Skiing at 27,400 Feet

David Watson Skis K2, scenic

Enlarge Photo

Photo by: k2tracks.com

The K2 is a big mountain -- over 28,000 feet of big. It's the second-tallest mountain on Earth, after the might Mount Everest. As such, it gets a lot of freaks trying to climb it; one out of every four who tries ends up dead. None of this seemed to matter much to Dave Watson, international man of mountains. Watson's already summited Everest twice -- and now he's become the only person to ski the K2's upper slopes. On August 4, after climbing to within 200 meters of the summit, Watson's group decided conditions wouldn't allow for a final push to the top. Watson turned around, took off his crampons, put on his skis, and dropped in, skiing from 27,400 feet down to base camp, only stopping for water and a 2,000-foot rappel along the way. Check out the details -- and some pretty stunning photos -- at Watson's web page and in our web gallery.

So, how was your summer vacation?

Photos: k2tracks.com

David Watson Skis K2, scenic

• Login or register to post comments