For decades, the prevailing thought in mountaineering held that humans could not survive above 8000m without supplemental oxygen. That was until 1970, when the paradigm of what was thought possible permanently shifted. Over the decades that followed, as gear has improved and human thresholds slowly expanded, alpine purists have strived for ever more barebones approaches. In 2022, The North Face athlete @benjaminvedrines set out to break K2’s FKT and had a stomach turning experience. In 2024, he returned to fulfill the challenge that had come to define him. ‘K2: Chasing Shadows’ out now. Link in bio. #NeverStopExploring