Iara Lee

Statistically, for every four climbers who summits K2, one of them will die, and the mountain has the second highest fatality rate among the world's highest peaks. 'It's the father of all mountains...one mistake and you're dead', warns one climber. As the climbing season only lasts from May through to August, porters must make enough money in these months to support themselves through the rest of the year. 'It's difficult to make ends meet... there is no other source of income', complains one: of his seven children, he can only afford to send two of them to school.