K2

The Savage Mountain

Fahad Badar, the first Qatari man and one of the first Arab men to summit K2, recounts his July 2022 ascent and return after Broad Peak.

Just one year after nearly dying on the descent from the summit of Broad Peak, I returned to the same valley, to complete a long-established ambition to scale the second-highest mountain in the world.

I had committed to the expedition with a high degree of secrecy – doubtless I would have received much well-meaning, sensible advice that it was too soon to tackle any eight-thousander, and especially the legendary ‘Savage Mountain’, given my new disability. But only the challenge of K2 truly interested me, and I judged that it would be sufficiently inspirational to reignite the spark of purpose and desire that had been lacking in my life for the previous few months.

Helped by a superb guide, Mingma David, we tackled the well-known challenges of House’s Chimney and the Bottleneck. I had to adapt my climbing style to accommodate the reduced grip in my left hand, but my fitness was good and by the time of this expedition I was able to tackle the most difficult sections. A tricky traverse at high altitude on the descent won praise from Mingma, which was immensely rewarding to hear. At the summit, I gave an impromptu speech, recorded on video, about the importance of seeking to recover from setbacks and trauma. The video attracted attention via social media around the world. 

I felt immense joy at being able to reach the summit, as the video clearly shows; but perhaps the greater satisfaction was in simply being able to climb again after the injury.