5. First Ascent of the Mazeno Ridge
No climb in 2012 was as big or bold as the first ascent of the Mazeno Ridge, an 8-mile long route that culminates at the summit of Pakistan’s Nanga Parbet, the ninth tallest mountain in the world at 8126 meters (26,660 ft). The ridge features eight sub-summits of more than 7000 meters (22,965 ft) in height, and completing the route was a harrowing marathon for climbers Sandy Allan and Rick Allen, who faced incredibly bad weather and treacherous snow conditions on their way to the top. The climb was expected to take eight days to complete, but the expedition actually stretched to 18; by the time the two men stood on top, they were out of food, fuel and water. The descent was equally difficult, due to exhaustion and a lack of supplies, but when Allan and Allen returned to Base Camp, they had completed the most impressive mountaineering accomplishment in the past decade or more.
-- Kraig Becker
Image: The Mazeno Ridge (Credit: Doug Scott)