The big debate in the climbing community around K2 this winter is not so much about the crowding, the commercialization, or the perils lying ahead for relatively inexperienced mountaineers. It’s about the use of O2.
Most leading climbers have avoided overtly criticizing the style of the current expeditions. Everyone from Simone Moro to Denis Urubko cites the usual diplomacy about everyone’s right to climb a mountain however they see fit. Instead, they express a wish rather than a criticism: They hope that the first winter ascent of K2 will happen without supplementary O2.
Adam Bielecki has been blunt about the use of bottled oxygen: “Oxygen climbing the 8,000’ers is like doing the Tour de France on an electric bike,” he tweeted recently. “The nature of the feat is completely different.”

Jon Griffith. Photo: Jon Griffith
Chamonix-based mountain photographer Jon Griffith agrees. He wrote on FaceBook recently: “It’s 2020, and if you want to claim the prize, you should be adhering to modern ethics and styles. The whole point of these high peaks is the lack of oxygen.”
“You may find that you can’t play football with Messi or tennis against Nadal,” Romanian climber Minhea Radulescu wrote. “Your weakness is not an excuse for using O2: If you want to climb big mountains, get yourself to the height of the mountain, don’t bring the mountain down to your level.”
“I would find it a real pity if someone steals the first winter ascent of K2 by using supplemental oxygen,” concluded Ralf Dujmovits, who has been on K2 five times, including a no-O2 summit and three attempts that ended above 8,000m, all without supplementary oxygen. “The general public might see this ‘conquering’ of K2 as a great feat, but the first winter ascent should be left to those who can do it…in style.”
Dujmovits does give a chance to some climbers currently on the mountain: “My hope is that one or more of them will stand on top before someone with an oxygen bottle does,” he said.
That should be the end of this article. But there is another uncomfortable question which, although not new, has exploded this winter because of the attention on K2 as a potential world first.

K2 Base Camp. Photo: Waldemar Kowalewski
It involves all the expeditions currently in Base Camp: Should a climber’s successful ascent be counted as no-O2 if it relies on ropes previously fixed by a team of Sherpas on oxygen?
From an arbiter’s point of view, the answer is yes. Both 8000ers.com and the Himalayan Database credit no-O2 climbs based on an individual summiter’s gear during both ascent and descent, not on who preceded them or how. At the same time, purists may argue that a no-O2 climber would never get to the upper slopes of K2 in winter, if not for the previous work of those on gas.
Kilian Jornet said recently on Instagram: “If someone in the team is carrying O2, the exposure disappears since if the non-O2 climber has a problem, he/she has immediate access to O2.
In this sense, what really makes all the difference is not just the use of oxygen, but its availability. Years ago, ExplorersWeb founder Tom Sjögren spoke of “psychological O2” — how if O2 is available in a higher camp or a cache, a climber will take more risks and go higher than if that potentially life-saving resource were not available.
Jon Griffith recalls his experience on Everest and the difference oxygen makes:
“I’ve used O2 on Everest and I could not believe the difference it made. I went from feeling like I was at 7,500m (cold, bit weak, lightheaded) to feeling like I was running around in the Alps in summer. It’s not just the additional fuel it gives your muscles. It’s the cognitive ability and the warmth it also gives. It’s an amazing feedback circle. I think people massively underestimate the difference O2 makes, I certainly did. It’s also not just about pushing yourself physically further. It’s also about knowing when to turn around — on O2, it doesn’t matter, you just turn around. But without O2, you are on a ticking timer: You need to know when to turn around in order to get back down low enough before your body and brain shut down on you. Without the cognitive help that O2 gives, it is very very hard to know when that turnaround time is. The commitment to climbing without O2 is next level. I took my mask off on the summit of Everest to set up a camera and pretty soon I started to feel like sh*t. I remembered thinking to myself, if I started to run down the fixed ropes now, would I make it down low enough?…Remove [the O2] and it’s not the same thing at all.”
The current debate centres partly on the search for purity in climbing but also respect toward previous no-O2 winter firsts on other 8,000’ers. Winter K2 not just a climb but a coveted first that has previously defeated the best climbers in the world.
At the same time, even with O2 and fixed ropes, K2 is far from easy, especially at this time of year. As Sergi Mingote said recently, only a few climbers will be in condition for a summit push, and even if they only reach 8,000m, he would consider that a great success. Ralf Dujmovits admits that he has never even considered attempting K2 in winter. And if K2 is summited this season in a less-than-perfect style, the ultimate challenge — redoing it without O2 — will remain for future trail breakers.
About the Author

Angela Benavides
Senior journalist, published author and communication consultant. Specialized on high-altitude mountaineering, with an interest for everything around the mountains: from economics to geopolitics. After five years exploring distant professional ranges, I returned to ExWeb BC in 2018. Feeling right at home since then!
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50 Comments on "K2: The Oxygen Controversy"
As long as you’re honest about your modus operandi I see no problem using accessories. The ultimate goal would be a naked free solo.
😂
Naked free solo? Sounds like a good concept for a reality tv series! I bet there wouldn’t be any “hotties” doing K2 in the buff!
Dicing with death is the only way to assuage the purists. Looks as if the no 02 glory is still to be won on K2.
Even with no O2 , if you are climbing on the mountain with help of ropes and other settings, set by others it’s not a big deal, you are just a tail runner, give this guy a chance to lead alone ,I doubt if he’d even make the halfway…gud luck team
Another great article Angela, I greatly look forward to every piece you write! I understand people’s different views on climbing achievements and everyone is entitled to their opinion. Although Alpinism has no true arbiter other than nature herself, my view has always been if it has never been done then it is an achievement that should be recognized and those who would criticize without the ability to achieve the same lend very little weight to the conversation.
To be as one with the mountain you must climb with out o2 but in the end the mountain always wins, god speed to all on k2, remember you will need ichor to truly climb .
Without crampons as well, then, because you are hurting the rock, the snow and the ice!
No truer words ever spoken! Thank you for posting wise words!
I see what you’re saying, but I’m not sure how effective that strategy is because it relies heavily on proving a negative. That is, unless a number of climbers from Western expeditions die while climbers with Nepali expeditions all live, nothing will appear to be proven to potential clients. If the intent is simply to use sound risk management strategies to mitigate risk, all well and good. I just don’t think prudence is typically recognized and rewarded in the way you suggest unless there is an alternative outcome that occurs in contrast.
A free solo, self roping when risk is high is the way I would like to see it done. If someone were offered enough incentive or just to be the Bad Ass of Mountain Bad Asses! someone will do. Catherine Destivelle style baby!!
How about, if you’re going to summit in winter, then you summit in winter conditions, i.e. 100km/h winds and -100 degrees wind chill. Don’t just wait for conditions that are more tolerable.
It is all very subjective.
Once we start judging, it’s a steep icy slope 🙂
For example, how many climbers don’t use foot warmers?
If you want to claim a winter summit, then why are you waiting for good weather days?
Is there an objective definition of temperature and wind for it to count as a real winter?
What if there is a week of warm spring-like weather in the middle of winter?
You hit the nail on head! Exactly that was the chance of the Nepalese K2 team: a “window” of unusual good weather…
This is not Alpinism. This is just rope climbing. Ropes which are set by sherpas. Ropes and ladders left by previous expeditions on technical sections.. this is a seige of well fixed route….
That’s exactly all it is. Obviously the so called climbers on Everest are mostly not great alpinists at all. I bet a LOT if not ALL of the climbers on the successful commercial climbs of K2 would not summit without fixed ropes AND oxygen. A respectable marathon time is more of an achievement.
There are several scenarios for the first winter ascent of K2. With 02, without 02, and solo.
Not everyone is a Messner, most climbers work very hard to achieve amazing things – with O2.
Imagine what a disaster for Nepal, or Pakistan, it would be if only no O2 climbs were allowed.
C’mon, move on, stop bringing up this issue over and over again! The “controversy” is boring. Besides, should we all WALK to Nepal, or Pakistan, instead of flying there?
just imagine what kukuchzka did or simon moro and many others. compare their hard work with this and you will know where these bunch of lads stand
Strongly agree.
Moro? Like stealing oxygen? Or insulting Sherpas? Oh, yeah, that winter climb…
if they r out there to win ultimate crown then it should be done in a style that generations remember.
G4 west face by kurtyka n schauer
k2 south face by Kukuczka n pitroski
Latok north ridge by lowe, donini n kenedy
Ogre by scott n Bonigton
messners Nanga parbat Rupal face
Herman Bhul Nanga Parbat Solo
Renato Casarotto Broad Peak north ridge solo and K2 magic line solo 3 attempts to 8300m..
Steve House & Vince anderson Nannga BPParbat Rupal Face
there r so many i know but cant mention all.. but these are the climbs which are hallmark of a true alpinist and remembered by generations
Sorry, but K2 has never been climbed in the winter, so I don’t give a damn about the colour of the downsuit of the climbers who will pull this first!
Why can’t people nowadays look at what’s being achieved – in this case: the last 8.000er to be climbed in winter, an what a beast it is! especially in the ongoing consitions – and always relativize?
If the 2021 teams – or just one climber – pulls it, he is, they are (a) heroes!
O2 is cheating, deal with it
The real climbing is without oxygen and in alpine style.
a rose is a rose by any other name and would still smell just as sweet. the real climbing is climbing it, with or without oxygen or with or without alpine style, and would still be real climbing.
I can’t see why the argument exists. There are always going to be two goals like every other 8000er, 1st to summit with and 1st to summit without. The main difference is 99.8% of people couldn’t do it with and 99.9% of people couldn’t do it without. Anyone who can get to the top of this beautiful beast is a hero for me.
Isn’t interesting, to be… politically correct, that Elisabeth Revol’s, a true expert of the O2 question, gets disliked here?
I wonder who exactly is always dislikng: Usually it’s people who don’t even climb or have never been in the Big Hills.
Naysayers, wherever one looks…
Rich, privileged and self absorbed. That’s climbing K2. Me, me, me. Wasteful. Why not do an African Safari Hunt as well.
What exactly are you talking about? You have summited K2 in winter? ohh, why don’t we know it?
Rich? Why “rich”? Rich in guts, yes!
Agree..not a high skill level
It’s easy. Only alpine style counts. Everything else is just jogging not worth any attention. Period.
Essentially it doesn’t really matter, if/when someone manages to summit K2 in winter, they will have the appropriate label attached to them…..1st ascent with/without oxygen. If it is someone using Os then the challenge is still there for someone else.
Personally I’m hoping it is without O’s but either way it’ll be an amazing effort.
Amundsen reached the South Pole by using the dogs. Scot attempted to reach it by using the motor slades. Amundsen was there first, Scot second. So who can be regarded as the first to reach the South Pole in a proper way? Whose strategy was most fair?
It is complicated subject but as long as there are people like Urubko, Bielecki, Moro or even Gavan and Lungren who trying to do it without oxygen, it is not fair to go on K2 winter on O2. Do you know that there is polish national team for winter K2, they really could do it with oxygen.
Everyone uses fixed lines on abruzzi, even the poles or Urubko
the dogs keep barking but the caravan moves on. good luck to the Nepali ‘team’ on K2. “the first ascent of K2 in winter” means just that – with or without bottled oxygen, or crampons, or ropes-carabiner-harness system, or ice-axe with leash or down jacket or underwear or whatever accessory/item happens to make a world of difference in mountain climbing, not just oxygen.
Yes some day someone will solo K2 in winter with no O2 and no fixed line like Messner did Everest
No one in 1960 could have imagined Honnald free solo of El Cap
OKAY. So what about the first ever a winter ascent to the 8-thousand meters high (Moun Everest, 1980 – Wielicki, Cichy)? And also other first ascents to the 8,000 meters with oxygen? We cancel? Because on oxygen?
K2 montain is dangerus enough to climb it with or without oxygen, doing it in winter is even more challenging. They are first team to do so in winter and huge respect for doing so.
If someone is such a purist they can climb K2 without oxygen as first, that honor is still to grub, if they foolish enough to put at risk they own helth.
Nonsense! Achievement is an achievement. Someone Climbs K2 winter with oxygen Amazing. Someone Climbs K2 winter without oxygen again amazing, 2 different things. You can’t knock someone’s achievement just because they use oxygen. It’s never been climbed in the winter with or without oxygen so any top out is an awesome achievement.
There’s always a naysayer, always someone ready to piss on ye chips! Jealousy say I.