After K2 summit, Turkish woman sets sights on all 14 world giants
ISTANBUL, 5 September (BelTA — Anadolu) — “I learned my power,” says Esin Handal, one of the first Turkish women to summit K2. Her climb of the world’s second-highest peak — and among the most dangerous — marks a notable achievement in Turkish mountaineering.
K2 rises to 8,611 meters (28,251 feet) in the Karakoram range on the Pakistan-China border. Nicknamed the “savage mountain,” it is notorious for steep, avalanche-prone slopes and a narrow passage near the top called the Bottleneck Couloir.
Handal, a veteran climber with 25 years of experience, spent two months on the mountain in a season defined by brutal weather, dangerous terrain and tragedy.
Unlike typical 8,000-meter expeditions that last about a month, this season’s climb dragged on for two months, pushing climbers to their limits. “It was too long,” she said.
Handal became the fourth Turkish climber — and the second Turkish woman — to summit K2, arriving at the top around 15 minutes after Gulnur Tumbat, recognized as the first Turkish woman to achieve the feat.
