Cory Richards

Okay, so just so people know, there are 14 mountains in the world that are above 8,000 meters. So 26,240 feet, roughly. Five of those are in Pakistan and the other nine are in right on the border of Nepal and Tibet. And then there's one down in India.

Okay, so just so people know, there are 14 mountains in the world that are above 8,000 meters. So 26,240 feet, roughly. Five of those are in Pakistan and the other nine are in right on the border of Nepal and Tibet. And then there's one down in India.

Okay, so just so people know, there are 14 mountains in the world that are above 8,000 meters. So 26,240 feet, roughly. Five of those are in Pakistan and the other nine are in right on the border of Nepal and Tibet. And then there's one down in India.

After all those peaks were climbed in the early 80s, there was this crazy idea and it was really the Polish doing these sort of nationalist expeditions to start climbing these peaks in winter. So it's like, okay, now we've done it. Now we've been to the top. Now let's try to go there in a much harder way.

After all those peaks were climbed in the early 80s, there was this crazy idea and it was really the Polish doing these sort of nationalist expeditions to start climbing these peaks in winter. So it's like, okay, now we've done it. Now we've been to the top. Now let's try to go there in a much harder way.

After all those peaks were climbed in the early 80s, there was this crazy idea and it was really the Polish doing these sort of nationalist expeditions to start climbing these peaks in winter. So it's like, okay, now we've done it. Now we've been to the top. Now let's try to go there in a much harder way.

So all nine that are south of Pakistan had been climbed, but over, I think, 26 years, 16 expeditions had gone to Pakistan to try to do one of the winter ascents, and they had all failed. And so in 2010-11, I was invited by an Italian guy, Simone Moro, and a Russian guy, Denis Zarubko, to try to do one of these peaks, Gashabrum 2. And that is the 13th highest mountain in the world.

So all nine that are south of Pakistan had been climbed, but over, I think, 26 years, 16 expeditions had gone to Pakistan to try to do one of the winter ascents, and they had all failed. And so in 2010-11, I was invited by an Italian guy, Simone Moro, and a Russian guy, Denis Zarubko, to try to do one of these peaks, Gashabrum 2. And that is the 13th highest mountain in the world.

So all nine that are south of Pakistan had been climbed, but over, I think, 26 years, 16 expeditions had gone to Pakistan to try to do one of the winter ascents, and they had all failed. And so in 2010-11, I was invited by an Italian guy, Simone Moro, and a Russian guy, Denis Zarubko, to try to do one of these peaks, Gashabrum 2. And that is the 13th highest mountain in the world.

So we ended up climbing it in this very short weather window. about a 12-hour weather window. And then we got hit by a storm on the descent.

So we ended up climbing it in this very short weather window. about a 12-hour weather window. And then we got hit by a storm on the descent.

So we ended up climbing it in this very short weather window. about a 12-hour weather window. And then we got hit by a storm on the descent.

Winter is like this. We got up on the summit day. We're at 6,800 meters. There's three of us smashed into this sardine can of a tent that's really a two-man. We're sleeping head-to-toe. I mean, it's incredibly cramped and tight. We wake up in the, well, at 11 p.m.

Winter is like this. We got up on the summit day. We're at 6,800 meters. There's three of us smashed into this sardine can of a tent that's really a two-man. We're sleeping head-to-toe. I mean, it's incredibly cramped and tight. We wake up in the, well, at 11 p.m.

Winter is like this. We got up on the summit day. We're at 6,800 meters. There's three of us smashed into this sardine can of a tent that's really a two-man. We're sleeping head-to-toe. I mean, it's incredibly cramped and tight. We wake up in the, well, at 11 p.m.

Oh, my sleeping is like, yeah, no. That's like trying to sleep at, you know, an ACDC concert. So we got up at 11 and, you know, I had my altimeter and my thermometer hanging from the ceiling. It was minus 51 centigrade in the tent.

Oh, my sleeping is like, yeah, no. That's like trying to sleep at, you know, an ACDC concert. So we got up at 11 and, you know, I had my altimeter and my thermometer hanging from the ceiling. It was minus 51 centigrade in the tent.

Oh, my sleeping is like, yeah, no. That's like trying to sleep at, you know, an ACDC concert. So we got up at 11 and, you know, I had my altimeter and my thermometer hanging from the ceiling. It was minus 51 centigrade in the tent.

Without the windshield. So that's like minus 60 Fahrenheit. It's terrible. But I loved it at the time. I absolutely adored it. And we start climbing through the night, you know, six or eight hours later, we're sort of, it was almost as if it just happened. We were on the summit. It's almost like I blacked out, you know, and then the weather came in.

Without the windshield. So that's like minus 60 Fahrenheit. It's terrible. But I loved it at the time. I absolutely adored it. And we start climbing through the night, you know, six or eight hours later, we're sort of, it was almost as if it just happened. We were on the summit. It's almost like I blacked out, you know, and then the weather came in.