The 1950s have been called the Golden Age of Himalayan Mountaineering, as twelve of the world's fourteen 8000-meter peaks were first summited in that decade, with the first being Annapurna in 1950. In 1953, a team of seven Americans and one British climber was attempting the first ascent of K2, the world's second highest peak. Three of the Americans were from Seattle, and they came to Bauer to ask if he could create a down-insulated parka for them.: