First Irishman braves world’s toughest climb

A CO LIMERICK adventurer yesterday became the first Irish man to reach the summit of the world’s second-highest mountain, K2.

Gerard McDonnell, 37, from Kilcornan, made it to the peak with a band of Dutch explorers at about 3pm Irish time.

The group have been on the mammoth expedition for the past eight weeks, battling sub-zero temperatures.

Adventurer Pat Falvey, who led the first Irish expedition to the South Pole earlier this year, described Mr McDonnell as one of the best young climbers in the country.

“This is the second highest mountain in the world and the most dangerous,” said Mr Falvey.

“He’s actually one of the strongest and best upcoming young climbers in the country today. It’s one of the greatest achievements by an Irish climber.”

K2, on the border of China and Pakistan, is more than 28,000ft high. Mr McDonnell, an engineer working with an oil company in Alaska for the past 10 years, tried but failed to climb the mountain two years ago after he was hit by a rock fall and was airlifted to hospital.

Despite numerous attempts, no Irish person had ever reached the summit of K2, regarded as the most savage in the world and considered tougher than Mount Everest.

With a 8,611-metre (28,250ft) summit, routes that are steeper and more difficult than those to the top of Everest, and surrounding weather that is significantly colder and less predictable, reaching the peak is the equivalent of winning the Olympic gold in mountaineering.

It was first scaled in 1954 by two Italians, Lino Lacedelli and Achille Compagnoni.

Since then there have been 189 summits, compared with around 1,400 on Everest.

Forty-nine climbers have died on K2, 22 while descending it. In terms of the number of accidents that happen on the descent, it is the most deadly mountain in the world.

Mr McDonnell is a keen skier and loves Irish music, language and hurling. He was also a team leader in South Georgia in 2006 as part of Pat Falvey’s Beyond Endurance expedition.