Mountaineering Tragedy in Pakistan - Raphael Slawinski

Mountain climbing in Pakistan is fraught with difficulties. Western climbers who try to tackle the Himalayan peaks found in that country's northern reaches have to confront high altitude, falling ice, and long waits for the perfect weather windows to open up. But when other elements like unfamiliar foods and well-armed Taliban-affiliated militants are factored into the equation understandable that many Westerners don't seek out the country's beautiful peaks. But against this backdrop, Raphael Slawinski and Ian Welsted completed the first-ascent of K6. Slawinski explains the difficulties, but the pleasures of climbing such an elusive peak. For their efforts, the pair were named as two of National Geographic's Adventurers of the Year for 2014.