K2 Base Camp & CONCORDIA

Jeep drive. It takes about six hours to drive from Skardu to Askoli or near Askoli. The drive through the Braldu Gorge is guaranteed to knock your socks off Overnight in tents.

After considerable organisation of equipment, supplies and porter loads for the journey ahead, we commence trekking towards Jola. The walk from Askoli to Jola is on an easy gentle plain and can be done in 6 to 8 hours. We cross the snout of the Biafo Glacier on the way. The first sight of the pinnacles of the Paiyu Group is stunning. Overnight in tents.

We follow the Braldu and the Biaho rivers to a river’s edge campsite. On the way we have to cross the Domurda River coming out of Choktoi and Panmah Glaciers. This crossing is done on a ‘garari’ or on a bridge upstream. Depending upon the time it takes for the crossing, the walk can take 8 hours or more. The Group may be glimpsed to our right via the Xiangang Valley. The range is a vast array of peaks that extend almost the full length of the southern side of Baltoro. Walking conditions are hot and dry, and care must be taken to prevent sunburn.

Rest day. Wash up, relax, read, climb on a steep ridge behind the camp, sing and dance with the porters! Depending upon the size of the party, goats or a goat will be sacrificed, and meat will be distributed to the porters as a form of thanksgiving and to bring us good luck on our next day’s walk on the Baltoro.

Trek on Baltoro Glacier. Six to eight hours of walking. A tough day as we climb on the rocky moraines of the Baltoro, but the sight of Baltoro pinnacles and Paiyu Peak is astounding! An earlier alternative campsite is Liligo, but there is no water there. We will cross some gushing streams on the way.

A short 4 hour plus walk on the rocky moraines and ablation valley of the Baltoro. We will cross couple of icy side glaciers on the way and may have our first sight of Broad Peak and the Gasherbrums. The historical campsite is located on a grassy slope high above the Baltoro and commands one of the most intense mountain views in this world. The campsite was prepared by the Duke of Abruzzi in the beginning of this century.

This is a tough day’s walk on the undulating Baltoro. However, the footing becomes easy as the rocks become smaller and smaller as we move up the Baltoro. It takes about 7 hours to get to Goro II. We walk right smack up the center moraine of the Baltoro. As Masherbrum emerges on the right, it takes our breath away and so does Gasherbrum IV right in front of us. Goro is a cold campsite! It has a great view of the Muztagh Tower.

A special day today as we trek into Concordia and enjoy our first views of K2 (weather permitting!). This location must be considered one of the world's most spectacular camps as it is totally surrounded by stunning peaks. As we leave Goro II, the Biange Glacier to the north provides a superb view up to Mustagh Tower (7284m), one of the most difficult mountains in the Karakoram to climb. The trail continues along fairly easy rolling slopes of moraine marked by cairns and then passes among ice towers or seracs as we approach the colliding glaciers at Concordia. Mitre Peak (6030m) rises to our right, with Golden Throne (Baltoro Kangri) (7312m) beside it, while the Gasherbrum Group is directly before us. The expanse of Broad Peak (8050m) is to the left and finally K2 (8611m) looms above the ridge towering over the Godwin Austen Glacier twelve kilometers away.

Our schedule is somewhat flexible according to the prevailing weather conditions and group preference. One of our objectives is to visit K2 Base Camp (approx. 5150m) and the Gilkey Memorial, a spectacular full day trip from camp. The most exciting day of this trek as you walk past Broad peak and get nearer to K-2 and arrive at the strip which is the most popular camping area for nearly all the expeditions to K-2. Here some of the top climbers of the world Can be seen busy in preparations for the challenges ahead. Return to your camp at Concordia for overnight (K-2 base camp is too high, and trekkers can get seriously ill from altitude if they stay for the night at this altitude, therefore the group must return to Concordia).

We leave the main trekking trail behind us from today onwards, striking out on a far less travelled route which will take us along the Upper Baltoro, one of the glaciers coming down from Chogolisa that feed the huge glacial junction of Concordia. The time taken to cover this section of the walk and the manner in which we do it will depend on the snow conditions. If the glacier is clear of snow this will be a steady ascent of the valley mostly walking on the ice which will not be slippery. In fact the grit embedded in the ice makes this easy to walk on. There are crevasses to negotiate, the majority of which are neither deep nor wide and can easily be stepped over, and any larger ones can usually be avoided by a short detour. If however the Upper Baltoro is snow covered (fairly unusual from mid-June to August) it will be necessary for us and the porters to move together as a roped party since in this event any crevasses will not be visible and we may also need to put on our crampons. After 5 - 7 hours of trekking along the Upper Baltoro towards the enormous bulk of Chogolisa at the head of the valley, we eventually reach the confluence of this glacier with the West Vigne Glacier which sweeps down from the base of the Gondogoro La. Here on the moraine beside the junction we make our home for the night at the place known locally as 'Ali Camp' (4800m). It was named after a local from Hushe Village who was the first recorded person to cross the Gondogoro La when returning home from working as a high altitude porter on a Gasherbrum climbing expedition. We would normally reach Ali Camp around mid-day or the early afternoon and after settling in, your trip leader will organize a skills session to practice the simple techniques of using a jumar to safeguard moving on fixed lines.

Before first light we are roused from sleep and (reluctantly for some and eagerly for others) we climb out of warm sleeping bags and begin preparing for the climb ahead. After fueling up in the dining tent with breakfast, we don crampons and harnesses and set off roped together onto the West Vigne Glacier. In the black, star-studded crisp night air we make our way slowly over the sparkling glacier illuminated in pools of light from our head torches. Dawn arrives and the waxing daylight slowly fills in the tremendous scenery through which we are trekking. Eventually we reach the foot of Gondogoro La near the head of this side valley and (depending on conditions and the nature of any trail which may already be in place) we may continue for a while roped together or we may be able to climb this section unroped. We will be climbing a glaciated slope which essentially means that it is flowing down the mountain and therefore the terrain will vary from season to season. Most years there will be one or two steeper sections and also possible bergschrunds to cross. At any such points our support team will have put in place fixed lines for protection. After approximately 3 hours of climbing from the West Vigne Glacier, with views opening up behind us, we reach the summit of the pass, an incredible and exhilarating feeling. The view from the top is breathtaking with 4 eight thousand metre peaks on view and close at hand, namely K2, Broad Peak, Gasherbrum I and Gasherbrum II. The top of the pass is a broad shoulder and on the far side the ground drops precipitously away and we find ourselves looking down into the Gondogoro Valley. Directly opposite are the faces of the Trinity peaks but all eyes will be drawn to the beautiful spire of Laila Peak (6096) and then further down, following the curve of the glacier, we can see the perfect cone of Masherbrum II. The descent is much steeper than our ascent route and here we will use fixed lines for the majority of the way down. The Hushe side is not glaciated although the top section will probably be snow covered so we will go down the lines wearing crampons. At some point the snow stops and we will remove our crampons before continuing on screen. Care needs to be taken here to avoid kicking down stones on our trekking companions. Eventually the angle of the slope eases and the fixed lines end. We continue down until reaching a trail which runs horizontally along the valley above the Trinity Glacier, eventually coming gently down to meet it. We now walk more easily on the stones of central moraine until we reach an ablation valley at the confluence of the Trinity and Gondogoro glaciers. After the harsh environment of the last several days this is quite a pleasant place with grass (sparse) and some rock pools in which are reflected the beautiful Laila Peak. After a long, hard but incredibly rewarding day, we make our camp here in the place known as Huisprung (4600m).

Compared to yesterday's exertions, today will be a relatively easy trek as we follow the Gondogoro Glacier downstream. Except in conditions where snow is lying on the surface of glacier (unusual from mid-June to August), our crampons, harnesses and other mountaineering paraphernalia can be packed away as we no longer need these things. We have completely new vistas as we head towards the Hushe Valley, initially trekking down the central moraine of the Gondogoro Glacier. We may have small crevasses to step over or occasionally to detour around, but the going is generally easy. About half way down the glacier on today's walk we pass Laila Peak. This slender leaning spire was first climbed 'unofficially' by a British team including Simon Yates, Sean Smith and Mark Miller in 1987 via the west face which is the obvious ramp of snow leading to the top of the needle- like spire. The first official ascent wasn't made until nearly a decade later when an Italian team climbed the peak by a slightly different route. Apparently the climbers had not been aware of the earlier British ascent and the first they knew about it was when on reaching the summit, they discovered an old gas cartridge inscribed with 4 names. Moving beyond the slopes of Laila Peak, we gradually move to the edge of the glacier where we find a route off the ice and rubble into the ablation valley on its south side. The last hour of the day is spent following a reasonable trail down to our camping place known as Dalsan (4150m) where grass and wild rhubarb grow.

We continue our descent of the Gondogoro Valley starting off today by following the trail through this pleasant ablation valley where we have spent the night. Soon the valley comes to an abrupt end where a ridge forces its way down to the glacier and here there is a choice of trails either down a gulley and then along the 'gutter' between the glacier and the cliffs of conglomerate that line it, or along the top of the cliffs. The trek leader will decide which of these trails is best in consultation with the local guide. On the other side of this obstacle the ablation valley continues and the walking becomes easier. We pass through a widening of the valley known as Gondogoro Village (although there is no village - just a few temporary stone shelters for goat herders) and beyond here we have to cross a small stream before continuing along the crest of the lateral moraine. At this point we have returned to more benign altitudes where things grow and the trees actually become bigger than us as we continue the descent of the moraine to the valley bottom. We make our camp at Saitcho (3350m), a sandy area of sparse grasses beside the river at the junction of the Gondogoro and Charakusa valleys. This will be the first night in almost a week where we can breathe the oxygen-rich air below 4000 metres and sleep to the sounds of running water!

It is in the nature of journey such as this that there can be delays and it is important to build in some time to allow for this. If we have not experienced any delays or been required to use this contingency day at this point in our trek, this will be a well-earned rest day. Saitcho is a great place to relax in the sunshine, catch up on diaries or laundry, or for those with an insatiable trekking appetite, a walk up into the Charakusa Valley is well worth the effort. If this option is taken we will make a relatively early start and follow a huntsmen's trail up onto the lateral moraine of the Charakusa Glacier. This is snow leopard country and although you will be very lucky if you spot one of the animals, you are very likely to see its signs and the local guide will take delight in pointing these out. After crossing a side glacier over rubble and ice, we get back onto the lateral moraine until it is possible to step onto the main Charakusa Glacier. Just how far we can go today depends on what time we start, the nature of the glacier and the energy of the group but we should be able to go far enough for views of K6 and K7. This option will take around 6-8 hours.

Now that we are off the glacier and down below 4000 meters, the daytime temperatures can climb into the high thirties so it is well worth getting an early start to avoid the main heat of the day. This is a relatively easy day of about 3 to 4 hours, following the river draining the Gondogoro and Charakusa glaciers down to its confluence with those draining the Masherbrum and Ailing glaciers. Here the valley swings to the south and we begin to see various signs of habitation with walls and temporary house. Eventually we reach the extensive fields of Hushe and climb up to a small plateau on which the main village is sited. Hushe is quite large with a warren of alleys and buildings. Most traditional houses are built from rounded river stones and are 2 storeys hgh, with space for the animal downstairs and people upstairs. Hushe also has some more modern houses, a shop, a school, a hotel and a trekkers' campsite. We check into the campsite and the rest of the day is free to explore this fascinating village.

Just as when we began our trek, leaving the high valleys of the Karakoram necessitates an exciting road journey by jeep. The return is not as arduous as the approach and the scenery is superb as we make our way down the valley passing villages of intense agriculture on both sides. Eventually we reach a junction where the Hushe River meets the Shyock River which flows from Ladakh. We cross the Shyock on a suspension bridge to reach a paved road on the other side at the large village of Khaplu which was once a seat of local government with its own palace. From Khaplu our journey becomes considerably smoother and much faster as we now drive on the tarmac road first following the Shyock to a confluence with the Indus, then along this major river back to Skardu. Arriving in the Balti capital, we check into our hotel and enjoy our first hot shower in over two weeks!

Skardu airport is a 40 minute drive from the hotel along a good road lined with poplar trees. Boarding our plane we have an exciting flight out of the valley, once again passing by Nanga Parbat before turning south for Islamabad. Arriving in the capital after a period in the mountains is always a strange experience and it takes a little time to get used to the hustle and bustle and especially the traffic. Our private bus will be waiting at the airport to transfer us to the group hotel and once we have settled in it will be time to take lunch (unless we have experienced unusual flight delays).
After lunch the rest of the day is free for independent sightseeing or to relax at the hotel. Your trip leader will advise you on the possibilities for sightseeing. Shopping for hand-woven wool rugs is one popular option. This evening we come together again for a celebratory meal at the hotel or in a local restaurant.

Skardu is a 'weather dependent' airport which means the planes will only fly here if the visibility allows line of sight to the runway by the pilot on the approach. Fortunately the weather is mostly clear in the Karakoram but local weather conditions can bring cloud and rain from time to time. If we cannot fly we will travel down to Islamabad by road along the spectacular Karakoram Highway. If we flew up to Skardu this will be an added bonus as it is a fantastic travel experience in its own right. The drive down the Indus River to Islamabad takes two days so this is an important contingency day to allow for this. If we have flown to Islamabad this will be a further day for sightseeing in the capital and your leader will advise the group on the options available for today.

Transfer to Islamabad Airport after breakfast. Land Only package services end on arrival at the airport.