17 years, 14 peaks: How Tunc Findik conquered the world’s tallest summits

It is known simply as 14x8000 and might appear as gibberish to all but the most daring of mountaineers, for whom the cipher represents the pinnacle of thrill-seeking — climbing all 14 of the mountain peaks above 8,000 metres, where the air becomes thin and the human spirit soars.

Nearly 50 climbers have lost their lives while trying to complete the pursuit. Only a handful have completed the goal. Italian mountaineer Reinhold Messner was the first to achieve this in 1986, followed a year later by Polish mountaineer Jerzy Kukuczka. Now, Tunc Findik joins the exclusive group.

“You know that you can die due to the slightest mistake. Knowing that you can die any moment is a different feeling, especially when it is there not just for a fleeting second but throughout the climb,” Findik tells TRT World. “I love being there and that feeling,” adds the Turkish mountaineer, who began his quest in 2006.

So why do people climb mountains despite the risk of death? Findik says: “Climbing is an instinctive urge we all have from the moment we are born,” hinting that there is a climber somewhere within each of us.

At 8,848 metres, Everest in Nepal may be the highest and most famous peak in the world, but it is climbing the K2 in remote Pakistan — just 230 metres lower than Everest — that seasoned mountaineers consider the more difficult challenge. The number of people who have climbed the world’s two highest peaks tells the story — while for K2, the number is in the hundreds, for Everest, it is in the thousands.

Mount Everest was the first pit stop in Findik's 17-year-long project. He climbed K2 only after completing the ascents of Cho Oyu, Lhotse, Dhaulagiri, Makalu and Kanchenjunga, all in the Greater Himalayas in Nepal.

“Everest is a much more popular peak among mountaineers. But K2 is known as the mountain of mountains. It is a less popular, much scarier, more difficult, challenging mountain, with far less chance of reaching the summit,” Findik tells TRT World.

‘Blood pressure drops, oxygen decreases’

Each expedition has its quirks, with different peaks requiring different stretches to trek before reaching the base, from where one begins their summit climb. Some take days, others weeks. Given the difficult terrain, inclement weather and location of the peak — which is located deeper within its range than the other peaks within theirs — it can take up to 15 days to reach the K2 base camp and involves as much as 130 km on foot, accompanied by an army of porters and mules.

Then, the climb begins, leaving behind all the support staff and pack animals, with a load that is no more than 20 kg on the climber’s shoulders.

“As the altitude increases, the pressure drops and oxygen availability falls dramatically, making it more difficult to live physically. That's the biggest issue. In addition to technical climbing difficulties, you may experience thrombosis, pulmonary edema or cerebral edema from the altitude and die instantly. And, of course, these mountains are always very cold,” says Findik.

“At 8,000 metres, minus 51 degrees is a constant. The slightest carelessness can freeze your fingers, toes or nose, which you lose, or even die. These are medical issues related to mountaineering and you have to know all of them very well so that you can survive.”

Findik didn't get to the top of each peak on his first attempt, but still succeeded in his project with patience. Nanga Parbat, which is located within the borders of Pakistan today, required the most number of attempts — four. Some of the failures weren’t even related to the physical conditions — weather, etc — but external, political factors. Like the terrorist attack in 2013, in which Findik lost 11 of his friends at the main camp. Returning to Türkiye, he had said, "I am very happy and lucky to have survived." But it was the weather that thwarted him in his next two attempts.

“We were able to climb Nanga Parbat after a 40-day climb. This is a technical mountain that requires rock and ice climbing. You have to climb pretty steep ice rocks up to 6,000 metres. Further up, there are steep ice walls,” says Findik.

Annapurna, located in Nepal, is another peak that kept Findik busy for a long time. With avalanches a constant companion, he needed three attempts to reach the summit of what he calls an extremely dangerous mountain.

“Every time there was the possibility of a big avalanche, we returned to base. It's your own decision. If you go ahead and die, that's your decision. That way, mountain peaks are fair. They respect your choices,” he says.

At the end of his quest for 14x8000, Findik says he is not quitting mountaineering and will continue his climbing expeditions, with new challenges on his horizon: “I have in mind climbing in South America, the European Alps, Nepal, Patagonia and Peru.”

“I also hope to climb Everest next year without oxygen support.”