Episode 9: Jason Black

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Everest may be the tallest but it is by no means the toughest peak in the world. That title belongs to the 8,611m peak on the Pakistani-Chinese border known as K2. With only 300-odd successful summits, compared to over 4,000 Everest, this peak is deadly. Around one in four people die while attempting to reach its summit. Out of those successful summits, only one Irish name sat amongst them, until now. In 2008, Limerick’s Ger McDonnell became the first Irishman to summit K2, but he died tragically on the climb back down along with ten others when an ice fall swept away the fixed ropes. It was one of the deadliest days in mountaineering history.

Ten years after Ger McDonnell’s ascent, Donegal Adventurer Jason Black stepped on to the summit of K2 suit at around 3 am Irish time on Sunday 22 July 2018. In this latest edition of the Hard as Nails podcast, we chat to the man himself to find out about his epic achievement and delve into what it is that drives Jason to take on these life-changing challenges. It is a story peppered with epic highs but also with some devastating lows.

Here is Jason Black’s incredible story…

Want to listen to more great stories? Check these out: 

• Andrew Cotton: Surfing Monster Waves and What Goes Through You Mind When it All Goes Wrong
• Stephen Redmond: Encountering Great Whites, Tiger Sharks and Box Jellyfish on his 7 Oceans Challenge
• Nikki Bradley: On Not Letting a Life-Changing Prognosis Hold You Back