Jim Wickwire (born June 8, 1940) is a retired attorney in Seattle, Washington, most famous as the first American to reach the top of K2, the world's second-highest mountain, and then for surviving the night in the open just below the summit.
His first attempt on K2 was in a 1975 expedition that broke down in disputes and never got above 22,000 ft.
Wickwire reached the summit with Louis Reichardt on September 6, 1978, but while Reichardt went down...
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Jim Wickwire (born June 8, 1940) is a retired attorney in Seattle, Washington, most famous as the first American to reach the top of K2, the world's second-highest mountain, and then for surviving the night in the open just below the summit.
His first attempt on K2 was in a 1975 expedition that broke down in disputes and never got above 22,000 ft.
Wickwire reached the summit with Louis Reichardt on September 6, 1978, but while Reichardt went down right away, Wickwire lingered to take photos, and on the descent he became concerned that he was having too much difficulty moving safely in the dark, and so he stayed where he was. This was extremely risky, because at such high elevations, a tent and sleeping bag are essential to fending off hypothermia and frostbite. The next morning, John Roskelley and Rick Ridgeway found him continuing down while on their way to the summit. Wickwire lost parts of two toes and underwent lung surgery.
Nevertheless, Wickwire continued high-altitude climbing....
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