K2 clean up

Although at 8,611 metres it's slightly smaller than Everest, K2's named the Mountaineers' Mountain since it's so demanding to climb. In the shape of a steep pyramid and lying in the Karakoram mountain range, it's an ascent that only the most skilled climbers dare to attempt.

While the first person to reach the peak did so in 1954, a successful winter climb didn't take place until 2021. Even so, more or less 700 mountaineers have now successfully achieved the summit, with 2022 alone seeing 190 ascents.

The rapid growth in the number of climbers has given rise to serious problems. Litter's scattered over the mountain's once pristine slopes - everything from used oxygen tanks, tents, ropes to food containers have been abandoned.

Muhammed Ishaq is the warden for the central part of Karakoram National Park, where K2 is situated. He feels passionately about preserving the natural beauty of this remarkable place.

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."

Having put together a group of five, mountaineer Sajid Ali Sadpara began a clean-up project and in just one week, the team managed to extract 200 kilograms of rubbish from the peak's frozen hold.

This summit's claimed the lives of 92 climbers and porters, including Sajid's own father, the world-famous mountaineer Ali Sadpara.

So, protecting K2 is also an act of 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."

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