Comparison of Environmental Conditions on Summits of Mount Everest and K2 in Climbing and Midwinter Seasons

Robert K. Szymczak, Michał K. Pyka, Tomasz Grzywacz, Michał Marosz, Marta Naczyk and Magdalena Sawicka
Additional contact information
Robert K. Szymczak: Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Gdansk, Debinki 1, 80-211 Gdansk, Poland
Michał K. Pyka: Polish Mountaineering Association, Polish National K2 Winter Expedition 2018 Support Team, Mokotowska 24, 00-561 Warszawa, Poland
Tomasz Grzywacz: Institute of Physical Culture, Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz, Chodkiewicza 30, 85-064 Bydgoszcz, Poland
Michał Marosz: Institute of Meteorology and Water Management—National Research Institute, Waszyngtona 42, 81-342 Gdynia, Poland
Marta Naczyk: Polish Mountaineering Association, Polish National K2 Winter Expedition 2018 Support Team, Mokotowska 24, 00-561 Warszawa, Poland
Magdalena Sawicka: Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, Debinki 1, 80-211 Gdansk, Poland

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 6, 1-12

Abstract: (1) Background: Today’s elite alpinists target K2 and Everest in midwinter. This study aimed to asses and compare weather at the summits of both peaks in the climbing season (Everest, May; K2, July) and the midwinter season (January and February). (2) Methods: We assessed environmental conditions using the ERA5 dataset (1979–2019). Analyses examined barometric pressure (BP), temperature (Temp), wind speed (Wind), perceived altitude (Alt), maximal oxygen uptake (VO 2 max), vertical climbing speed (Speed), wind chill equivalent temperature (WCT), and facial frostbite time (FFT). (3) Results: Most climbing-season parameters were found to be more severe ( p < 0.05) on Everest than on K2: BP (333 ± 1 vs. 347 ± 1 hPa), Alt (8925 ± 20 vs. 8640 ± 20 m), VO 2 max (16.2 ± 0.1 vs. 17.8 ± 0.1 ml·kg ?1 ·min ?1 ), Speed (190 ± 2 vs. 223 ± 2 m·h ?1 ), Temp (?26 ± 1 vs. ?21 ± 1°C), WCT (?45 ± 2 vs. ?37 ± 2 °C), and FFT (6 ± 1 vs. 11 ± 2 min). Wind was found to be similar (16 ± 3 vs. 15 ± 3 m·s ?1 ). Most midwinter parameters were found to be worse ( p < 0.05) on Everest vs. K2: BP (324 ± 2 vs. 326 ± 2 hPa), Alt (9134 ± 40 vs. 9095 ± 48 m), VO 2 max (15.1 ± 0.2 vs. 15.3 ± 0.3 ml·kg ?1 ·min ?1 ), Speed (165 ± 5 vs. 170 ± 6 m·h ?1 ), Wind (41 ± 6 vs. 27 ± 4 m·s ?1 ), and FFT (<1 min vs. 1 min). Everest’s Temp of ?36 ± 2 °C and WCT ?66 ± 3 °C were found to be less extreme than K2’s Temp of ?45 ± 1 °C and WCT ?76 ± 2 °C. (4) Conclusions: Everest presents more extreme conditions in the climbing and midwinter seasons than K2. K2’s 8° higher latitude makes its midwinter BP similar and Temp lower than Everest’s. K2’s midwinter conditions are more severe than Everest’s in the climbing season.

Keywords: winter sports; mountaineering; environmental conditioning; extreme altitude; Mount Everest; K2 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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