ISLAMABAD, Pakistan —
K2′s “savage” peak beckons the daring, but rare is the climber who answers the call in winter.
Dwarfed only by Mt. Everest, K2 is the world’s second-highest peak at 28,251 feet, and it is one of the deadliest, killing one climber for every four who succeed in reaching its summit through its steep rock faces, glacier climbs and devastatingly brutal weather.
In winter, the odds are even worse.
This week, hope is waning for some of the latest mountaineers to attempt it. Muhammad Ali Sadpara of Pakistan, John Sorri of Iceland and Juan Pablo Mohr of Chile were last heard from on Friday and were reported missing Saturday. Heavy clouds obscuring the mountain have repeatedly forced halts in the search for them.