22 Days
Specific Tour
12 people
English, Urdu
Hiking to K2 Base Camp via the Karakoram Highway is an extraordinary adventure that combines breathtaking natural beauty with a thrilling sense of accomplishment. The Karakoram Highway, often referred to as the “eighth wonder of the world,” is a legendary road that traverses the majestic Karakoram mountain range, connecting Pakistan and China.
Embarking on this 22-day journey is not for the faint of heart. The trek presents a formidable challenge, both physically and mentally, as hikers navigate through rugged terrain, high altitudes, and unpredictable weather conditions. However, the rewards of witnessing some of the world’s most awe-inspiring landscapes and reaching the base camp of K2, the second-highest peak in the world, make the endeavor truly worthwhile.
The adventure begins in either Islamabad or Skardu, depending on the chosen route. From there, the Karakoram Highway winds its way through dramatic valleys, alongside roaring rivers, and past remote villages. The sheer magnitude of the surrounding mountains, including the famous Nanga Parbat and the Gasherbrum peaks, serves as a constant reminder of the raw power of nature.
As hikers make their way toward K2 Base Camp, they encounter a diverse range of ecosystems. The lower regions feature lush green valleys, dotted with colorful flowers, and inhabited by various wildlife species. As the altitude increases, the landscape transforms into a barren, rocky terrain, with glaciers and snow-capped peaks dominating the horizon.
The trail to K2 Base Camp demands physical endurance and mental resilience. Each day involves several hours of hiking, sometimes over challenging terrain. Acclimatization days are essential to allow the body to adjust to the high altitude, ensuring a safer ascent. Along the way, hikers encounter friendly locals, including the Balti people, known for their warm hospitality and rich cultural heritage.
Reaching K2 Base Camp is an indescribable experience. Standing at the foot of the mighty K2, surrounded by towering granite walls and immense glaciers, evokes a sense of awe and admiration for the power of nature. The camp itself is a temporary settlement, accommodating climbers from around the world who aspire to conquer the mighty peak.
The return journey from K2 Base Camp follows the same trail, allowing hikers to appreciate the scenery from a different perspective. As they descend, they carry with them memories of an unforgettable adventure, a deep appreciation for the untamed beauty of the Karakoram range, and a newfound respect for the perseverance required to tackle such a formidable challenge.
Hiking to K2 Base Camp via the Karakoram Highway is an expedition that pushes individuals to their limits while rewarding them with an unparalleled sense of accomplishment. It is a pilgrimage for nature lovers and adventure seekers alike, a chance to witness the grandeur of the world’s highest peaks and forge a deep connection with the awe-inspiring mountain landscapes.
•Our guide(s) will receive you from the airport. Soon you will be transferred to hotels. on this day, our participants can relax and recover from their long journey
•You must arrive at Islamabad International Airport, Islamabad
•International flights normally arrive at midnight or in the afternoon
•You must give us the details of your flights, both inbound and outbound at least five days prior to your arrival in Pakistan
•Our staff/guide will receive you at the gates of international arrivals unless you are taking a connecting flight from another city in Pakistan
•The guide/staff will transfer you to our partner hotel. In case you do not require an airport transfer, please inform us in advance
•After lunch and some rest at the hotel (ideally if you are arriving in the morning between 9 am to 12 pm), our guide/representative will pick up all our guests around 6 pm for briefing and remaining payments at our office followed by a dinner
•If you are coming late, we will manage the remaining payments and briefing in Skardu
•Accommodation: Twin-sharing room at Chateau Royale (see pictures), Prestige Residence (see pictures), or equivalent standard partner hotel (depending on occupancy) in Islamabad
•Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner + tea/coffee and snacks
•The participants will drive to Chilas via Karakoram Highway. They will pass through Abbottabad, Mansehra, Besham, Dasu, and Sazin villages to reach Chilas Participants will spend their night in Chilas
•Accommodation: Twin-sharing room at Concordia Motel (see pictures), Mountain Lodge (see pictures), or equivalent standard partner hotel (depends on occupancy) in Skardu
•Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner + tea/coffee and snacks
•Participants will drive towards Skardu early morning. They will pass through Chilas (Diamer district) and enter Skardu road along the Indus River through Alam Bridge and stop at Astak Nala for lunch. The participants will spend the night in Skardu
•Accommodation: Twin-sharing room at Concordia Motel (see pictures), Mountain Lodge (see pictures), or equivalent standard partner hotel (depends on occupancy) in Skardu
•Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner + tea/coffee and snacks
•After breakfast, the participants will walk to Kharpocho Fort in Skardu, which is located up on a mountain. The Kharpocho Fort gives a splendid view of the Indus and Skardu town. The participants will also have the option to take a tour of Sadpara Lake followed by free shopping time in Skardu Bazaar
•During sightseeing, our staff will take care of further government documentation required in Skardu. This can sometimes take two days. We have contingency days toward the end of the trek in case of any delays
•Accommodation: Twin-sharing room at Concordia Motel (see pictures), Mountain Lodge (see pictures), or equivalent standard partner hotel (depends on occupancy) in Skardu
•Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner + tea/coffee and snacks
•The participants will begin the jeep safari toward Daso, the passage will go through the Shigar Valley
•The journey will be followed on the sides of the Braldu River which extends to Askole. Askole will be the last village on our route; the participants will start walking after leaving the jeeps behind
•However at times the participants may begin their walk before arrival in Askole but it depends on the road conditions. Overall it will take you between six hours to eight hours in covering the distance
•Accommodation: Camping in a twin-sharing dome tent (see pictures)
•Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner + snacks (dry fruit/chocolate) for the trek, appetizer (soup/fried snacks) before dinner, and dessert/fruits after dinner
•After completion of the necessary supplies list and equipment the porters will load up for the trek ahead to Jhola
•The valley is the gateway to the Biafo glacier that flows over fifty km from Hispar La to Braldu. The participants will experience moraine walking as the snout of the glacier is crossed and they will descend to a lunch spot beside the Korofon River
•The route will take us to the confluence of the rivers of Braldu and Domordo. The former trail is not taken for the trek instead, a newer trail will lead us to go upstream where the participants will cross the river by bridge
•On the other side of the bridge the participants will descend to the edge of the Braldu River and will follow the river bank to reach the camp at Jhola
•Accommodation: Camping in a twin-sharing dome tent (see pictures)
•Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner + snacks (dry fruit/chocolate) for the trek, appetizer (soup/fried snacks) before dinner, and dessert/fruits after dinner
•On this day of our K2 base camp trek the participants will follow the Braldu Gorge, along the bank of the Braldu River
•The participants will be able to view the astonishing rocks of Trango Tower and Cathedral Peak. The participants should prevent themselves from possible sunburns during this day as the walking conditions can be very dry and hot
•Several streams from the glacier flow down into the valley and on the way the participants will have to use river crossing shoes depending on the water levels
•The participants will be able to spot the snout of Baltoro Glacier on a clear day. On this day the participants will end their day by climbing away from the river to camp at Paiju, the last camp where you will see trees for a while
•Accommodation: Camping in a twin-sharing dome tent (see pictures)
•Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner + snacks (dry fruit/chocolate) for the trek, appetizer (soup/fried snacks) before dinner, and dessert/fruits after dinner
•The participants will spend the day at Paiju Camp for acclimatization and rest. However, the porters will take their time to bake themselves bread for next week on the glacier. An acclimatization walk can also be taken towards Paiju Peak base camp on this day
•Accommodation: Camping in a twin-sharing dome tent (see pictures)
•Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner + snacks (dry fruit/chocolate) for the trek, appetizer (soup/fried snacks) before dinner, and dessert/fruits after dinner
•On this day the walking will get tough however the scenery will become amazing with each step taken onto the snout of Baltoro Glacier
•The trail has continuous up-and-down climbs on the glacial moraine, although the trail is quite safe it is highly recommended to be careful at all times. The participants will experience stunning views as they move ahead; the views of Trango Tower and Uli Biaho
•The participants are required to go across the glacier to Liligo. From this point, the participants will follow a rocky trail which is along the edge of the Baltoro or sometimes to Khoburtse, the side of the glacier where camp will be made
•Accommodation: Camping in a twin-sharing dome tent (see pictures)
•Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner + snacks (dry fruit/chocolate) for the trek, appetizer (soup/fried snacks) before dinner, and dessert/fruits after dinner
•Trango Towers can be eventually seen after coming across two small glaciers. For the following night, the participants will make their stop at Urdukas near the army camp. The camp is 100m above the glacier
•Accommodation: Camping in a twin-sharing dome tent (see pictures)
•Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner + snacks (dry fruit/chocolate) for the trek, appetizer (soup/fried snacks) before dinner, and dessert/fruits after dinner
•On this day of our K2 base camp trek, the participants will be walking in the middle of the glacier. The medial moraine will be followed, and to the south, we will get the views of Masherbrum (7821m)
•The participants will be climbing up and down on the rocky moraine and as the participants move ahead they will walk past massive ice seracs
•This will be the first-night stay camp on Baltoro Glacier at Goro II, it is the confluence of Baltoro Glacier and Younghusband
•The temperature may drop dramatically. Masherbrum and Muztagh Tower will be uncovered for the sight
•Accommodation: Camping in a twin-sharing dome tent (see pictures)
•Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner + snacks (dry fruit/chocolate) for the trek, appetizer (soup/fried snacks) before dinner, and dessert/fruits after dinner
•On this day of the K2 base camp trek, the participants will reach Concordia after continuously walking up the moraine, on the way higher and higher snowcapped peaks will appear, and the culmination of the sighting of K2 will be experienced on this day
•Other peaks that can be seen include Broad Peak, Mitre Peak, Gasherbrum, Sia Kangri, and many more
•Accommodation: Camping in a twin-sharing dome tent (see pictures) •Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner + snacks (dry fruit/chocolate) for the trek, appetizer (soup/fried snacks) before dinner, and dessert/fruits after dinner
•Today there is the opportunity to walk up the Godwin-Austen glacier to the Art Gilkey Memorial (an American geologist and mountaineer) just before K2 Base camp
•This is a spectacular day. We will leave early morning, crossing the glaciers onto the the faint trail heading towards K2 (there is a faint rocky trail all the way). As we follow the glacier toward K2 the mountain seems to grow bigger and bigger
•Broad Peak rears up to our right and after about 3 hours we pass Broad Peak base camp
•We usually have our lunch break here and then carry on with K2 towering above us as we get closer and closer
•Just before base camp, amongst the boulder and ice-strewn landscape is the Art Gilkey Memorial. A short scramble brings us to the place where those whose life K2 claimed are remembered
•Plaques and engraved tin plates are attached to a small rocky outcrop at the foot of this great mountain
•There are great views directly above us of K2 and we may see some climbing expeditions. We spend the night at the base camp of K2
•Accommodation: Camping in a twin-sharing dome tent
•Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner + snacks (dry fruit/chocolate) for the trek, appetizer (soup/fried snacks) before dinner, and dessert/fruits after dinner
•On this day, we retrace our steps back to Concordia and rest for the next day's walk
•Accommodation: Camping in a twin-sharing dome tent (see pictures)
•Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner + snacks (dry fruit/chocolate) for the trek, appetizer (soup/fried snacks) before dinner, and dessert/fruits after dinner
•On Day 13, the participants will set out on a slightly different and less explored route. Short detours will be made to avoid crevasses and the participants should walk on rugged ice rather than slippery ice
•In case of snow, the participants and the porters will walk together wearing crampons for safety hooked with rope to each other
•The base will be set in Ali camp, where the participants will reach after hiking for 5-6 hours. “Ali Camp” is named after a local porter, who was the first person to cross Gondogoro La Pass
•Upon reaching the base some basic skills will be taught to the participants for the next day, which would be the crossing of Gondogoro La Pass
•Accommodation: Camping in a twin-sharing dome tent
•Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner + snacks (dry fruit/chocolate) for the trek, appetizer (soup/fried snacks) before dinner, and dessert/fruits after dinner
•On this day the participants will wake up as early as 2 am. After gearing up and having breakfast the participants roped as one uni will depart for the Gondogoro La base
•Depending upon the situation our support crew will be there to fix ropes or help the members out with the gears. It takes about 3 hours to get to the top of Gondogoro La Pass
•You get to see and experience a breathtaking of all four 8000ers in the Baltoro region. (K2, G1, Broad Peak, G2)
•While, descending to the other side, fixed ropes will be utilized to the full extent, and the use of crampons is vital for the safety of the members. The members will get views of the beautifully and sword head shaped Laila Peak (6,096m) and one can also have views of other trinity peaks
•The members will have to be extra careful while descending and watch out for every step they take to avoid jolting stones on their team members
•Upon descending the slope, the trails become easy and the participants will move on the moraine
•The camp will be set up at the junction point of Gondogoro and Trinity Glacier called Khuispang (4,600m)
•Accommodation: Camping in a twin-sharing dome tent (see pictures)
•Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner + snacks (dry fruit/chocolate) for the trek, appetizer (soup/fried snacks) before dinner, and dessert/fruits after dinner
•The participants will continue hiking down, Since the hike downwards would be a comparatively easy hike so the climbing equipment i.e. ropes, and crampons will be packed while descending. The mountainous and rocky terrain will be taken over the lush green landscapes of Hushe Valley
•After lunch, the participants will continue hiking to the edge of the Gondogoro Glacier, upon reaching the edge they will find a trail that will lead them to the beautiful valley of rhubarb and grass
•At the end of the valley there are 02 different routes to the destination. Our guide with the consent of local porters will decide the trails they are being frequently used
•The trek gets easy when the two trails meet. The members will see the huts made of stones by herders and local settlers. On this day the participants will experience the sign of the settlements in the area and will be able to breathe easily due to the big trees and lower altitude
•Camp will be set up at Saicho (3,350m), a part of sand with little grass along the flowing glacier water steams
•Accommodation: Camping in a twin-sharing dome tent
•Meal: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner + snacks (dry fruit/chocolate) for the trek, appetizer (soup/fried snacks) before dinner, and dessert/fruits after dinner
•On this day the participants have to trek down for only 3-4 hours, the river stream of glacier-melted water of Charakusa, Ailling, Masherbrum, and Gondogoro Glaciers. The participants will start to see the signs of residences, shelters, fields, and signs of people living
•The participants will experience the 02 story shelters of the Hushe village, where the ground floor is for cattle and the first floor is for the family to live. After setting up the camp the participants can explore the beautiful hushed valley and interact with the locals. This would be the last camping day of the Gondogoro La Trek
•Upon reaching Hushe, the participants will depart for Skardu town from Hushe and the journey offers a lot of beautiful scenes of the different small villages of the Hushe Valley. The participants will cross a suspension bridge above Shyok River (which flows from Ladakh, India) to get to the other side
•In the past traditional rafts which were made of goat skin filled with air were used to cross the river. The suspension bridge which is used now to cross was built in the 1990s. Upon crossing the bridge, the participants will then reach Khaplu
•The drive from Khaplu to Skardu becomes smooth and the route to be followed is the paved road along the shayok river which leads to the confluence with the Indus River. Upon driving along the Indus River the Participants will reach Skardu in 4 hours. The participants can have the facilities which they did not have for 02 weeks. The first on that list would be taking a hot shower and secondly having a good meal
•Accommodation: Twin-sharing room at Concordia Motel (see pictures), Mountain Lodge (see pictures), or equivalent standard partner hotel (depends on occupancy) in Skardu
•Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner + tea/coffee and snacks
•This day is allocated for any potential delays during trekking. We do not want our guests to miss their domestic flights due to delays. These delays can be caused by multiple factors including (but not limited to) roadblocks. This time can be utilized for sightseeing in Skardu
•Accommodation: Twin-sharing room at Concordia Motel (see pictures), Mountain Lodge (see pictures), or equivalent standard partner hotel (depends on occupancy) in Skardu
•Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner + tea/coffee and snacks
•On this day the participants will take a flight from the airport in Skardu to Islamabad airport. You will have a good time to relax at the hotel in Islamabad
•Domestic flights sometimes get canceled due to weather conditions. In case of flight cancellation, you will drive to Chilas overnight. It takes eight to ten hours for a vehicle
•Accommodation: Twin-sharing room at Chateau Royale (see pictures), Prestige Residence (see pictures), or equivalent standard partner hotel (depends on occupancy) in Islamabad
•Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner + tea/coffee and snacks
•Accommodation: Twin-sharing room at Shangrila Raikot (see pictures), Shangrila Chilas (see pictures), or equivalent standard partner hotel (depends on occupancy) in Chilas
•Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner + tea/coffee and snacks
•This day is allocated for any potential delays in case the domestic flight does not operate the previous day
•Our guests will depart early morning from Chilas to Islamabad which can take up to ten hours. However, it will be a free day in case the participants make it to Islamabad on the domestic flight. This time can be utilized for sightseeing in Islamabad
•Accommodation: Twin-sharing room at Chateau Royale (see pictures), Prestige Residence (see pictures), or equivalent standard partner hotel (depends on occupancy) in Islamabad
•Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner + tea/coffee and snacks
•Meals included: Breakfast Our staff will transfer all our guests to the airport at their respective departure timings. The checkout time of all our partner hotels is 12 pm
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