K2 K2 K2 (, "Kai Ṭū"), also known as Mount Godwin-Austen or Chhogori (Balti and ), at above sea level, is the second highest mountain in the world, after Mount Everest at . It is located on the ChinaPakistan border between Baltistan in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of northern Pakistan, and the Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County of Xinjiang, China. K2 is the highest point of the Karakoram range and the highest point in both Pakistan and Xinjiang. K2 is known as the "Savage Mountain" due to the extreme difficulty of ascent. It has the second-highest fatality rate among the eight thousanders, with
Gilgit-Baltistan Silk Roads — Rock Carvings Along the Karakoram Highway". Many of these carvings and inscriptions will be inundated and/or destroyed when the planned Basha-Diamir dam is built and the Karakoram Highway is widened. The climate of Gilgit-Baltistan varies from region to region, surrounding mountain ranges creates sharp variations in weather. The eastern part has the moist zone of the western Himalayas, but going toward Karakoram and Hindu Kush, the climate dries considerably. There are towns like Gilgit and Chilas that are very hot during the day in summer yet cold at night and valleys like Astore, Khaplu, Yasin, Hunza, and