The name itself is a little cold, right? It comes from the Great Trigonometrical Survey of British India in the 1850s. Surveyor Thomas Montgomerie labeled the peaks in the Karakoram: K1, K2, K3—and K2 stuck because it was the second peak he measured.
Locally, the mountain is known as “Chogori,” which means “Great Mountain” in the Balti language. The Chinese side refers to it as Qogir Feng, but the world still calls it K2. Fun fact: it’s never been called “Mount Godwin-Austen” outside of old textbooks, though the nearby glacier carries that name.
The Coordinates (For the Map Nerds)
If you’re punching it into Google Earth, the exact location is 35.8825° N latitude and 76.5133° E longitude. That puts it about 130 miles northeast of Skardu, the main town in the region. For perspective, that’s roughly the driving distance from New York City to Philadelphia—except your commute involves mule tracks, river crossings, and 15,000-foot passes.
Getting there requires a flight to Skardu, followed by a bone-rattling jeep ride to the village of Askole. From there, it’s a seven-to-nine-day trek through the Baltoro Glacier to reach Base Camp at around 16,400 feet. That’s not a weekend hike—it’s an adventure that belongs on your bucket list, even if you never leave the tent.
