K2: Maxut and Vassily Turned Back

K2Climb.net has once again posted an update on our two favorite Kazakh climbers Maxut and Vassily, who have been toiling away on K2 for days now.

The latest news is that the two men are back in C4 after turning back at 8400 meters, after spending their fifth day in the Death Zone. They struggled against high winds, chest deep snow, and a rock face that proved to be unclimbable. Maxut and Vassily tried three different routes before giving up and turning back.

At this time, it’s unclear if they’ll make another attempt, however with the amount of snow on the higher portions of the mountain, the season closing quickly, and the an incredible amount of energy expanded, it seems unlikely that they’ll be able to give it another go. Their attempt is already the very definition of determination, and if these two men couldn’t top out, it’s doubtful that anyone could have.

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Kraig Becker

Kraig is an outdoor and adventure travel writer based in Nashville, TN. Over the course of his career, he has contributed to numerous online and print outlets, including Popular Mechanics, Gear Junkie, Outside Online, National Geographic, Digital Trends, Business Insider, TripSavvy, about.com, and of course The Adventure Blog.