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Name: Miroslav Caban
Nickname: Miro
Sports: mountaineering
Date of Birth: 4th of April, 1968
Home country: Czech Republic
Marital status: Married
Website: www.448.cz |
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Height (feet): 28251
Height (meters): 8611
Location: Karakoram Range
Country: Pakistan + China
Coordinates: 35º 52´57"N, 76º 30´48"E
Difficulty: major mountain expedition
Easiest route: rock/snow/ice climb
Best months for climbing: June, July, August
First climbed: 1954
Nearest major airport: Islamabad, Pakistan
K2 8611 meters
The most difficult mountain in the world is K2. Its shape reminds one of a huge ancient pyramid that seems to be out of this world. Everybody seeing her for real has been left stunned by her broad massive base and the summit touching heavens through the clouds. It is the second highest in the world.
Besides the purist official name it is also known as Mount Godwin-Austen or Lamba Pahar (Tall Mountain), Dapsang, Kechu, Ketu and artificial Chogori (coming from chogo - big and ri a mountain). The mountain looks massive indeed as it towers in isolation above the wide glacial field of Concordia and right at the head of the famous Baltoro Glacier (or icefall). The high summit is flanked by six equally steep ridges which makes her the ultimate climb for most climbers and in fact with no 'easier' way for climbing her since every face consists of precipices and overhangs. There are altogether 9 ascent routes which all include very difficult passages out of which the Abruzzi Spur is the most common one and the North Ridge the least used one. Our Lady is also well known for bad and extreme conditions which also Miro experienced in the past.
The mountain was surveyed already in 1856 when the name K2 was derived from it being the second peak in the Karakoram Range. First attempt was made in 1902 with no success due to various reasons. One of them was the weather: only eight days were with favorable conditions out of the 68 the expedition spent on the mountain. Other attempts in 1909, 1934, 1938, 1939, and 1953 also failed. The first successful summit was performed in July, 1954, by an Italian expedition. The second successful attempt was performed only in 1977, 23 years later.
By now the peak has been climbed by almost all of its ridges. K2 is considered more difficult to climb than the higher Everest for her greater height above the surrounding terrain and terrible weather. It´s quite normal to experience snow storm on K2 and most of them last for few consecutive days. As she is believed by many to be the most dangerous to climb she earned the nickname Savage Mountain. As of August 2004 only 246 people had ascended her compared to 2238 reaching Everest´s summit by that time. So good luck to our expedition 4-4-8!
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