Located in the Karakoram Range in Pakistan, K2 is the second-highest peak in the world. It is also, in terms of difficulty and mortal risk in summiting, challenged by only Annapurna as the world's most threatening mountain. In the summer of 2008, 10 groups of climbers were strung out on its slopes, waiting for suitable weather to make a rush to the top and safely return to camp, base camp, and ultimately home.
On Friday, August 1, just such a weather window had opened. Helping fix the ropes was a team of high-altitude porters (HAPs), Pakistan's answer to the more famous Sherpas of the Himalayas.