•  ‘I want to say to the young ladies, just start it … We can do all things,” says Handal, a veteran climber with 25 years of experience
• Handal aims to scale all 14 peaks over 8,000 meters, an elite goal only a small number of climbers worldwide have completed
• Handal was the first Turkish woman to earn the Snow Leopard title after summiting 5 peaks over 7,000 meters in the Pamir and Tien Shan ranges

ISTANBUL 

“I learned my power,” says Esin Handal, one of the first Turkish women to summit K2. Her climb of the world’s second-highest peak – and among the most dangerous – marks a notable achievement in Turkish mountaineering.

K2 rises to 8,611 meters (28,251 feet) in the Karakoram range on the Pakistan-China border. Nicknamed the “savage mountain,” it is notorious for steep, avalanche-prone slopes and a narrow passage near the top called the Bottleneck Couloir.

Handal, a veteran climber with 25 years of experience, spent two months on the mountain in a season defined by brutal weather, dangerous terrain and tragedy.

“We were just 15 climbers and two of them died. And I saw them on the way. It was not a good experience,” she told Anadolu.

Unlike typical 8,000-meter expeditions that last about a month, this season’s climb dragged on for two months, pushing climbers to their limits. “It was too long,” she said.

On Aug. 11, Handal became the fourth Turkish climber – and the second Turkish woman – to summit K2, arriving at the top around 15 minutes after Gulnur Tumbat, recognized as the first Turkish woman to achieve the feat.

As Tumbat applied for her climbing permit using a US passport, she was initially recorded in international climbing records as a US citizen, according to media reports, but the Turkish Mountaineering Federation (TDF) officially recognizes her as the first Turkish woman to summit K2.

The prolonged wait was mentally exhausting, Handal said, as many climbers dropped out amid high risk of avalanche and rockfall. “Before, we were 18 climbers at the base camp, but nobody wanted to wait. Lots of people canceled their expedition,” she said.

Compared to Mount Everest’s 2% death rate among over 6,000 summits by 2024, K2’s historic 23% fatality rate makes it far more deadly. While over 7,000 people have climbed Everest, just over 800 have summited K2.

Even for the strongest teams, the Bottleneck – a narrow and steep, ice-filled gully just below the summit – and sudden weather shifts can turn progress into peril within minutes.

Facing the mountain alone

Handal, 45, arrived without a team and struggled to find partners among a shrinking pool of climbers. “I went there alone and tried to find some people to climb in the base camp, but it didn’t work. I climbed alone,” she said.

This solitude tested her mental resilience. “I learned that I want and I need a team on the mountains because, yes, I can do this, but I don’t want to, because when you are alone and you cannot share your experiences or your feelings on the mountain, it’s not good,” she said.

Despite the hardships, her preparation helped carry her through. An athlete, Handal trained intensively with running, cycling and swimming, incorporating triathlons and races to build endurance.

“Physical power is easier for me because I have done lots of training for K2,” she said, highlighting the importance of fitness in tackling such extreme heights.

In 2019, Handal became the first Turkish woman to earn the Snow Leopard title – awarded to climbers who summit five peaks over 7,000 meters in the Pamir and Tien Shan ranges – becoming the third Turkish climber to achieve the honor.

“When I was at the top, it was a little bit anxious,” she said. “I was anxious because going downhill is really harder than climbing. But it was amazing because the weather was not really bad.”

Despite the numbing cold, the clear sky gave her a stunning view of all the surrounding mountains.

She also recalled a touching moment of solidarity with a fellow woman climber: “It was her first 8,000-meter climb, she was really lovely. When you talk to other women on the mountain, it’s really good because they give me more energy. And we helped each other.”

Inspiring women to reach new heights

Handal’s accomplishment shines a spotlight on the growing presence of women in Türkiye’s traditionally male-dominated mountaineering scene – a trend she embraces wholeheartedly.

“Lots of women write me from social media … and they told me that, ‘Yes, we will go to the mountains more and we will get the education about this,’” she said. “I want to say to the young ladies, just start it … We can do all things.”

She added that mountains can reveal a strength that everyday life can hide.

“We are strong, maybe we don’t know this really, because in the city, we don't use all of our power,” she said. “But on the mountain, you can understand that we are really strong. And our mental and physical power is better than men.”

Handal has ambitious plans to scale all 14 peaks over 8,000 meters – an elite goal only a small number of climbers worldwide have completed.

“I did just one of them, but the most dangerous of them,” she said.

Handal also expressed interest in climbing Everest, but stressed that she would need a strong team and adequate sponsorship before attempting the world’s tallest mountain.

Her journey resonates deeply in Türkiye, where her success has been widely celebrated: “Everybody was happy for me. I got lots of good messages from everybody.”