Why is Mount K2 harder to climb than Everest?

While Mount Everest is taller, K2 is widely regarded as the technically more challenging mountain to climb, with a lower survival rate. While Everest has a slightly higher fatality rate, K2 is more difficult and dangerous to climb. Here are the reasons why:

Steeper Slopes:

* K2 has steeper slopes, with an average slope angle of 40-50 degrees, compared to Everest's average slope angle of 30-35 degrees. This makes K2 more difficult and dangerous to ascend and descend, especially in winter when the ice is harder and more prone to avalanches.

Technical Difficulty:

* K2 presents more technical challenges, such as rock climbing and ice climbing, while Everest is primarily a snow and ice climb.

* The route to the summit of K2 includes several difficult sections, such as the Black Pyramid and the Bottleneck, which require advanced technical skills and experience to navigate safely.

* Climbers on K2 also face greater exposure to rockfall, avalanches, and crevasses.

Weather:

* K2 is located in the Karakoram mountain range, which experiences extreme weather conditions.

* It is more prone to sudden storms and high winds than Everest, which make climbing more challenging and increase the risk of accidents.

Altitude Sickness:

* While both mountains present the risk of altitude sickness due to their high altitudes, K2's peak is about 200 meters lower than Everest. However, the steeper slopes and more difficult terrain on K2 make it harder for climbers to acclimatize and adjust to the altitude. Climbers on K2 often experience more severe symptoms of altitude sickness, such as headaches, nausea, and shortness of breath.

Overall, the combination of steeper slopes, technical difficulty, challenging weather conditions, and higher risk of altitude sickness makes K2 a more difficult and dangerous mountain to climb compared to Mount Everest.