K2 (Mount Godwin-Austen)

K2 (Mount Godwin-Austen), towering at 8,611 meters (28,251 feet), is the world’s second-highest peak and often considered the most treacherous. Located on the China-Pakistan border in the Karakoram Range, its extreme weather, technical climbs, and remote location earn it the nickname "Savage Mountain." With a fatality rate of around 25%, it tests even elite mountaineers—unlike Everest, it has no "easy" routes. First summited in 1954, K2 remains a symbol of mountaineering’s ultimate challenge, combining raw altitude with sheer icy faces and unpredictable avalanches. Fewer than 400 climbers have conquered it—far fewer than Everest’s thousands.