Elite Japanese Climbers Die on K2

Two elite, famed mountaineers have died on K2. The Japanese Embassy in Islamabad reported that Kazuya Hiraide, 45, and Kenro Nakajima, 39, fell from approximately 24,500 ft. on the second highest mountain in the world on July 20th, and their condition was unknown. Since the report, two motionless bodies were spotted from a helicopter by a rescue team, and are assumed to be the fallen climbers. This marks a tragic end to an incredibly ambitious goal by the fallen climbers. The video below shows the experienced mountaineers prior to their tragic K2 West Face Expedition - Explorersweb. Hiraide has won three Piolets d’Or Awards for best expeditions of the year. The first with his late partner Kei Taniguchi, and the two others two were with Nakajima - in 2022 for their climb on Karun Koh, and for their expedition in 2023 on Tirich Mir. The Piolet d'Or, or Golden Ice Axe, is one of the most prestigious awards in the world of mountaineering. Established in 1991 by the French magazine Montagnes and the Groupe de Hau