Alpinist Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner on the steep step before the rock shoulder of K2. After reaching the top of K2 on Aug. 23, 2011, Kaltenbrunner became the first woman to summit all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks without using supplemental oxygen.  Kaltenbrunner was named National Geographic Explorer of the Year for her achievement in a ceremony in Washington, D.C., on June 14, 2012.

© © Ralf Dujmovits / National Geographic