A Norwegian climber, Kristin Harila, has faced criticism for her decision to continue her record-breaking series of climbs on K2, the world’s second-highest mountain, despite encountering an injured porter who later died during the ascent. Harila, along with her guide Tenjin Sherpa, became one of the fastest people to summit all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter mountains in just under three months and a day, breaking the previous record set in 2019.
However, two other climbers on the mountain that day, July 27, claimed that Harila and her team ignored the injured porter, Muhammad Hassan, in their pursuit of reaching the summit. They accused the climbers of prioritizing their personal achievement over a potential rescue mission. Video footage provided by an Austrian climber, Wilhelm Steindl, showed numerous climbers stepping over Hassan on the narrow mountain path.
The authorities in Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region, where part of K2 is located, are now investigating the incident and whether sufficient rescue efforts were made. They will also examine the condition of Hassan’s climbing gear and determine who authorized him to climb with potentially inadequate equipment.
Climbing such tall mountains, including Mount Everest and K2, is extremely dangerous, and fatalities are not uncommon. In some cases, the bodies of fallen climbers cannot be recovered due to the treacherous nature of the terrain.
Weather conditions on K2 on the day of Hassan’s death were severe, causing many climbers, including Steindl, to turn back. Steindl believes that Hassan could have been saved if Harila and others had chosen to abandon their climb.
Harila has defended her actions, stating that she and her team did everything they could to rescue Hassan. She claims they spent hours trying to help him after finding him hanging upside down from a rope. She also noted that Hassan appeared to be ill-equipped for the climb, lacking essential gear such as gloves, an oxygen mask, and a down suit.
According to Harila, a group of Sherpas ahead of her team had indicated they were turning around, which gave her the impression that more help would be provided to Hassan. Another member of Harila’s team offered his own oxygen to Hassan and stayed with him until their own supply ran out. Harila believed that with the number of people staying behind and turning back, Hassan would receive the assistance he needed to descend safely.
Harila’s team encountered Hassan again on their descent, but by that point, he had tragically passed away. The team was unable to recover his body due to their exhausted state and the challenging conditions of the bottleneck.
The bottleneck section of the climb is so narrow that it would require at least six people to safely carry someone down. However, given the circumstances, it was deemed impossible to perform a safe evacuation of Hassan from the area.
This incident highlights the concern among experienced mountaineers about overcrowding and inexperienced climbers on popular routes, which can contribute to avoidable deaths. Additionally, climbing guides are increasingly leaving the industry due to the inherent dangers of the job and the lack of support for their families in the event of their death or disability.
In June, Gelje Sherpa and other guides demonstrated the selfless nature of the profession by rescuing a Malaysian climber on Mount Everest, sacrificing their own summit attempt and carrying the climber back to camp in a challenging five-hour descent.
In conclusion, the circumstances surrounding Hassan’s death on K2 have sparked a debate about the ethics, responsibilities, and safety measures in mountaineering. The incident serves as a reminder of the risks involved in high-altitude climbing and the need for careful decision-making to ensure the well-being of all climbers.
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