In August of 2008, eighteen mountain climbers reached the top of K2, the second-highest mountain in the world. 48 hours later, eleven people were dead, making it the deadliest day in modern mountain climbing history. While memorials paid tribute to those killed, there were also condemnations about why. Why do these athletes risk everything to reach a place humans are simply not meant to go? Why do they put their lives and the lives of others on the line in order to satisfy some indefinable need?