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Rubbish dirties top of K2 - 6th September 2023

K2 is known as the Mountaineers' Mountain because it's so challenging for climbers. It's situated in the Karakoram mountain range. It's a little lower than Everest, and it looks like a tall pyramid.

But these days K2's full of rubbish, after so many attempts to climb it. The first successful one was 70 years ago, but the first winter expedition to the top was in 2021. Now there's a growing number. Around 700 climbers have now reached the summit, and 190 were in 2022. That means there's a large rubbish problem. Old tents, food containers, oxygen tanks can be found on the sides of K2.

Muhammad Ishaq is responsible for part of Karakoram National Park. Keeping the mountain clean is extremely important.

Muhammad Ishaq: "There are eight peaks higher than 8,000 metres in central Karakoram. This K2 and G2 mountain area in Pakistan is extremely beautiful. We love it more than life itself, because there's no place on earth with such beauty. So we're putting our life into trying to keep it clean."

Experienced climber Sajid Ali Sadpara built a team of five people to clear K2 of rubbish. It took them one week to remove 200 kilograms.

92 climbers have died on K2's slopes and among them was Sajid's father, Ali Sadpara. Keeping the mountain clean is a way for Sajid to show respect for his father.

Sajid Ali Sadpara: "This is the final resting place of my father, so I am voluntarily focusing. Emotionally, I am doing it from my heart. I am doing this work, so inshallah, due to my father's graveyard. So I will try my best to clean this mountain as much as I can."