ANDOVER — Rebecca Long, an Andover native, knew she’d be putting her life in jeopardy when she set out to conquer the world’s second tallest mountain, K2.
The 30-year-old ventured across the globe with her sights set on reaching the summit of the legendary mountain on the border of China and Pakistan. She only made plans to reach its top, and nothing else mattered until she accomplished that.
“Once I get through it, I’ll figure things out after,” Long said was her mindset when she departed for Pakistan in June, understanding the risks of climbing the mountain.
The 28,251 foot mountain, part of the Karakoram Mountain Range, is only second in height to Mount Everest by 800 feet. But its difficult terrain and weather conditions make the trek a more dangerous one for climbers. Nicknamed “killer mountain,” K2 has a historically high fatality rate.
Those risks had outweighed the reward of a feat that not many American women accomplished when Long reached K2’s summit on July 29.
Her six-week expedition was a culmination of trials and tribulation, full of grueling days and perseverance to reach the peak and then make it down safely, she said. Emotions flooded her when she hit the top and realized what she went through to get there.
“It’s a really magical moment when all that effort and danger comes together for that moment when you’re accomplishing this big goal,” Long said.
It was a goal that became a reality after she successfully climbed Mount Everest in May 2023. She quit her job at JP Morgan in early 2023 to scale the tallest peak. In May, she climbed Denali in Alaska.
K2 was on her mind next.
Long always enjoyed hiking and climbing New England mountains, but nothing as extreme as Everest or K2 crossed her thoughts before the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020.
Her views began to change as that period in her life served as a wake-up call to pursue her passions – and try to do something extreme, she said.
“It was a time when I began to rethink my life and embrace adventure and pleasure,” Long said. “COVID was the catalyst for all those feelings.”
After climbing Everest, Long said her family knew she was going to contemplate K2. They told her they didn’t want her to climb the mountain.
“For the longest time, I had to find a good way to break it to them that I was going,” Long said.
When she set out for Everest, communication with her family was limited. Long helped reassure her family by constantly checking in with them on a satellite phone.
Long said she also had to put herself in their shoes.
Her family was with her though on the climb. Long carried their photo in her backpack along with a photo of her 14-year-old dog Scott taped to its inside as motivation to accomplish the climb.
“It gives me strength when I need it,” Long said.
“You can’t ignore the amount of people who end up passing away up there so it’s a serious thing.”
When considering the K2 expedition, Long said she not only put herself in her family’s shoes, but also remembering a friend who died on the Everest climb.
“That fear is always in the back of my head,” Long said. “When you’re up on an 8,000-meter peak, it’s a dangerous place.”
She spent less time preparing on K2 to get ready than she had on Mount Everest, but for one big reason – risk mitigation. Long said things get riskier with the more time spent on K2.
Long went on the expedition with Madison Mountaineers, a climbing guide company. Her small group, led by six guides and some sherpas, did one less rotation on K2 to prepare for the summit climb.
“There are many hazards like rock falls and the terrible weather,” Long said. “It’s just historically been a deadly mountain.”
In late June, Long started the trek to K2’s base camp. The expedition included a six-day summit push to reach the next base camp before embarking on the final leg.
Long needed to use oxygen from that point on to reach the summit and then to get back down after to the second camp.
Adrenaline kicked in reaching the summit.
The summit day was a long, 10-hour climb. The group embarked for the summit at 9 p.m. the night before and reached the peak the next morning at 7.
It was a strenuous climb, she said, and much more difficult terrain than what she encountered on Everest. She recalled terrifyingly high winds and challenging sections of ice.
“You’re just using your ice picks and your crampons, like almost climbing a ladder,” Long said. “It was just so steep and scary.”
She said it took 10 deep breaths to go every step at that altitude. Her group also passed dead bodies on the way of climbers who didn’t make it.
“It was just disturbing,” Long said.
She recalled the difficult days, like rock climbing wearing ice cleats in a section dubbed the Black Pyramid.
Returning to base camp three after reaching the summit was one of the hardest things she’s ever done, Long said. The group made it back to that point in one day.
“It was more about preserving as much strength as possible,” Long said. “Even if the summit day itself was super hard to do, you still have to preserve energy to be able to get back down to where you started safely.”
But her month’s worth of practice to reach the summit on that July morning paid off, she added.
Now that she made it back from K2 in one piece, Long said she’s ready for her next adventure.
While she doesn’t have her next mountain to conquer named yet, she knows she wants to tackle all of the world’s 14 peaks more than 8,000 meters at some point in her life. But she’d like to get back to work as well.
Long returned home a week ago and she’s still processing the journey. She said she’s grateful of the help she received along the way, both at home and from the sherpas and guides.
“My family and loved ones are who I think of when I’m on a mountain,” Long said. “I try to remember the people who’ve gotten me to that place. They are the pinnacle of these accomplishments.”
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