K2 Ski Descent

“There is absolutely no margin for error,” said Mike Farris, a professor at Hamline University in St. Paul and author of “The Altitude Experience,” a book on survival and performance in the mountains. “One mistake and you’ll fall 10,000 feet to the glacier below.”

Farris, an experienced mountaineer, saw firsthand the dangers of K2’s Bottleneck Couloir. In 2008, he was on the mountain when a giant ice chunk calved from a wall, killing multiple climbers in a blink.

Watson, 33, is married and has a dog. His wife works in emergency medicine in downtown Minneapolis. “She has the extreme job,” Watson said.

Despite the risks on K2, Watson does not have a death wish. As a ski guide and a climber who has twice summited Mount Everest, Watson knew the danger on K2. He also knew his limits and his skills. “I had to recognize true danger from perceived danger at that point,” he said.

Few climbers would consider skiing a mountain like K2, where crampons and ice axes are mandatory gear. Watson, who guides high-altitude ski trips in India’s Kashmir region, is part of a small group of alpinists around the globe who tout skiing as an overlooked tool in the conquering of high peaks.

Some climbers see ski descents as stunts. Farris said skiing feats like Watson’s, who has skied from 24,000 feet on Mount Everest, are a step in the evolution of climbing mountains. “These [ski descents] are a legitimate aspect of high-altitude mountaineering,” Farris said.

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