Trips Pakistan

K2 Base Camp - Concordia - Gondogoro La Trek

K2 - An Introduction
Of all the great mountain ranges of the world, few have as powerful an aura as the Karakoram. Here in the Karakoram, the one that tops them all is K2, the second highest mountain in the world at 8,611-m, and one of the most remote as well. Straddling the Pakistan-China border, K2 is so remote that the local Balti hillspeople whose villages are the human habitations nearest the mountain, don't even have a name for it - they just call it Chogori - "Big Mountain".

In mountaineering, K2 is regarded, without doubt, as a far more "difficult" mountain to climb than Everest. It was only in 1954 that an Italian expedition managed to conquer K2, 52 years after the first real attempt in 1902. Another way of looking at how technically difficult & unforgiving K2 was is that the second successful ascent only took place 23 years later. So far, only a hundred and thirty or so climbers have managed to summit K2 throughout history and the mountain has claimed the lives of close to fifty climbers. To put it in clearer perspective, the odds of reaching the summit is only about 1:10. While Everest is on the lips of every aspiring school-age mountaineer, it is K2 that dwells in the deepest fears of hardened alpinists around the world. Everest has seen the recent introduction of guided climbs for relative novices, but K2 is a mountain where only extremely experienced climbers need apply. For the hard-core mountaineer, Everest is merely practice for K2. Such recognition is underscored by the various descriptives assigned to it - The Savage Mountain; Mountain of Mountains, the Mountaineer's Mountain.

The Classic K2 Base Camp Trek
The classic K2 Base Camp Trek to "The Throne Room of the Mountain Gods", one of the world's most challenging, offers the adventure trekker one of the most rewarding mountain experiences in the world and takes one to the center of the Karakoram range along the Baltoro glacier to Concordia - the meeting point of 4 of the highest mountains in the world: K2, the nearby Broad Peak (8,047-m), Gasherbrum II (8,035-m) and Gasherbrum I, the Hidden Peak (8,068-m). The continuous mountain views are stupendous and unrivalled anywhere else in the world. Trekking in this beautiful but sometimes harsh region across glacier and over mountain passes to stand at the foot of some of the world's most magnificent mountains is something most travellers never forget and often return to.

This Trek
This offers a slight variation to the classic K2 trek by taking a different return route. Instead of backtracking the Baltoro Glacier, this high adventure trek makes a return to civilisation ( the beautiful valley of Hushe ) by the crossing of the Gondogoro-La (5650m) pass, a crossing which requires the use of crampons & fixed ropes. Given a little luck with weather, the view from the Gondogoro La pass is simply incomparable. From no other place on earth can one see such incredible views of K2 (8611m) the second highest peak in the world, the most beautiful high pyramid, Broad Peak (8048m), Gasherbrum I to 6, Golden Throne (7240m), Chogolisa (7665m), and the entire upper Baltoro Massif.

This is one trek that we guarantee you'll remember for life :-)

Included

• Return transfers between Islamabad & Skardu: by internal flight if weather permits, or by land transport if weather does not permit flying
• Full accommodation arrangement ( 7 nights in hotels & 14 nights camping )
• Full trek arrangement inclusive of guides, porters, cook and all camping & kitchen equipment
• Full meals on trek & breakfast only in hotels
• Full transport arrangement including airport transfers, Islamabad-Skardu (if inland flight is not possible), transfers to trailheads & back
• All necessary fees & permits
• Complimentary use of sleeping bags & down jackets, if departing from Singapore

Excluded

• 2-way international economy class return airfares between Singapore & Islamabad
• All airport taxes and fuel surcharges
• Pakistan travel visa, if applicable
• Tipping & gratuities to guide & driver
• Personal travel insurance, pre-trip medical immunizations, and all expenses of a personal nature

This is a physically hard and rugged trek - one of the toughest commercial treks in the world. Because the Karakoram is significantly further north compared to the Himalaya, this give rises to a much harsher climate - colder nights and very hot days. Almost half of the trek will be spent traveling over very rocky glacial terrain - possibly some of the roughest glacier travel around. Experience in off trail hiking is essential as there are long periods of boulder hopping and scrambling over talus and loose scree. We will hike six to eight hours a day and reach altitudes above 4,500-m. Exercise at high altitude compounds the physiological stress. You need to be in excellent health and top physical condition to enjoy such an experience, with an excellent sense of balance. In addition, high altitude may create discomfort and symptoms of illness that you do not experience while exercising at low elevations, such as shortness of breath, restlessness or sleeplessness at night, and headaches. Be prepared for very basic amenties as there's no teahouses ( very unlike trekking in Nepal ) along the trail once the trek gets underway. Other qualifications considered essential for this trip are self-reliance, flexibility and a good sense of humor.