Savage Summit

This book was inspired by Jennifer Jordan's 2003 National Geographic documentary special, "The Women of K2." Climbers call K2 "The Savage Mountain." It is not quite as tall as Everest, but it is far more dangerous, located at the border of China and Pakistan in the deadly Karakoram range, which has the harshest climbing conditions and weather of any place in the world. Ninety women have climbed Everest, but only five female climbers have ever reached the summit of K2 alive. Three of these women died on the way back down the mountain, and the other two have died since their climb. Because these five women who defeated the most ferocious of all mountains have lost their own voices, SAVAGE SUMMIT told their tragic and compelling stories. The terror and triumph of K2 was revealed through the stories of the few women who have succeeded in climbing it. The women in these stories are forced to deal with harsh conditions from the mountain and from the men climbing around them, often being treated unfairly or discrimated against in their struggle to get to the summit. SAVAGE SUMMIT also attempted to answer tough questions: Do female climbers rely too much on their male climbing partners? Are women prepared for the physiological and emotional rigors of K2? Are female climbers, because of the publicity and sponsorship opportunities afforded them, climbing the mountain without the proper training, endangering their own lives and the lives of those who climb with them?