Karničar starts K2 adventure
Brnik, 14 June - Extreme skier Davo Karničar took off from Ljubljana Airport on Wednesday en route to Pakistan, where he plans to become the first person to ski non-stop down the 8,611-metre K2, the world's second highest mountain.
Brnik
Extreme skier Davo Karničar leaves for Himalayas to execute the first ever full ski descent from K2, the world's second highest mountain.
Photo: Tamino Petelinšek/STA
Karničar will fly to Islamabad and from there travel to Skardu, at the foot of the Karakorum mountains, where he will prepare for what he describes as the most daring adventure of his life.
"Bidding farewell, leaving, promising to return has always been my weakness, and today is no different," Karničar said at the airport.
What consoles him at such moments is "seeing many people sincerely wanting me to succeed and return home," he said.
Karničar is no stranger to extreme endeavours.
In 2000 he became the first person to ski non-stop down Mount Everest; in 2006 he became the first one to ski down the highest mountains on each of the seven continents.
Despite his track record, he remains cautious, realising that weather on the infamous mountain will be the deciding factor.
He said his strategy would be to hope for at least a five-day window of good weather to "ski down from the top and quickly return home."