The Endless Knot: K2 Mountain of Dreams and Destiny - Book by Kurt Diemberger
Kurt Diemberger’s The Endless Knot is a harrowing memoir of the 1986 K2 disaster, blending a love story with a gripping account of mountaineering tragedy. Diemberger, an Austrian climber and one of only two living mountaineers to first ascend two 8,000-meter peaks (Broad Peak, 1957; Dhaulagiri, 1960), recounts his and partner Julie Tullis’ obsession with K2, the world’s second-highest peak. The narrative traces their climbing partnership, including high-altitude filmmaking, and their dream to summit K2. In 1986, they reached the summit late in the day, but a brutal storm trapped seven climbers, including Diemberger, Tullis, and British mountaineer Al Rouse, at 8,000 meters for days. Five died, including Tullis, possibly from cerebral edema, leaving only Diemberger and Willi Bauer to survive. Diemberger’s vivid, emotional prose details the ascent, storm, and desperate descent, reflecting on love, loss, and survival. The book also explores their earlier adventures, like ethnographic work in Nepal, adding depth to their bond. Critics praise its raw intensity, though some note its slow start and Diemberger’s occasionally ponderous style. A seminal mountaineering text, it captures the allure and peril of K2, where 13 climbers died that summer.Original Language: German
Original Title: K 2 : Traum und Schicksal, der Berg der Berge
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