Some mountain features will win beauty contests, and some won’t.
There’s Scarface at Indian Creek, which is very possibly the most-photographed rock climb of all time. There’s the east face of Longs Peak, also called The Diamond for obvious reasons. There’s Ama Dablam, one of the most picturesque peaks on the planet.
And then there’s House’s Chimney.
House’s Chimney on K2, 100 feet crack in the rock wall. I actually really enjoyed climbing this..#k2pakistan #k2mountain pic.twitter.com/a8eEpgdATO
— Naila Kiani (@nailakiani) January 30, 2023
The popular conduit to the summit of K2 does not exactly beg to be climbed, based on a visual inspection. No BS: I’ve seen gravel driveways in rural Texas with less loose rock than this decaying pile.
But it’s well understood that to get up K2, sacrifices must be made, and the path of least resistance has nothing to do with aesthetics.
