As with Winter K2, this expedition was not easy to pull together. In the weeks leading up to our arrival in Pakistan, we communicated daily, problem solved almost hourly, put out fires, navigated the complex travel terrain during the pandemic and ultimately succeeded in arriving on time. PK moved mountains in Nepal for us, sourcing all the gear for the high altitude portion of the climb.

Few know this, but after our recent Everest summit, (swipe for images) on descent, our team intersected with another team that was recovering a deceased climber who passed in 2019. Despite their very good intentions, they were not technically proficient enough to manage the recovery safely. Pasang Kaji intervened and led the recovery with everyone’s safety in mind. By the time we reached camp 3, there was a full white out, it was snowing and we had depleted our oxygen reserves. It was a team effort with outstanding leadership.

PK will be leading the technical efforts up high on K2. He’s the IFMGA/UIAGM/NNMGA guide. I typically work hand in hand with him on the production side, but this time, once we step foot on K2, his role changes and he gets to put all of his skills to practice, particularly once we reach camp 3, 4 and above.

It’s an honor to have him with us.

Thank you, Pasang Kaji Sherpa. This would not be possible without you.