versus Pakistan so I'd say technically it's more challenging to get to Pakistan to get the visas, the logistics.

You've got different tracks in, so the track into Pakistan to get to K2 base camp involves traveling over a glacier. A glacier is harder to climb, you've got mixed rock, which makes twisting an ankle very, very easy.

When you're going up to Everest Base Camp, you're just on a dirt trail so it's very, very easy.

Also, when you're traveling on K2, you're packing your whole expedition and you're building tents along the way, when you're traveling to Everest Base Camp, you're staying at teahouses so you don't have to travel in tents.

When you're on the actual climb, K2 is shaped like a triangle so it's demanding 110% day one, whereas Everest, there's twists and turns, so it's not always climbing steep.

Weather is much more unpredictable on K2 and I would say the technical climbing on K2 is hard so Everest has the Hillary step, which everyone's heard about, that's one obstacle. But for the most part it's pretty — the paths are well laid-out because a lot of people climb Everest every year where K2, there is very few expeditions that climb because there's such an unpredictability of summits.

And it's more technical so, it's more of a mixed rock, ice, and alpine climb so you have places like House's Chimney and Black Pyramid, which are hard rock climbs in the middle of an alpine climb. So very, very different.

If I look statistically, there's a 40% chance of no summits in any one year so this is a really tough mountain. There's less than 400 summits overall compared to Everest's 7500 summits so just remarkably how much harder K2 is every season that presents itself.

[JohnDoe-fgng]

You climb Everest to tell stories about it at parties.
You climb K2 if you wanna be one of the best mountaineers.

[JesterHyhuahua]

K2 should be renamed Neverest. Like Everest, except you never rest the whole damn climb.

[michaelm]

One of my oldest and dearest friends died in January of 2015 Robert W. Craig. He was part of the 1953 K2 Expedition. If you know mountains you know Bob.

[rxlky]

K2 sounds like mother nature while Everest now sounds like tourists spot

[neptanks]

Damn! this video describes everest if its like walking on a garden🤣🤣

[okay]

What about climbing up in the Soviet Union social class?

[schlurfen]

I get tired climbing 3 flights of stairs

[rickslade]

If you watch any interview or read any books written by professional mountaineers who have made the summit of both K2 and Everest they will tell you from first-hand experience that K2 takes way more skill and is way more dangerous than Everest. This debate has been settled by the professionals who climb mountains for a living. Any loser with a big checkbook can get to the top of Everest considering the Sherpas do 90% of the work for you while K2 on the other hand takes a true professional to reach the summit and even if you're a pro there's a good chance you could get killed on K2 unlike Everest.

[TheSarokar]

I am here after 10 Nepalese Sherpas climbed K2 in winter. I guess this record will never be broken. This mountain is beast !

Once in my life I have smoked K2 cigarette. That's the nearest I have ever went to K2.

[DogWifhat]

Why am i watching this video, when i cant get my ass off the sofa

[btwk]

K2 is harder to climb because there are no Sherpas in Pakistan.
#Respectthesherpas

[MrDaniyalAh]

As a Pakistani, I've seen K2 from a distance. It's steep as a cone. One of my classmates climbed it with a few others, got stuck on the way back. Had to be rescued by the Pakistani army

[zealman]

I tried climbing out of the friend zone once...

[MuhammadSalman-yutr]

It's not challenging to get Pakistan visa .. Now e-visa also available..

[gowman]

Had a good buddy die on K2. RIP Jeff (Lakes). Your are missed, but you are mist in the air we breath.

[xiangfan]

k2 is near my hometown, in the local language we call it " 穆士塔格峰”。

[nasrbhatti]

Had an honor to meet Venessa, a great humble lady. Proud of her. An role model for the climbers.

[fkarim]

The toughest mountain than K2 is Naga-Parbath, which also called killer mountain, located in Pakistan.

[abubakarbakar]

6 climbers died in this months February 2021 while climbing k2 in winter, while I am writing this comment 3 climbers are missing from the last 6 days on k2, death zone called bottle neck...pray for them ...