Broad Peak

The World’s Twelfth Highest Mountain

Fahad Badar recounts his 2021 Broad Peak expedition, the near-fatal descent and frostbite that changed his life and his approach to mountaineering.

Since I had reached the summit of Everest, my primary mountaineering ambition was to scale K2. Only slightly less high, it is renowned as the ultimate climbing challenge. I had originally hoped to join an expedition in the northern hemisphere summer of 2020, but this had to be postponed owing to the Covid-19 epidemic. For the following summer, I booked myself onto an expedition with a plan to climb Broad Peak first, and then K2. But things did not go to plan.

Broad Peak is not well known outside of mountaineering circles, but it is one of the ‘eight thousanders’ - peaks more than 8,000 meters in height. It is a formidable challenge, including steep couloirs, and is the 12th highest mountain in the world.

In July 2021, I reached the summit of Broad Peak, but the descent became a fight for survival. I had been using supplementary oxygen, but my supply ran out as the situation deteriorated. I survived the ordeal, though severe frostbite marked the beginning of a long and difficult recovery.

The trajectory of my life had taken a severe and unexpected turn.