K2 rises as a single steep pyramid, about 8,611 m at the summit, standing on a flat glacier plateau rather than a broad ridged massif. Toggle the Abruzzi Spur route marker for the first-ascent line, and the Bottleneck serac overhang for the hanging ice shelf near the top.
Published figures: summit elevation 8,611 m; Karakoram range on the China-Pakistan border; first ascent July 31, 1954 via the Abruzzi Spur.
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K2 3D Explorer
This browser explorer shows K2 as a single, near-symmetric steep pyramid rather than a broad ridged massif. The summit sits at 8,611 m in the Karakoram range, on the border between China and Pakistan, rising directly from the flat ice apron of the Godwin-Austen and Baltoro Glaciers. K2 is Earth's second-highest peak after Mount Everest, but its abrupt rise of about 3,500 m above its own glacier base in a short horizontal distance makes it steeper and more technically demanding to climb than the taller Everest - part of why it earned the nickname the "Savage Mountain".
The Abruzzi Spur is the ridge on K2's southeast side that carried the first successful summit team in 1954, and it remains the most-climbed route today. Toggle the route marker to trace it up the mountain, with a small camp marker partway up. Near the top, a pale overhanging shape marks the Bottleneck: a narrow couloir at about 8,200 m that sits directly beneath a huge hanging ice serac. Toggle the serac overhang to see why this single section is considered one of the most dangerous stretches on any of the world's 8,000 m peaks - it was the site of the 2008 K2 disaster, in which 11 climbers died in one incident.
- Toggle the Abruzzi Spur route marker to trace the first-ascent line up the southeast side
- Toggle the Bottleneck serac overhang to see the hanging ice shelf near the summit
- Read summit, route, and first-ascent figures in the panel
- Drag to orbit, scroll or pinch to zoom
- Runs fully in the browser with the vendored three.js engine - no account, no upload
| Figure | Published value |
|---|---|
| Summit elevation | 8,611 m (28,251 ft) - Earth's second-highest peak |
| Location | Karakoram range, China (Xinjiang) / Pakistan (Gilgit-Baltistan) border, above the Godwin-Austen and Baltoro Glaciers |
| Nickname | "Savage Mountain" - a historically very high fatality-to-summit ratio, improved with modern equipment and forecasting |
| First ascent | July 31, 1954, Lino Lacedelli and Achille Compagnoni, Italian expedition led by Ardito Desio, via the Abruzzi Spur |
| The Bottleneck | a narrow couloir at about 8,200 m directly under a huge overhanging ice serac |
| 2008 K2 disaster | 11 climbers died in a single incident at the Bottleneck |
| First winter ascent | January 16, 2021, a team of ten Nepali climbers led by Nirmal Purja and Mingma Gyalje Sherpa - the last of the world's 8,000 m peaks to fall in winter |
| Name origin | the second peak surveyed in the Karakoram by T.G. Montgomerie in 1856 - it never acquired a widely used local name recognized internationally |
For a different single free-standing peak, compare the four-ridged glacial horn at the Matterhorn 3D Explorer, or the taller but broader three-summit massif at the Mount Everest 3D Explorer.
K2's pyramid is drawn on your own device by the vendored three.js engine, which downloads once (about 0.7 MB) and stays cached, so returning to orbit the peak again loads instantly. Your route-marker and serac-overhang choices are saved between visits, so the explorer reopens the way you last left it.
This is an educational approximation - the pyramid shape, route line, and serac position are schematic teaching cues, not survey terrain.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall is K2?
Its summit sits at 8,611 m (28,251 ft) above sea level, in the Karakoram range on the China-Pakistan border - the second-highest peak on Earth after Mount Everest (8,849 m).
Why is K2 called the "Savage Mountain"?
K2 has a historically very high fatality-to-summit ratio, roughly one death for every four successful summits over its climbing history, though the ratio has improved with modern equipment and weather forecasting. Its steep, abrupt rise from the glacier base also makes it technically harder to climb than the taller Everest.
What is the Abruzzi Spur?
The ridge on K2's southeast side that carried the first successful summit team to the top in 1954. It remains the most-climbed route on the mountain today.
What is the Bottleneck?
A narrow couloir at about 8,200 m directly beneath a huge overhanging ice serac - one of the most dangerous single sections on the route. The 2008 K2 disaster, in which 11 climbers died in one incident, happened here.
When was K2 first climbed?
July 31, 1954, by Lino Lacedelli and Achille Compagnoni, on an Italian expedition led by Ardito Desio, via the Abruzzi Spur.
When was K2 first climbed in winter?
January 16, 2021, when a team of ten Nepali climbers led by Nirmal Purja and Mingma Gyalje Sherpa reached the summit together - the last of the world's 8,000 m peaks to fall to a winter ascent.
Why is it called "K2" instead of a local name?
It was the second peak surveyed in the Karakoram range by T.G. Montgomerie in 1856. Unlike most major peaks, it never acquired a widely used local name recognized internationally, so the survey designation stuck.
Is this a scientific terrain model?
No. It is an educational explorer using published figures - the pyramid shape, route line, and serac position are schematic teaching cues, not survey terrain.