Our first 8000-metre peak! The aim was to conquer the 8035-metre-high Gasherbrum II, located in the Karakorum in north-eastern Pakistan, at maximum speed. What does that mean? From Camp 1 at an altitude of 5900 metres, the speed ascent leads to the summit and back without a single break at the high camps (‘by fair means’).

Gasherbrum II is part of the Gasherbrum Group and rises above the Baltoro Glacier in the Karakorum – the same region as the neighbouring Broad Peak and K2.

The starting signal was given on the night of 3 August 2006: the two German Dynafit athletes, Benedikt Böhm and Sebastian Haag, set off together with mountain guide Luis Stitzinger on their speed ascent from Camp 1 to one of the highest peaks on Earth. After six hours, the ski mountaineers passed Camp 4 at an altitude of 7,500 metres. After a further six and a half hours, they stood on the summit and, following a four-hour and extremely daring descent, the trio reached Camp 1 overjoyed. The three thus took just under 17 hours for this tour, whereas normal expeditions take 4 to 7 days to climb Gasherbrum II. Whilst a traditional expedition takes several weeks, Benedikt Böhm, together with Sebastian Haag and Luis Stitzinger, managed to complete the ascent in speed-style in 17 hours, there and back from ABC – impressive proof of the ‘light & fast’ principle.