No Way Down: Life and Death on K2

Bowley re-creates one of the most dramatic tales of death and survival in mountaineering history, vividly taking readers through the tragic 2008 K2 ascent that claimed the lives of eleven climbers, severely injured two others, and made headlines around the world. With its near-perfect pyramid shape, K2 has lured serious climbers for decades. In 2008, near the end of a brief climbing season cut even shorter by bad weather, no fewer than ten international teams — some experienced, others less prepared — crowded the mountain's dangerous slopes with their Sherpas and porters, waiting to ascend. Finally, on August 1, they were able to set off. But hindered by poor judgment, lack of equipment, and overcrowded conditions, the last group did not summit until nearly 8 pm, hours later than planned. Disaster struck when a huge ice chunk from above the Bottleneck, a deadly 300-foot avalanche-prone gulley just below the summit, came loose and destroyed the fixed ropes. More than a dozen climbers and porters still above the Bottleneck — many without oxygen and some with no headlamps — faced the near impossibility of descending in the blackness with no guideline and no protection. Over the course of the chaotic night, some would miraculously make it back. Others would not. This is based on in-depth interviews with surviving climbers and many Sherpas, porters, and family and friends of the deceased. This is one of ten books which covered the 2008 events on K2.

Shortlisted for the 2010 Boardman-Tasker award and Winner 2012 Kekoo Naoroji Book Award for Himalayan Literature from the Himalayan Club.