Ardito Desio
  
ROME (AP) - Ardito Desio, an Italian explorer, geologist and cartographer who 
organized the first expedition to reach the top of Himalayan peak K-2, died 
Wednesday. He was 104. 

Born in a tiny village in northeastern Italy, Desio was a relentless 
traveler. The geology and paleontology professor continued leading scientific 
expeditions into his 90s. 

His greatest achievement came in 1954 when a 12-man expedition that he 
organized took two climbers - Bruno Lacedelli and Achille Compagnoni - to the 
top of K-2, the world's second highest mountain after neighboring Mount 
Everest. 

Desio and the rest of the team stopped several hundred yards from the 
mountain top. 

In 1962, he became the first Italian to reach the South Pole. 

AP-NY-12-