Vanessa O’Brien becomes the first American woman to summit K2

Photo on the top shows Vanessa O’ Brien at K2 Base Camp wishing Independence Day on July 4, 2017 Photo Twitter @vobonline 

Vanessa O’Brien, a former New York banker, has written a story of courage, determination and strength by scaling K2, the second highest and one of the world’s most difficult mountains to climb.

She is the first American woman to conquer the 28, 251 feet tall mountain – which is considered a test of nerves and grit for the best of climbers.

O’Brien had already peaked to the rooftop of the world by climbing Mount Everest towering at 29,035 feet in 2012.

But climbing to the top of K2 was not just another feather in her cap – but a long-cherished prize in the cloud-covered Himalayan world in the north of Pakistan.

This was the British-American mountaineer’s third attempt to climb to the top of K2, known as the “killer mountain,” because of the treacherous steep climbs, gusty winds, snow  and highly unpredictable weather.

“It is said when you climb Everest, you are a mountaineer in the eyes of the world, but when you climb K2 you are a mountaineer in the eyes of other climbers,” O’Brien, 52, had said before her bid.

O’Brien, a former Morgan-Stanley banker, is now back to K2 base camp at 5100 meters.

Her climb has been hailed in Pakistan, Britain and the United States. She displayed her love for the people of Pakistan in her twitter messages and carried flags of all three countries in separate photos posted on her account.

“This was by far the hardest undertaking I have ever come across. Not just the 50 kilometer winds and snow pushing against you, but the pure blue ice underneath your feet that threatened to pull you off balance at any second,” O’Brien told Voice of America in Pakistan, after descending from the mountain top.

“I was constantly reminded of the 84 people who came before me and lost their lives commemorated at the Gilkey Memorial (at K2 base camp),” she said.

O’Brien, the 19^th woman in history to have made it to top of K2, was part of the 12-member expedition that peaked the summit.

Joyed at her achievement, O’Brien expressed her love for Pakistan.

Famous Pakistani mountaineer and chief organizer of the expedition Nazir Sabir applauded O’Brien for her determination in the face of challenges.

“I think her determination paid off but we have to understand that there was a brilliant planning behind it. All other six teams gave up and went home while Vanessa and her team were looking for a weather window and it clicked and they used every minute and climbed every inch to the summit,” he told VOA.

Vanessa is “a friend of Pakistan and a messenger of peace,” Sabir said.