AT CAMP THREE, THE HIGHEST ON
THE MOUNTAIN, THINGS WENT
HORRIBLY WRONG.
>> 4:00 A.M. PAKISTAN TIME,
FEBRUARY 3rd.
WE’RE LEAVING.
OFF WE GO.
UP, UP AND AWAY.
WHEW.
>> Reporter: IT STARTED WITH A
SMALL BREAK IN THE HARSHEST
WINTER CONDITIONS.
ADVENTURER COLIN O’BRADY SETTING
OUT TO THE THE FIRST EVER TO
SUMMIT DEADLY K2 IN THE WINTER.
>> AVALANCHE JUST CAME OUT.
>> Reporter: THROUGH THE CLIMB,
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS
THREATENING TO RIP THEIR TENTS
RIGHT OFF THE MOUNTAIN.
THEN LETTING UP FOR BREATHTAKING
VIEWS.
>> YUP, PERCHED ON THE LEDGE
THAT DROPS 2,000 FEET ON EITHER
SIDE.
SURE IS BEAUTIFUL.
>> Reporter: BEFORE COLIN COULD
MAKE IT TO THE FINAL CAMP, TEN
CLIMBERS FROM NEPAL, LED MY
PERJA, REACHED THE TOP OF WHAT
IS CONSIDERED THE MOST DANGEROUS
MOUNTAIN IN THE WORLD.
K2 IS ONLY SLIGHTLY SHORTER THAN
MT. EVEREST, BUT MORE DEADLY.
AN AVERAGE OF 1 OUT OF EVERY 34 EVE
EVEREST CLIMBERS PERISHED.
IT IS
K2 IS MUCH MORE, AND THIS YEAR
WAS NO EXCEPTION.
ONE IN SIX.
COLIN FOUND CLIMBERS ARRIVING
24,000 FEET UP.
>> I COULDN’T BELIEVE IT.
OF COURSE, I WAS INCREDIBLY
FRUSTRATED, BUT AT THE SAME
TIME, I’M NOT GOING TO LET THESE
PEOPLE WHO ULTIMATELY ARE
FRIENDS OF MINE STAND OUTSIDE IN
THE COLD.
SEVEN PEOPLE SMASHED INSIDE OF
THERE, MINUS 50 DEGREES OUTSIDE,
WAS PRETTY MUCH THE WORST
SITUATION I COULD POSSIBLY
IMAGINE IN THAT MOMENT.
>> Reporter: CRAMPED TOGETHER
WITH NO ROOM TO SLEEP, SOME WERE
STILL ENCOURAGING COLIN TO PUSH
FOR A SUMMIT ATTEMPT.
>> IN THE MIDST OF THIS HUGE
CHAOTIC MOMENT, I REALIZED I HAD
A DECISION TO MAKE.
I CALLED ON MY SATELLITE PHONE
BACK HOME TO MY WIFE, JENNA.
>> IN OTHER SITUATIONS, I HAVE
REALLY ENCOURAGED HIM OR PUSHED
HIM TO BREAK THROUGH SOME OF
THOSE SCARIER MOMENTS.
IN THIS SPECIFIC INSTANCE, I
KNEW THAT MY JOB WAS TO SAY,
"BABE, I SUPPORT YOU.
PLEASE TURN AROUND."
>> THERE WAS SOMETHING TO SAID
TO ME, THIS IS THE MOMENT WHERE
YOU ACTUALLY LISTEN AND YOU BACK
OFF.
IT WAS A VERY HARD DECISION,
ULTIMATELY, AS WE KNOW NOW.
THAT INTUITION MOST LIKELY SAVED
MY LIFE.
>> Reporter: HOURS LATER, THREE
OF THE WORLD’S BEST CLIMBERS
WOULD LEAVE WITHOUT COLIN AND
DISAPPEAR, STILL MISSING A MONTH
AND A HALF LATER.
>> THE FOLLOWING MORNING, WE
HADN’T HEARD FROM THEM AND
DECIDED TO DESCEND.
30 MINUTES AFTER I LEFT CAMP
THREE, ANOTHER CLIMBER, HE FELL.
I HEARD OVER THE RADIO HE HAS
FALLEN.
>> Reporter: ONCE OFF THE ROPE,
COLIN WAS OVERCOME. >> PLEASE, IT’S SO BEAUTIFUL.
>> PLEASE, IT’S SO BEAUTIFUL.
IT’S NOT WORTH IT.
I’M SO HAPPY TO BE DOWN.
>> Reporter: ALL TOGETHER, FIVE
CLIMBERS WERE LOST THIS WINTER
TO K2.
ONE WHO HAD ENCOURAGED COLIN TO
TRY FOR ANOTHER MOUNTAINEERING
FIRST, A CONTINUOUS TRAVERSE OF
EVEREST IN THE NEARBY PEAK OF
LHOTSE WITHOUT OXYGEN.
COLIN IS HEADED TO EVEREST TO
ATTEMPT IT AND TO PAY TRIBUTE TO
HIS FRIENDS.
>> WHEN YOU’RE UP AT THE SUMMIT,
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO BE
THINKING ABOUT?
>> EXPERIENCING WHAT I JUST DID,
LOSING FIVE OF MY FRIENDS, IT’S
BEEN SITTING WITH ME EVERY
SINGLE DAY.
I REALLY WANT TO HONOR THOSE
GUYS UP THERE.
>> Reporter: O’BRADY SAYS
BECAUSE HE HAS BEEN CLIMBING
THROUGH THE WINTER, HIS LUNGS
ARE STRONGER, MAKING THE FIRST
CONTINUOUS TRAVERSE WITHOUT
OXYGEN A LITTLE MORE IN REACH.
HE’S HEADED UP TO CAMP TWO RIGHT
NOW, AND HE’S HOPING TO MAKE THE
SUMMIT PUSH NEXT MONTH.
YOU CAN FOLLOW HIS JOURNEY ON
INSTAGRAM, WHERE HE IS GOING TO
BE POSTING REGULAR UPDATES.
GUYS, BACK TO YOU.
>> MY WORD.
>> GADI SCHWARTZ, THANK YOU.
>> WE THINK ABOUT IT, ONE IN
SIX.
TO TAKE THAT RISK, IT SHOWS
YOU’RE REALLY DRIVEN IN A
DIFFERENT WAY.
>> YOU’RE HAVING TO MAKE THOSE