Peak Danger: 2. Plan of Attack

Summary

Extreme: Peak Danger Episode 2: Plan of Attack Release Date: January 27, 2025

Hosted by Natalia Melman Petruzella

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Introduction: The Perilous Ascent of K2

In the summer of 2008, approximately 30 climbers embarked on a treacherous journey to conquer K2, a formidable mountain straddling the border between China and Pakistan. Over the span of two disastrous days, 11 climbers tragically lost their lives, marking one of the most harrowing episodes in high-altitude mountaineering history. In this episode of Extreme: Peak Danger, historian and podcaster Natalia Melman Petruzella delves deep into the events, decisions, and human dramas that unfolded on K2’s unforgiving slopes.

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K2: Beauty and Brutality

K2, standing at 28,251 feet, is not merely a visually stunning pyramid that pierces the clouds; it is a mountain that relentlessly tests the limits of human endurance and resilience.

Dr. Eric Meyer provides a vivid description of K2’s dual nature:

"It's just an incredibly remote, austere environment. Rock, snow, and ice. It's beautiful in that respect." (00:48)

However, the mountain's beauty is deceptive. The climbers soon face K2's lethal unpredictability:

"We had an avalanche that ran down to within a few hundred yards of our camp." (01:04)

The threat of avalanches and rockfalls is ever-present, underscoring the mountain’s perilous reputation.

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The Climbers: Diverse Motivations and Backgrounds

Among the climbers are Cecilie Skog and her husband Rolf Bae, newlyweds whose love for each other is matched by their passion for mountaineering. Their decision to climb K2 during their honeymoon sets the stage for the intense personal and collective struggles to come.

The expedition comprises a mix of seasoned climbers and those newer to high-altitude ventures, each driven by different motivations:

• Some seek to push their physical and mental boundaries.
• Others are hired for specific roles.
• A few climb for the sheer exhilaration of being amidst the majestic peaks.

As commercial mountaineering becomes more prevalent, K2 attracts a confluence of ambitious climbers striving for the summit, despite the associated risks.

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Planning the Ascent: Collaboration and Challenges

With a looming two-day good weather window, the climbers understand the necessity of a meticulously crafted plan to avoid chaos on the mountain. Given K2's narrow and treacherous paths, coordination is paramount to prevent traffic jams that could spell disaster.

A crucial planning meeting takes place in a Serbian team's tent, where climbers from various expeditions discuss strategies:

Dr. Eric Meyer: "We knew we would all be in the same space at the same time, so we thought, let's work together." (07:09)

Wilko Van Rooyen, a professional adventurer, plays a significant role in shaping the plan:

"We got 400 meters, lightweight and very strong. So when Italians take 200 meters, you don't have to bring anything." (09:09)

The meeting emphasizes the importance of fixed ropes and synchronized efforts to ensure a safe and efficient ascent. However, communication barriers emerge as the team comprises 12 different nationalities, each with its own language and dialect, as highlighted by Rolf:

"They were not the strongest when it came to language and communication." (12:19)

This multilingual dynamic poses a significant challenge to the unity and effectiveness of the planned strategy.

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Choosing the Route: Abruzzi Spur vs. Sessen Route

The climbers face a pivotal decision regarding which path to take up K2:

• Abruzzi Spur: The traditional and more popular route, favored by Cecilia and Rolf for its relative ease in terms of steepness and the reduced load. However, it remains highly susceptible to rockfalls and avalanches.

  "It's exposed to rock falls and also avalanches." – Cecilia (15:02)

• Sessen Route: Preferred by Wilko Van Rooyen for its thicker snow coverage on ice, which he believes offers better protection against avalanches, despite its inherent dangers.

  "Predicting rockfall is even harder than predicting avalanches. For me, it was logical to take the Sessen route." – Wilko Van Rooyen (15:27)

The choice of route reflects each climber's assessment of risks versus advantages, highlighting the strategic complexities involved in high-altitude mountaineering.

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The Ascent: Stages and Struggles

The climbers proceed in stages to mitigate the effects of high altitude:

1. Climbing to Camp 2 (22,000 feet): The initial push, where exhaustion and physiological strains become palpable.

   Dr. Eric Meyer describes the physical toll: "It feels like it's a big struggle. It's very common to feel very physiologically under gunned, like I just can't get enough air." (16:07)

2. Reaching Camp 3 (7,040 meters): A moment of brief respite and camaraderie.

   Cecilia reflects: "When you reach a new camp... you realize why you're there. It's the view, the atmosphere, the people around you." (17:41)

3. Establishing Camp 4 (25,000 feet): The final base before the summit, offering breathtaking yet daunting views.

   Cecilia shares her awe: "You can see everything, everything you've only seen on pictures." (18:58)

At each stage, the climbers grapple with the exhausting demands of high-altitude climbing, the bitter cold, and the constant battle against nature’s unpredictability.

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A Heroic Rescue: Shaheen Beg’s Plight

Tragedy strikes when Shaheen Beg, the experienced Pakistani lead guide, falls critically ill at Camp 2 due to a gastrointestinal issue likely caused by contaminated snow:

Dr. Eric Meyer explains: "He had a gastrointestinal issue, probably from scooping bad snow." (22:17)

Shaheen's deteriorating condition poses a dire threat, necessitating an urgent rescue. With no other climbers nearby to assist, Nadir Khan, a young Pakistani cook with no mountaineering experience, steps forward to save his friend.

Despite the immense danger, Nadir mobilizes with the help of a military officer to perform the rescue:

Shaheen Beg: "He's a very sick man alone. He was just expecting to die in Camp 2." (23:27)

Nadir's bravery is highlighted as he administers medication and physically supports Shaheen during the perilous descent:

"He was going to learn on the spot." – Narration (24:07)

After a grueling 30-hour round trip, Nadir successfully brings Shaheen back to lower ground, embodying the profound human spirit of sacrifice and friendship amidst the harshest conditions.

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Aftermath: The Expedition’s Unraveling

The successful rescue of Shaheen, while heroic, leaves the expedition without one of its most experienced guides. This loss forces Predrag and his Serbian team to reconsider their ascent strategy:

Frederick Strang: "We start to see that it might not be as but they're just a..." (27:40) (Incomplete quote indicating uncertainty)

Meanwhile, up at Camp 4, Rolf and Cecilia grapple with the physical and emotional toll of their climb:

Cecilia: "I have this gut feeling that I'm not in control of this climb." (28:07)

The expedition, which began with a spirit of collaboration and meticulous planning, now faces fragmentation and escalating tension as the climbers confront dwindling support and mounting uncertainties.

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Cliffhanger: The Mountaintop Beckons Amidst Turmoil

As the climbers prepare for the final push to the summit, internal conflicts and unaddressed communication issues threaten to derail their mission. Cecilia's growing unease signals impending challenges that could have devastating consequences for the entire group.

Natalia Melman Petruzella concludes: "That climb is no longer just about reaching the top; it's about survival and the fragile trust that holds the team together." (28:13)

Stay tuned for the next episode as the climbers navigate these perils, testing the limits of their endurance and the strength of their alliances.

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Conclusion

Episode 2, "Plan of Attack," masterfully captures the intricate dynamics of a high-stakes mountaineering expedition. Through personal narratives, expert insights, and gripping real-time events, Natalia Melman Petruzella paints a vivid picture of the extreme challenges faced by those who dare to push the boundaries of human possibility. The episode not only highlights the physical dangers of K2 but also delves into the psychological and interpersonal struggles that can determine life or death in such inhospitable environments.

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Notable Quotes:

• Dr. Eric Meyer:

  • "It's just an incredibly remote, austere environment. Rock, snow, and ice. It's beautiful in that respect." (00:48)
  • "We had an avalanche that ran down to within a few hundred yards of our camp." (01:04)
  • "It feels like it's a big struggle. It's very common to feel very physiologically under gunned, like I just can't get enough air." (16:07)

• Cecilia Skog:

  • "It's exposed to rock falls and also avalanches." (15:02)
  • "How do they solve this problem? Felt pretty fortunate to be there with my husband." (27:19)

• Wilko Van Rooyen:

  • "Predicting rockfall is even harder than predicting avalanches. For me, it was logical to take the Sessen route." (15:27)

• Nadir Khan:

  • "He's a very sick man alone. He was just expecting to die in Camp 2." (23:27)

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Produced by Lee Meyer and Amalia Sortland for the BBC.

Transcript

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the uk.

[Cecilia]

BBC Sounds Music Radio podcasts.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

You're about to listen to Extreme Peak Danger with me, Natalia Mellman Petruzella. New episodes will be released on Mondays, so mark it in your calendar and find them wherever you get your podcasts. But if you're in the uk, you can listen to the full series now first on BBC Sounds. Enjoy. In the summer of 2008, Dr. Eric Meyer is standing in K2's base camp.

[Dr. Eric Meyer]

K2. It's always had this amazing mystique about it.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

He's craning his neck to look up at the 28,251ft that make up this mammoth mountain.

[Dr. Eric Meyer]

It's just an incredibly remote, austere environment. Rock, snow and ice. It's beautiful in that respect.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

But K2 is so much more than just a pretty face and has no problems reminding you of that fact.

[Dr. Eric Meyer]

We had an avalanche that ran down to within a few hundred yards of our camp.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

At first, Eric can't see the avalanche, but he can hear it.

[Dr. Eric Meyer]

It starts low. It's a rumble that develops into a roar and you feel the wind blast. If you're directly in the path, the wind blast itself can pick a person up and carry them, maybe even 100 meters in some cases.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

Dr. Eric's teammate, Frederick Strang has been filming since before they arrived. He captures the whole thing.

[Frederick Strang]

Jesus Christ.

[Wilko Van Rooyen]

That was a big piece of camera.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

They watch as a thick white wall of mist from the avalanche billows to the ground. If you were up there about Camp.

[Frederick Strang]

2, you could easily get blown off. Or it could trigger something. Yeah, it could trigger something on you.

[Dr. Eric Meyer]

I hope everybody's down okay. This is the seriousness of this mountain. Nothing that I've experienced makes you feel smaller than that kind of wonder. Seeing that awesome power makes you think about other possibilities.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

How the hell are Dr. Eric, Cecilia and the rest of the climbers gonna make their way up a mountain that seems determined to beat them down? If they want to stand a chance of overcoming K2 before the clock runs out, they'll need a foolproof plan. I'm Natalia Melman Petruzella from the BBC. This is Extreme Peak Danger. Episode 2 Plan of Attack. You know, mountain climbing is becoming more.

[Rolf]

And more popular in this country.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

But for the real experts, finding a mountain to climb is getting quite a problem because the 20 highest mountains in the world have already been conquered. Conquered. It's a word that captures the early history of mountaineering and much of the history of Europe. Way back in the 1760s, a young Swiss scientist named Horace Benedict de Saussure made an unusual offer. He'd tried and failed to summit Mont Blanc, the tallest peak in the Alps. So it's said he promised as much as $2,000 in today's money to anyone who could get to the top. About 25 years later, two Frenchmen named Michel Gabriel Paccard and Jacques Balmain claimed that reward. As the story of their triumph spread across Europe, this summit would become one of the most influential achievements in the early history of mountaineering. Over the next two centuries, the mountains got bigger, tougher and more remote. Elite climbing teams formed around national identities set out across the globe to Asia, home of the world's tallest mountains, to stake their claim for the glory of king and country. But as one decade passed into another and the 20th century crashed into the 21st, a change had taken place. Conquering mountains like these was no longer just for elite adventurers. As you can hear from this news report from World Is one News. Lets talk about people who climb Mount Everest. The number of travelers has risen rapidly due to commercialization in recent times. There's no rulebook to mountain climbing, no international association telling you what or how to climb. And there's nothing to stop anyone from making mountaineering into big business. People with little experience in preparation are attempting to scale the summit. Nowadays, for the right price, you too can buy your way onto the slopes of an 8,000 meter peak. Specialized mountain travel agencies will plan every detail of your trip. They'll provide high and low altitude porters who'll transport your kit up and down the mountain, and climbing guides to help you to the summit. For people who want to make a living off of their adventures, or who climb simply for the love of it, there's sponsors to help cover costs. Sponsors provide funding, clothing or equipment. And in return they get pr, bragging rights, and ideally, a photo of someone wearing their company logo on the top of a mountain. Everybody wins. Mount Everest as the world's highest peak was the natural first choice for a lot of climbers. But as more and more people started to flock to the mountains and sponsorships became harder and harder to come by, it didn't take long for the hardcore among them to start seeking out ever more exclusive and dangerous challenges like K2. Which is why in late July 2008, there's around 30 climbers risking it all for a shot at making it to the top of this perilous peak. Some have come to see just how far they can push their bodies and minds. Others are here because they've been hired to do a job. And some want to climb this mountain simply because being up among these breathtaking peaks makes them feel truly alive. Whatever their individual reasons, they've all just received the same A two day good weather window is is fast approaching. It's their one chance to summon. But here's the thing. If all of these individual teams try to summon at once, it'll be chaos. A lot of K2 is vast snow fields, but there's also thin rocky paths and vertical ice walls. One section is so narrow only one climber can go up at a time. There's eight different teams here, as well as a handful of independent climbers. In total, there's around 30 different people vying for a chance at the summit. Put this all together and it could cause serious traffic jams. And K2, prone to rockfalls and avalanches in a moment's notice, is not the kind of environment where you want to be stuck in one place for any length of time. The climbers in K2's base camp know this.

[Dr. Eric Meyer]

We knew we would all be in the same space at the same time, so we thought, let's work together.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

A few days before the big summit push, all the climbers gather inside a tent belonging to the Serbian team to work out a plan. It's filled with expensive looking gear.

[Frederick Strang]

We had a very good satellite link, we had a very good weather forecast. We had some telescope to look at the mountain.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

This is Predrak Zagorach. He took up climbing in his 20s after a childhood spent walking the hills of Serbia with his uncle. Predrag and the other Serbian team members have decorated their tent with pictures, children's drawings and all kinds of other mementos from back home.

[Frederick Strang]

We had a limited connection with our families. You know, when you're alone up there on few thousand meters of ice, it really means a lot. Excuse me, my English is I talk with difficult tent.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

Inside the tent, climbers representing all the main teams are sitting around a large table.

[Frederick Strang]

My leaders said, hello everybody. All the team leaders were there and we were discussing who will do what, who will fix the rope, who will carry the equipment for the final push.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

Earlier in the summer, while they were still acclimatizing and setting up the lower camps, the climbers had fixed long lengths of ropes into the ice and snow of the mountain.

[Wilko Van Rooyen]

Maybe make route till Camp 4.

[Frederick Strang]

Some fixed rope, 150 meter.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

It's an important safety precaution. The climbers can clip onto the ropes to catch them should they make the wrong move. But they haven't yet been able to fix any ropes on K2's final section, which comes after the highest camp. It contains some of the steepest and most dangerous terrain on the mountain.

[Wilko Van Rooyen]

And we need technical skills, people.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

One of the leading voices in this meeting is a professional adventurer, Wilko Van Royen. He's laying out how much rope will be needed for this final push.

[Wilko Van Rooyen]

We got 400 meters, lightweight and very strong. So when Italians take 200 meters, you don't have to bring anything.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

Wilco has a profound connection to the mountains. It's been that way ever since he was a child.

[Wilko Van Rooyen]

My love in climbing big mountains started actually by my father because he was loving going into the mountains, especially in the summertime. We went always three or four weeks to the Swiss Alps. I loved it so much, so much.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

So he's made it into a lifelong career. He finds sponsors to fund his expeditions and then to make his own money, he does public speaking events where he waxes lyrical about his many death defying high altitude adventures. One of those includes his first trip to K2. It was back in 1995 and things didn't really go to plan.

[Wilko Van Rooyen]

One week in this expedition, I got hit by a rock fall that broke my arm, broke my bone above my eye. So I was really bad shape.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

In the aftermath of his injuries, Wilko was overrun by journalists who perhaps understandably thought that he might reconsider such a dangerous hobby.

[Wilko Van Rooyen]

They said, probably now you will stop. And I was really looking to these guys and I was really furious. I said, go away, you don't understand me.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

This is Wilco's vocation, his life's work. He's not about to pass up this opportunity to finish what he started. Broken bones be damned.

[Wilko Van Rooyen]

We need strong men. Just die hard.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

And he's not the only one here. Returning to K2, Shaheen Beg, a Pakistani climber and lead guide for the Serbian team, actually reached the summit before. He's the only climber here who has. So Shaheen is another key figure in laying down the plan.

[Wilko Van Rooyen]

He was the most experienced guy, you know, in knowing what to do.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

With Shaheen's expert guidance and the expedition leaders on board, a plan takes shape.

[Wilko Van Rooyen]

If we get five people from different expeditions, maybe one of you, maybe one of you.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

An advance team will leave Camp 4, the final camp before the summit, a few hours before everyone else. They'll set the ropes ready for the others to clip onto. Then the rest of the climbers will set out one team at a time and make their final ascent to the top.

[Wilko Van Rooyen]

We were really satisfied that we were having this plan and we were cooperating with each other instead of competing.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

Everyone knows that there's so much more at stake than the chance to stand on top of a mountain. The life of each and every person here hangs in the balance. It's with this in mind that the climbers go so far as to draft a kind of contract. That way, nothing can be missed.

[Frederick Strang]

We write everything down and all the expedition leaders signed this. It was looking like everybody was happy.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

Well, not everybody. After the big summit meeting, two members of the small Norwegian expedition, Lars and Rolf, head back to their tents. They tell their teammates, Cecilia and Eystein, what they observed.

[Rolf]

For me and Rolf, it was obvious that there was a good plan. But the leaders of the big expeditions, and especially the ones that communicated in English, led that meeting. That means that they made the decisions.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

But not everyone speaks English. There's like 12 different nationalities represented here, each with their own languages and local dialects to take into consideration.

[Rolf]

They were not the strongest when it came to language and communication.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

With so much on the line, it's vital that information be shared. Clearly, Lars and Rolf are concerned that a lot of the climbers haven't fully grasped how easily things get lost in translation, which is a problem because this plan hinges on everyone working together.

[Rolf]

It's a paradox because you have to rely on people that you wouldn't go climbing with at home. You don't know their climbing education background and their skills.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

With all this in mind, the Norwegian team decides to take extra precautions.

[Rolf]

We ended up bringing some more gear so we could get out of situations if ropes were not fixed in the proper way, or if we weren't happy with the way things were being done. We knew it would be dangerous to climb K2, but we wanted to make it as safe as we could. And we also agreed that we would not continue if something happened. We would definitely turn around before it would get serious.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

But obviously, if they can summit, they're not going to turn down the opportunity. Plus, now, with all their extra preparation, this small Norwegian team is feeling a little more secure. Plans are set, bags are packed. The only thing that's left to do is climb this mountain. There's more than one way to get up K2. The most popular and well trodden path is known as the Abruzzi Spur. It's the route that the Italian Duke of Abruzzi took in his failed summit attempt of 1909. After his defeat, he declared the mountain unclimbable, but at least he got a part of it named after himself, a classic colonial consolation prize. This is the route that Cecilia, her husband Rolf and most of the other climbers are taking.

[Cecilia]

It's easier that way because you carry less and it's less steep.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

But while it might not be the steeper option, many think it's more dangerous.

[Cecilia]

It's exposed to rock falls and also avalanches.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

This is why Dutch climber Wilko van Rooyen and his team are taking the Sessen route, named after another European, Tomo Sessen, who solo climbed the route in the 1980s.

[Wilko Van Rooyen]

The advantage of the Sessen route is there's more snow on ice.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

The Sessen route is also prone to avalanches. They're still on K2 after all. But the way Wilco sees it, it's the better option.

[Wilko Van Rooyen]

Predicting rockfall is even harder than predicting avalanches. For me, it was logical to take the session route.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

Whatever path you're taking up K2, you're not just battling rockfalls and avalanches. You're also going up against high altitude itself. This is a subject Eric Meyer knows all too well, both as a climber and a doctor.

[Dr. Eric Meyer]

If you go up high enough, fast enough, any of us will get sick. The consequences of moderate to severe altitude sickness would be pulmonary edema, water in the lungs and cerebral edema, fluid in the brain.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

Neither one is a great option. So to try to avoid all this, the climbers are taking the final push in a couple of stages. Most teams are climbing straight to Camp 2 first, where they'll spend the night at around 22,000ft above sea level. They've been up here countless times, but it somehow never gets easier.

[Frederick Strang]

How you feel?

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

Tired?

[Frederick Strang]

Yeah, really tired.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

That's Dr. Eric. You can hear the one who's really tired.

[Dr. Eric Meyer]

It feels like it's a big struggle. It's very common to feel very physiologically under gunned, like I just can't get enough air. Could be likened to trying to exercise while breathing through a straw. Muscles start to ache that you never knew you had in your core, in your back, in your upper legs, like you're sort of walking through wet cement.

[Cecilia]

You have to suffer because it's hard, it's cold, it's steep. To get higher, you have to also push.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

But all of the climbers know that each slow, painstaking step is worth it.

[Frederick Strang]

We've just arrived Camp 3. 7,040 meters. It's a beautiful day, very warm. So now get some fluids, drink and eat a lot so we get our energy back.

[Cecilia]

When you reach a new camp and crawl into the Tent in the evening and eat that first warm meal of the day and just share that with your friends. You realize why you're there. It's the view, the atmosphere, the people around you. And just being there, you feel you really are part of something that's unique.

[Frederick Strang]

We arrived at Camp 4. Beautiful view, a little bit windy, but that's what we expected to know. Now we're Putting up the 10. Go down.

[Cecilia]

Reaching Camp Four was very special. That was the first time I was above where I'd been before. Rolf was ahead and he was, like, yelling to the rest of us, he's here. That gave so much energy to the bodies. Like, I. I think I almost run up the last steps towards our campsite there.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

Camp four is over 25,000ft in the air.

[Cecilia]

You can see everything, everything you've only seen on pictures.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

Cecilia's eyes scan across mile after mile of sprawling mountain ranges, A floating ocean of ice and rock that seems to stretch on forever. It's everything she's been dreaming of and so much more. For Cecilia's teammate, Lars, the view is metaphorically and literally breathtaking.

[Rolf]

I just had enough with breathing and struggling, but we had a really beautiful sunset from camp 4. The shadow from K2 itself made a pyramid at the horizon because K2 is a lot higher than all the other mountains around. That was really special.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

Cecilia, Lars and the others are celebrating this perfect moment and basking in the orange pink glow of the setting sun up at Camp 4. But while they're doing that, something has unfolded below them down at Camp 2, something that will change the trajectory of this entire summit attempt.

[Cecilia]

Excluding Puestos Italifencia.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

Nestled high up in the mountains of northern Pakistan, there's a beautiful village called Shimshal. It's a tiny community, and most of the people there are farmers or goat herders. As a young man, Shaheen Beg fell head over heels in love with mountaineering. And nowadays he's a legend in the Pakistani climbing community. He helped to establish the Shimshal Mountaineering School. He's also helped a lot of local villagers find jobs on the mountains. This trip included. A lot of them see him as a kind of father figure.

[Shaheen Beg]

He's worked very hard to promote mountaineering for young women.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

This is Amanda Padawan. She's a historian and investigative journalist.

[Shaheen Beg]

Some of the first Pakistani women climbers on the international scene were fostered and trained by Shaheen Beg.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

Shaheen, as the only person on this trip who has been to the top of K2 before, was instrumental in the earlier summit meeting. When it came to laying the foundations for the joint plan, he's also someone who can translate between English speaking climbers and Pakistani high altitude porters. He's basically the linchpin of this whole operation. But when the climbers reach Camp 2, something's not right. Shaheen is feeling really sick, so Dr. Eric takes a look at him.

[Dr. Eric Meyer]

He had a gastrointestinal issue, probably from scooping bad snow.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

One of the unfortunate realities of high altitude mountaineering is it can get a bit messy. There's no bathrooms up on the mountain, so people just go where they need to go. So bad snow is a rather polite way of saying snow that's been contaminated with human waste. This can lead to the spread of germs, which can bring down even the toughest of climbers.

[Dr. Eric Meyer]

I treated him with antibiotics and did the best I could, but he was not getting better.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

Shaheen doesn't want to hold anyone back to miss their one chance at the summit after they've waited for so long. He insists the other climbers move on to Camp 4 without him. But as the time passes, Shahin is deteriorating at an alarming rate, more than anyone could have guessed. He needs to get down to a lower altitude fast, but he doesn't have the strength to do it alone.

[Shaheen Beg]

No one's available to help him or rescue him.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

All the climbers have moved on from Camp 2. They could be 1,000ft above him right now. More even. For Shaheen, the situation is dire.

[Shaheen Beg]

He's a very sick man alone. He was just expecting to die in Camp 2.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

But then a young Pakistani man named Nadir Khan, who along with Shaheen, also worked for the Serbian team, decides to step up. Nadir, a devout Muslim, is a small guy, but he has big dreams of becoming a climber, just like Shaheen. So far on this trip, he's been stuck at base camp in the kitchen tent working as a cook. But now his friend is in danger. He radios Dr. Eric for advice.

[Shaheen Beg]

Eric tells him where to find gear in his tent in base camp and medication. So he just strapped on his crampons and went for it. This cook in base camp was not going to accept the idea that his friend was going to die in camp too. And it didn't matter to him that he didn't know how to climb. He was going to learn on the spot.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

What Nadir lacks in stature, he more than makes up for in bravery. He enlists the help of a military officer who's working at base camp as a liaison for the Korean team. With that, the Soldier and this small, inexperienced cook start climbing. They spend hours heaving themselves up through the rock, ice and snow. When they eventually find Shahin, he's crouched in the fetal position. He's surrounded by a pool of vomit so dark it looks like Pepsi.

[Shaheen Beg]

He's coughing. He clearly has pulmonary edema.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

Fluid is now leaking into Shaheen's lungs. There's no time to waste. Nadir picks up a syringe full of dexamethasone, a medication used to treat late stage altitude sickness. He plunges the needle into Shahin's shoulder. Then he wraps him up in rope and and begins to descend.

[Shaheen Beg]

He has to drag Shahin's body across the snow like a sled. And all the while, Shahin is telling Nadir, leave me behind. But Nadir refuses. He keeps climbing. And this is a nearly 30 hour round trip, climbing and lifting and hauling a very sick man by a man who has no mountaineering training whatsoever.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

Against all the odds imaginable. After hours and hours of climbing through the cold and the dark, the trio eventually stumble back to lower ground. Everyone is exhausted, but alive. But this means that the only climber here who's made it to the top of K2 before is now out of commission. And all the other climbers are left to carry out the plan without him. Way up. Back at 25,000ft, mostly unaware of the life saving heroics happening down below, the other climbers are setting up for their final night in Camp 4, their last stop before the summit. Husband and wife, Rolf and Cecilia are huddled together in their tent trying to force some food down so they have the energy for the final stretch.

[Cecilia]

Very rare. I feel hungry. Above seven and a half thousand meter, I lose my appetite.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

This happens to a lot of people at altitude. But more than that, you can find your favorite foods. Tastes completely different. Something that can have truly heinous consequences.

[Cecilia]

Chocolate tastes different above 7000 meter, like harsh butter. But tomato soup and potato chips, it's better. So we grilled some soup, but only one bowl and one spoon. I was like feeding both of us one for you and one for me. We had one sleeping bag to share. At one stage I got so cold, it's like I got that feeling of wanted to like crawl inside him.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

In this moment, Cecilia's thoughts turned to her teammates, Lars and Einstein, who are sharing a tent of their own.

[Cecilia]

How do they solve this problem? Felt pretty fortunate to be there with my husband.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

A few tents along is the Serbian team. They've just been dealt a serious blow. Now that Shaheen Beg, who was their lead climbing guide is no longer with them.

[Frederick Strang]

You start to see that it might not be as but they're just a.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

Few thousand feet from the top. The climbers can practically see the Summit from Camp 4. Prajrag and the rest of his team decide that they can move forward without Shaheen. Someone else can take his place.

[Frederick Strang]

We were a little bit concerned, but okay, it still looks good. Let's continue.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

But the next morning, Cecilia is worried.

[Cecilia]

I have this gut feeling that I'm not in control of this climb.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

What she doesn't know is that this formerly united band of climbers is about to splinter with devastating consequences. That's next time on Extreme Peak Danger with me, Natalia Melman Petruzella. Extreme Peak Danger is produced by Lee Meyer and Amalia Sortland. The editor is Josephine Wheeler. Sound design and mix by Nicholas Alexander. Original music by Adam Foran. Our theme music for Extreme Peak Danger is by Silverhawk AKA Cyril Poirier and Adam Foran. Our production managers are Cherie Houston and Joe Savage. Story development by Amalia Sortland. Our commissioning editor at the BBC is Dan Clark. Max O'Brien and Craig Strachan are executive producers and I'm Natalia Melman Petruzella, your host and executive producer. Extreme is produced by Novel for the BBC. It's Kim Cattrall and I want to.

[Shaheen Beg]

Tell you about my new podcast Central.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

Intelligence from BBC Radio 4 about the birth of the CIA. Secrets, lies, covert operations, the inside story from a real life agency legend starring.

[Shaheen Beg]

Ed Harris, Johnny Flynn and me, Kim Cattrall. To hear Central Intelligence and many other.

[Natalia Melman Petruzella]

Great drama podcasts, search for limelight on BBC Sounds.