On 31 July 1954, two Italian men were getting closer to the summit of K-2. Known as the "Savage Mountain," K-2 is not as high as Mount Everest but (according to mountaineers) it is more dangerous to climb.
At the most inopportune time - as the summit was within reach - Lino Lacedelli and Achille Compagnoni realized they had used-up all their supplemental oxygen. How could they keep going without it?
Fifty years later, Lacedelli broke his silence to relate what happened as K-2 was conquered. ** In addition to all the other dangers on the mountain, both climbers knew they'd have to reach their goal without the help of much-needed supplemental oxygen:
Then, suddenly I found I couldn't breathe and felt dizzy. I tapped on my back with my ice axe and asked Compagnoni if there was any oxygen left in the bottle. 'You've still got some,' he said, bit it clearly wasn't true. I looked at his - and it was empty like mine. So I told him he still had some as well. We were both afraid that the other would lose his nerve if he knew the truth. But the fact was that the oxygen was really finished and we were very scared.
We had read before leaving Italy, that without oxygen it was not possible to survive for more than ten minutes above 8,500 metres. But we were feeling okay, even if it was hard to breathe and our legs felt weak. I had wanted to remove the carrier with the oxygen bottles, but the problem was that in order to take it off I had to open a carabiner, and it was not possible with frozen fingers. So we decided to carry them to the top as a sort of proof that we had reached the summit. We also stayed roped together even though we didn't need to any more. If one of us had slipped he would have taken the other one down as well. (K2: The Price of Conquest, by Lino Lacedelli, Giovanni Cenacchi and Mark Worthington, page 71.)
At this point, when their oxygen was gone, the climbers could see Broad Peak. Worried that lack of oxygen would impact their judgment, at this critical stage of the ascent, they talked just to make sure their reasoning ability was still intact:
When the oxygen finished I looked at the mountain to the south-east, 'That's Broad Peak,' I said, 'It's 8,047 metres high.' So my brain must have been working. But to check we started to discuss banal things, just to see if our minds were working clearly. My problem was that I felt as if I had a heavy load on top of my head, crushing it. I couldn't move any more.
We tried to go on a few steps with the empty bottles. I felt a warm feeling in my legs, and then they went really cold. But my headache had gone and so I convinced myself that we could live a little longer. Then, just when the oxygen had completely finished, we had an unexpected lift. The clouds parted and we saw five little specks at Camp VIII and it was as if they had given us a push upwards. Seeing them gave us courage. When you are up in the mountains there are no living creatures around you, so seeing a sign of life gives you encouragement. (Lacedelli, pages 71-2.)
As they inched forward, toward the summit, the climb became "less steep." Although they weren't sure they were nearing the top of K-2, they thought it likely. Linking arms they took the last steps together:
'But ... is that the summit?' I thought, 'I hope so.' So we linked arms and I said, 'Together.' At that point we looked at our watches. During the whole day that is the only time I can confirm, it was ten minutes before six o'clock. We were amazed that we had managed to get to the top after all the problems we had had, after our companions had fallen by the wayside, one by one. We thought, 'We'll be next,' but instead ... We couldn't believe it, we were so pleased. (Lacedelli, page 72).
It was July 31, 1954. K2 - the savage mountain - had, at last, been conquered, but more dangers awaited Lacedelli and Compagnoni. Much of their initial descent took place in darkness.
Both men who first reached the summit of K2 died in 2009. Lacedelli was nearly 84; Compagnoni was 93.
Over the decades, many more people would try to reach its summit. Over the decades, many people would die trying.
Click on the image for a better view.
** Quoted passages are split into additional paragraphs for easier reading.
Credits
Image of Lacedelli and Compagnoni at the summit of K2 - 31 July 1954 - from the archives of Corriere della Sera.
Quoted passages from K2: The Price of Conquest, by Lino Lacedelli, Giovanni Cenacchi and Mark Worthington - online, courtesy Google Books.
