He did it! Kyrgyz climber Eduard Kubatov conquers K2

Mountaineer from Kyrgyzstan Eduard Kubatov has successfully summited K2 — and he did it without the use of supplemental oxygen. The Russian mountaineering group «7 Summits Club» reported on Facebook.

«This year, the ’mountain of mountains’ K2 has been especially unforgiving to climbers. The siege lasted longer than usual, and for a time, it seemed there might be no ascents at all. Most expeditions ended their attempts without making a serious push for the summit. Only the strongest and most determined remained — and luck was on their side. We congratulate our friend Eduard Kubatov on summiting K2, the mountain of dreams! Eduard’s first 8,000-meter peak was Everest, which he climbed as part of our expedition. An outstanding athlete and equally remarkable businessman, organizer, and leader, Kubatov heads the Mountaineering Federation of Kyrgyzstan and has achieved impressive results in this role. Keep going! New heights and achievements!» the post reads.

Climbing K2 is considered one of the most difficult and dangerous feats in mountaineering. Its steep slopes, frequent avalanches, and unpredictable weather make it more technically demanding than Everest.

In May 2023, Eduard Kubatov made national history by becoming the first Kyrgyzstani to summit the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest (also known as Chomolungma), where he raised the Kyrgyz flag at an altitude of 8,848 meters.

K2 (also known as Chogori) is the second-highest mountain on Earth, its height is 8,611 meters.

It is part of the Karakoram range in Baltoro region, straddling the border between Gilgit-Baltistan (administered by Pakistan since 1948) and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China.

Chogori is also known by its ominous nicknames: the «Savage Mountain» and the «Killer Mountain.»