K2 is also known as ‘the Killer Mountain’, and it’s a deserved title. One in four of those who have attempted to scale this peak have lost their lives in the process.  Fifty six climbers have died on K2, 22 while descending from the summit. The overall summit/fatality rate of 27pc gives K2 the highest summit-to-fatality ratio of all the 8,000-metre peaks. After all, it is probably the most difficult of the 14 8,000-metre peaks to summit. To conquer this holy grail of mountaineering you have to be physically fit, adept at climbing, able to surmount severe and unpredictable weather conditions as well as risking the ever-present danger of avalanche.