A Nepalese team became the first to summit K2 in the winter—here’s why it matters On Jan. 16, the 8,611-meter summit of K2 heard the sounds of something it had never heard before during the winter months. The sound of humans on the peak in mid-January was just as unprecedented as the lyrics they were singing—the Nepalese national anthem. Two expeditions of Nepalese climbers, 10 in total, reached the notorious summit of K2 just after 5 p.m. local time in Pakistan’s Karakoram range. Their summit success represents a major victory in mountaineering, as they are not only the first team to reach K2 in winter, but are also a Nepalese team claiming their long-overdue recognition.