The Bottleneck couloir on K2 stands at roughly 27,000 feet elevation - above 8,000 meters - in the so-called "death zone." Shortly after the Bottleneck photo was taken, Rice abandoned his summit bid and descended to base camp. Witnessing that first fatality is part of why Rice is alive today to tell his story.Īs reported again today by the Los Angeles Times, Rice's delayed start, after he spilled melted snow on his socks, coupled with freezing hands that he couldn't warm up, convinced him that K2's summit could wait. 1 were the first in a fatal sequence of events that would leave a total of 11 climbers confirmed dead and frozen high on K2 in the next 24 to 36 hours. An estimated 27 percent of those who stand on K2's summit get killed on the way down. Only a few hundred have reached the top in more than a century of exploration and attempts. The Bottleneck is considered a last major obstacle on several routes to K2's highly coveted summit. 1 photo - as many as 10 are visible - continued to the summit, according to multiple acounts.
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