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| A view of K2 |
Trailing behind them, a procession of headlamps dotted the mountainside in Pakistan, resembling distant fireflies within the mist. The ascending journey continued as a diverse group made their way upwards – enthusiastic athletes, Nepali Sherpas, experienced Western mountain guides, and their international clients.
Among those leading the charge was Kristin Harila, a climber from Norway. As the sun began to illuminate the landscape, Harila and her guide, Tenjen "Lama" Sherpa, were destined to achieve the record for the fastest ascent of the world's 14 highest peaks.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Hassan played his role. A Pakistani porter assigned to carry equipment for the team responsible for securing ropes, the 27-year-old bravely ascended the freezing heights, positioned between seasoned climbers and Harila's achievement.
That night, an unusual sight awaited – Hassan suspended upside down at an altitude of 27,000 feet. He hung perilously above the abyss, his face buried in the snow.
By the close of the summit window, over 102 individuals had achieved the feat of conquering K2. All the climbers who had paid for the experience would safely make their way down the mountain and gather once again at the base camp.
However, Mohammad's fate would take a different course.
His passing would deeply impact the mountaineering community in the weeks that followed, eventually capturing the attention of global headlines. The climbers who had successfully reached K2's summit on that day found themselves at the center of a heated debate. As discussions raged, people deliberated whether it was feasible to rescue a man stranded more than 8,000 meters above sea level on the formidable "Mountain of Mountains." The question remained: Had the pursuit of personal glory blinded over 100 climbers, leaving Mohammad isolated on the icy terrain?
Insider had conversations with seven climbers and mountain guides who had been present on K2 that night, among them two individuals who had witnessed the immediate aftermath of Mohammad's tragic fall.
After having in-depth conversations with experts in mountaineering and speaking with a dear friend of the porter who passed away, we've managed to gain a clearer and more detailed picture of the series of events that unfolded during that tragic and chaotic night on K2. Sadly, our attempts to reach out to Mohammad's employer, Lela Peak Expedition, multiple times in order to gain some insights, have not yielded any responses
The Savage Mountain
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| K2 stands as the world's second-highest mountain, yet it earns the reputation as the most formidable to conquer. |
The weather, according to Arnette, is famously fickle. The westerly winds that sweep into the Karakoram range collide headlong with K2, creating turbulent gusts and elevating the threat of avalanches.
Taking all these factors into account, climbers keep an eye out for winds that are less than 30 mph, capitalizing on those rare windows of opportunity to make a summit attempt.
"Remarkably, this year had an uncommon pattern, with just a single day throughout the entire season, specifically July 27, when the winds were calm enough," remarked Arnette.
The climbers who were present on K2 shared a similar view. "The details we received while ascending indicated that the 28th was expected to bring a severe storm," recounted Lucy Westlake, who joined an attempt to conquer K2 with Madison Mountaineering, a US company.
According to Westlake, a lot of teams believed that July 27 marked the final opportunity within that favorable window to make a summit attempt.
Given that almost every climber believed they had just one chance, the path to the summit became inundated with hopeful climbers.
Oswaldo Friere, a mountain guide from Ecuador associated with the Nepali group Seven Summit Treks, informed Insider that he personally observed a total of 41 tents pitched at Camp 3, which serves as the last base before the summit during this particular season.
With such a multitude of tents, it was apparent that a considerable crowd, numbering around 120 to 160 individuals, had assembled for the ascent, as explained by Friere.
Having a mountaineering experience spanning over three decades, Friere was an integral member of the team that was responsible for establishing the route between the lower and upper camps. Witnessing the harsh weather conditions and the need for sufficient shelter space, the seasoned climbers decided to abandon their efforts to set up Camp 4 on The Shoulder. This plateau has historically served as the starting point for summit attempts.
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| Climbers, right, make their way to the upper camps. |
The perils on the formidable K2 were multiplying at an alarming rate, Friere highlighted. Recent snowfall had occurred just days prior, leaving very little time for it to compact and offer a stable surface to walk on.
Aspirants aiming for the summit would be required to ascend from Camp 3, then face a treacherous wall of ice and rock named the Bottleneck, followed by a steep traverse, and conclude with a two-hour hike up a 60-degree incline.
Moreover, with each additional person traversing the path in the darkness of night, the potential for avalanches or rockfalls grew substantially.
"I'd be absolutely terrified," expressed Arnette. He recalled that when he reached K2's summit in 2014, merely 10 individuals were attempting the climb on the same day.
Sensing the escalating risk, Friere found himself on the brink of packing his gear and descending from Camp 3.
However, he ultimately made the decision to proceed with the summit attempt, driven by the desire to assist Westlake — his friend and the youngest American woman to conquer Everest — in achieving the same feat on K2. Their plan was to strive for the peak, all while continuously assessing the conditions as they progressed upward.
As the afternoon of July 26 unfolded, numerous climbers began their journey from Camp 3 toward the summit. Among the initial groups to set out, Mohammad and the rope-fixing team likely departed prior to 3:30 p.m., according to Friere's estimation.
Harila's team, comprised of herself, Tenjen, and Brazilian cameraman Gabriel Tarso, initiated their ascent at 8 p.m., Harila recounted. Just a short while before, they had successfully completed an ascent on another 8,000-meter peak in Pakistan – Broad Peak.
Meanwhile, Friere and Westlake commenced their climb at midnight, hoping that the delayed start would result in a significant time gap between them and the other teams, ultimately enhancing safety on the climb.
Regrettably, their expectations didn't align with reality.
The Great Serac — 2 a.m.
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However, Harila noticed that a few climbers ahead of her had come to a halt. In order to investigate the cause of the delay, her team began overtaking other climbers to reach the front of the line, as Harila recounted to Insider.
Harila's description of the immediate events was supported by visual evidence reviewed by Insider, in addition to an interview conducted with another climber who was part of a different team. This anonymous climber, referred to as Doe, had been leading the group and requested anonymity due to the death threats that Harila had recently received. Although referred to as Doe, the climber's identity has been verified by Insider.
Being among the first three individuals in line on K2, Doe was among the initial few who witnessed the porter in a critical condition. In the darkness, they could discern a figure trapped beneath the trail.
"At one point, we heard someone shouting, 'Ah, ah!' as if something was wrong. We proceeded forward, and I saw this person hanging upside down, with his belly exposed," Doe described.
Mohammad had fallen on a perilously steep section of K2 known as a traverse. This area features slopes tilted at around 70 degrees, descending far below. Located roughly two hours from the summit, the traverse stretches across a distance of 500 meters, demanding climbers to walk while maintaining balance on the side of the steep incline to reach their destination.
The porter remained suspended there, unable to help himself, hanging about 5 meters below the trail, Doe recalled.
A fellow climber who was with Mohammad stood further down the mountain path, seeming unsure of how to initiate a rescue. This individual was also a part of the rope-fixing team, but their name isn't being disclosed by Insider due to privacy and safety concerns.
Doe observed that an ice screw securing the fixed ropes near Mohammad had come loose, suggesting it might have been pulled out during his fall. His jumar, a handheld device used to grip fixed ropes, still dangled from the lines anchored above, Doe added.
The exact reason for Mohammad's incapacitation after such a short fall is unclear. At elevations above 8,000 meters, altitude sickness can take hold, along with conditions like pulmonary or cerebral edema, where fluid accumulates in the lungs or brain. Furthermore, preexisting medical conditions can be fatal at high altitudes.
As Mohammad hung upside down, his clothes had started to shift, gathering around his upper torso and revealing his lower abdomen, Doe described. Harila also mentioned that his legs were tangled in the ropes.
Both climbers found his attire odd. Mohammad wasn't wearing a down suit, an essential piece of gear for 8,000-meter peaks that covers the climber's body to provide warmth, Doe explained. Multiple mountaineers confirmed to Insider that attempting K2 without a down suit was unthinkable.
We weren't certain about the identity of this individual, whether they were a man or a woman," Doe commented. "I was questioning why this person was situated between us and the rope-fixing team, since we believed we were the first group of clients.
Harila also confirmed that Mohammad lacked both a down suit and supplemental oxygen, another crucial item for high-altitude climbs.
"He wasn't equipped with a regulator, mask, or oxygen bottle — we hadn't seen him before and weren't aware if he had these items earlier and lost them," Harila noted. "But there was no sign of any oxygen equipment. He didn't even have gloves at that moment.
Rescue above the abyss— 2:15 a.m.
Harila and her team made the decision to assist Mohammad due to their expertise as strong climbers and experienced Sherpas.
Doe also recalls the event similarly. Being a client of the Sherpas rather than a seasoned mountaineer, Doe's focus was on avoiding interfering with the rescue efforts. They emphasized their role in preventing the need for further rescue operations by not causing any issues.
The rescue operation was a time-consuming endeavor, requiring cautious movement from the already fatigued rescuers. One particular challenge was dealing with an unsecured ice anchor. The steep and perilous terrain extended hundreds of meters below, posing a serious risk of fatality if anyone were to slip and fall.
During the initial stages of the rescue, a young Sherpa tried to add an additional ice screw but slipped on the fresh snow, according to both climbers. This incident visibly affected him, as remembered by both individuals. Harila, Tenjen, Tarso, and a team of Sherpas collaborated to secure more lines on Mohammad, reposition him, and gradually pull him up, making progress inch by inch.
Assessing the difficulty of the rescue, Arnette likened it to pulling a heavy bag, estimating that Mohammad was likely either unconscious or barely conscious due to the extreme conditions at that altitude (around 8,300 to 8,400 meters) and the use of supplemental oxygen. The situation was challenging, with the team operating in the middle of the night while enduring freezing temperatures and wearing goggles for protection. Harila, along with her Sherpa and photographer, had already conquered multiple 8,000-meter mountains in the preceding two weeks.
Doe captured an image of the rescue scene, with a time stamp indicating the photo was taken at 2:15 a.m., as reported by Insider
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| This image was shot at about 2:15 a.m. |
Harila's team captured their own video footage, which was also observed by Insider, showing the climbers assessing the situation after Mohammad's fall.
In the video, Mohammad's climbing partner is visible assisting by holding onto the ropes.
While the experienced climbers worked to pull Mohammad up the slope, the porter exhibited some level of consciousness and vocalized distress signals, indicating his unfavorable condition. Harila noted that Tarso provided Mohammad with his oxygen mask and attempted to reassure him.
Simultaneously, a line of individuals began to form behind Doe. Reflecting on the scene, Doe mentioned, "When I looked behind, I noticed a significant queue forming. I attempted to step back, but due to the congestion, movement was nearly impossible.
A few moments afterward, the avalanche hit.
The Bottleneck — 3 a.m.
Around 3 a.m., Westlake and Freire reached The Shoulder, the intended location for Camp 4. The path was congested with fellow climbers.
"As we reached the peak, a trail of headlamps ascending the mountain came into view," Westlake remarked. "It seemed that a significant portion of those headed for the summit were gathered there.
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| Westlake and Friere observed a string of headlamps illuminating the Bottleneck and the traverse ahead. |
Freire remembered the radio chatter being filled with confusion. "We began hearing reports on the radio about an incident," he said. "Someone had fallen from the path, and they couldn't be rescued," he recalled hearing.
Among the chain of climbers, a sense of unease was taking hold. The rescue operation was obstructing the progress of the climbing group. Mohammad's fall had occurred just past the area known as the Bottleneck, a steep rock gully that stands 100 meters tall and is considered the most perilous part of the ascent.
Nearly all climbers found themselves either within the Bottleneck or at its exits. This location sits just below the Great Serac, which makes it particularly hazardous when fragments of the ice cliff break away.
Debris from the serac often funnels into the gully, lending the name "Bottleneck." This phenomenon can dislodge fixed ropes and pose a fatal threat to anyone caught inside, according to Arnette.
The Bottleneck suffered a devastating tragedy in 2008 when a segment of the Great Serac collapsed, claiming the lives of eleven climbers in one of the mountain's deadliest incidents. "The key is to navigate the Bottleneck as swiftly as possible," Arnette advised.
It's possible that the climbers could have spread out and descended to wait at a safer location. However, such organization didn't occur, possibly due to the crowded conditions within the Bottleneck, the relative inexperience of some client climbers, the darkness of the night, and the confusion stemming from Mohammad's fall
Occasionally, individuals encounter a phenomenon called "summit fever," as explained by Freire, an experienced climber from Ecuador. This occurs when people mistakenly believe that safety lies in numbers, assuming that following the crowd guarantees security. However, this assumption doesn't hold true.
At The Shoulder, Westlake and Freire had limited awareness of the events unfolding along the traverse, much less the circumstances of Mohammad's fall. Freire speculated that those at the summit might not have carried extra ropes, which would have been invaluable for a rescue.
He chose to maneuver past the climbers on the Bottleneck and bring up the necessary gear.
Yet, as Freire gauged the ascent, Westlake observed a commotion in the snow.
Lucy inquired, 'Is that an avalanche?'" Freire recounted. Glancing upward, he witnessed a massive expanse of white snow advancing towards them.
The avalanche narrowly missed the Bottleneck, averting a catastrophic outcome, and consisted mainly of powdery snow that cascaded over the climbers at The Shoulder, including Westlake and Freire