The North Pillar
The North Pillar
Detailed view from the northwest towards the lower section of the North Pillar. Above is the summit structure of K2, below are unconquerable séracs (columns of glacial ice) and slopes covered in thick snow.
As part of the International K2 North Pillar Expedition 2011, German mountaineer Ralf Dujmovits and his wife Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner plus a small international team planned on climbing K2 at the end of June 2011, via the technically demanding north route, which has seldom been followed to date. DLR scientists supported the expedition with a highly accurate 3D model of the mountain. Thanks to the ability to explore the intended route virtually in advance, the mountaineers had a relatively clear idea of which route they would be taking. On 23 August 2011 Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner reached the summit of K2 together with three other climbers from the team, making her the first woman to climb all 8000-metre peaks without an oxygen bottle.
Technical information regarding this image:
Satellite: WorldView-2
Operator/Reference: Digital Globe, Longmont, USA, European Space Imaging, Munich
Date acquired: November 10th 2010; 06:02 UTC
Geometric resolution of image data: 0.5 metre
Resolution of elevation model derived: 0.5 metres (horizontal), 2 metres (vertical)
Data processing and visualisation: DLR Earth Observation Center (EOC)
