The Goal

Photograph by Ralf Dujmovits

A view of K2 and the North Pillar route illuminated by the setting sun.

Photograph by Ralf Dujmovits

The team's camel caravan in Shaksgam Valley. The caravan—a train of six donkeys and forty camels laden with potatoes, stove gas canisters, kitchen tents and tables, climbing ropes, 525 eggs, and countless other expedition staples—left Ilik in China's Xinjiang province at midmorning on June 21, 2011.

Photograph by Ralf Dujmovits

Gerlinde (foreground) and the rest of the team on camelback as the caravan crosses the Kulquin River at Shaksgam Valley.

Photograph by Ralf Dujmovits

Gerlinde during the ascent towards the team depot, framed by some of the large ice towers of the K2 Glacier.

Photograph by Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner

Ralf climbing up the beautiful snow ridge between Camp I and Camp II.

Photograph by Tommy Heinrich

The team strategizes in the mess tent, reviewing images of the mountain while deciding where to set up camps. Kazakh climbers Vassily Pivtsov (far left) and Maxut Zhumayev (far right) have been on this side of the mountain before and are describing the steepness of the climb.

Photograph by Ralf Dujmovits

At the end of the K2 Glacier, the team hikes through a corridor of ice towers. Ahead of them, K2 rises like a massive pyramid in the clouds.

Photograph by Ralf Dujmovits

After 14 hours of ascending to the chosen location of Camp II, Gerlinde pauses a moment while digging a platform for the team's small tent in order to enjoy a beautiful sunset as the chill of evening begins to set in.

Photograph by Ralf Dujmovits

Maxut abseiling between Camp II and the rock shoulder.

Photograph by Darek Zaluski

Vassily (left) and Maxut arranging fixed ropes at the depot between the rock shoulder and Camp II.

Photograph by Maxut Zhumayev

Polish climber Darek Zaluski and Vassily ascend towards Camp II in the snow.

Photograph by Ralf Dujmovits

Vassily (at front) and Gerlinde approach Camp III with additional rope for the upper routes.

Photograph by Darek Zaluski

The team gathers in Camp III to discuss tactics for the next day's climb.

Photograph by Ralf Dujmovits

Roped-up, Darek follows Maxut through a passage with potential slab avalanche danger to the entry of the couloirs.

Photograph by Darek Zaluski

Gerlinde near Camp III with numerous unnamed 6,000- to 7,000-meter (20,000- to 23,000-foot) peaks in the background. Kaltenbrunner successfully reached the K2 summit at 6:18 p.m. Kyrgysistan time on August 23, 2011, to become the first woman to successfully climb all fourteen 8,000-meter peaks without the aid of supplemental oxygen and high-altitude porters.