Christine Boskoff

Christine Boskoff, this summer will attempt to become the first American woman to climb K2. Only 5 women have reached the Summit of K2. Three of the 5 women have died descending from the Summit. Only Wanda and Chantal returned to tell. Note there is no woman alive today that has summited K2! Both Wanda and Chantal died on other mountains...

America's leading female alpinist: Christine, is owner and CEO of Mountain Madness, (an adventure travel and expedition operator.) She is the only American woman alive to have reached the summit of 6 8000 Meter peaks.

She also has an extensive record of unexplored first ascents, primarily in Tibet. Committed to living her dreams, Christine will be guiding Cho Oyu and attempting to climb K2 in 2002, with Charlie Fowler.

Christine climbed her "first mountain," 17,000 ft. Tarji, in Bolivia. Her first trip to Asia was in 1994, where she climbed Ama Dablam. She was the first North American woman to summit Lhotse.

She has taken part in 10 8000 meter expeditions, being successful on 6, including Everest, when she summitted from the S. Col/SE Ridge, on May 24, 2000 (a Mountain Madness expedition with Peter Habeler). Christine lives in Seattle, Washington.

Christine Boskoff: American born 9/7/67, with her 6 8000M summits is now tied for second all time for women. Christine has summitted Broad Peak (8/13/95), Cho Oyu (9/27/96), Lhotse (5/26/97), Gasherbrum II (8/19/99), Everest (5/24/00), and [the main TRUE summit] of Shishapangma on 10/10/00 by the British route on the Southwest face. Christine has the most summits of any woman alive.

THE DREAM: In the summer of 2002, she and Charlie Fowler - will travel to northern Pakistan to scale the south side of K2. Climbing "by fair means", without the use of supplemental oxygen, or additional manpower, these talented climbers will acclimate on lower mountains, then make a rapid, alpine-style ascent of K2 in mid-summer. If successful, Christine will be the first American woman to climb K2. Charlie, a professional filmmaker, will document the ascent on video.

Perhaps the world's most coveted summit is that of K2. Rising to 8611 meters in the Karakoram mountain range, it is the world's second highest peak; also one of the most beautiful and challenging to climb. The extreme altitude, severe weather and huge scale of this peak combine to make a successful ascent an elusive and dangerous undertaking. Despite a long history of exploration and climbing attempts, fewer than 200 people have stood on top, and only five women have achieved this goal.

Christine and Charlie will meet in Islamabad on the June 7th. Charlie just guided the successful Mountain Madness team on Everest this spring. They will share base camp services with the UK international team. They hopes to arrive at base camp on the 17th of June.

Everestnews.com will follow Christine and carry her dispatches from K2 this year...