K2 Base Camp And Baltaro

Day-by-Day Details

Day 1 – Arrive Islamabad (540m)

Our team meets you at Islamabad airport and takes you to the hotel. In the evening we hold a trip briefing, check your trekking gear and go over the permit paperwork. There is free time to rest after your flight or visit Faisal Mosque and Daman-e-Koh viewpoint.

Day 2 – Fly to Skardu (2,230m)

The morning flight to Skardu follows the Indus and passes close to Nanga Parbat (8,126m) on a clear day. The flight depends on the weather. If it is cancelled, we drive the Karakoram Highway to Chilas the same day and continue to Skardu the next day, using the spare day at the end of the trip.

Day 3 – Skardu: rest and preparation

A day to rest and adjust to the altitude. We complete permit formalities, meet the guide, cook and porter team, and weigh and pack loads. In the afternoon you can visit Kharpocho Fort, Skardu bazaar or Shangrila (Lower Kachura) Lake.

Day 4 – Jeep Skardu → Askole (3,000m)

A 6–7 hour jeep ride up the Shigar and Braldu valleys on a narrow, rough mountain road. Stretches can be affected by landslides or high river levels, and our drivers know the route well. Askole is the last village on the route and our first night in camp.

Day 5 – Trek Askole → Jhola (3,200m)

The first trekking day follows the Braldu River over mostly level, dusty trail with some ups and downs. We cross the Dumordo River by bridge before reaching camp at Jhola. It is hot and exposed in the afternoon, so we start early.

Day 6 – Trek Jhola → Paiju (3,450m)

Along the river with the first views of the Baltoro Glacier snout and Paiju Peak ahead. Paiju is a shaded campsite with poplar and willow trees and a stream, and it is where porters traditionally prepare for the glacier.

Day 7 – Acclimatization day at Paiju

A rest day to help your body adjust before going higher. You can take a short walk up the hill behind camp for views of the glacier and Trango group, wash clothes and rest. Porters often bake bread and sing and dance in the evening.

Day 8 – Trek Paiju → Khoburtse (3,900m)

We climb onto the Baltoro Glacier, walking on rocky moraine that rises and falls. The Trango Towers and Cathedral Peaks line the valley. Footing is uneven, so trekking poles help.

Day 9 – Trek Khoburtse → Urdukas (4,130m)

A shorter day along the glacier to Urdukas, a grassy campsite on terraces above the ice with views of the Trango group, Paiju Peak and Uli Biaho. The short day also helps acclimatization.

Day 10 – Trek Urdukas → Goro II (4,380m)

We walk further onto the glacier with Masherbrum (K1, 7,821m) on the right. Goro II is our first camp on the ice itself, so nights are cold. The sunset on Gasherbrum IV and Masherbrum is a highlight.

Day 11 – Trek Goro II → Concordia (4,650m)

Gasherbrum IV comes into view ahead, and at Concordia, where the Baltoro and Godwin-Austen glaciers meet, K2 (8,611m) and Broad Peak (8,051m) appear together. Concordia has views of several of the world's highest peaks in one place.

Day 12 – Trek Concordia → Broad Peak Base Camp (4,850m)

We walk up the Godwin-Austen Glacier with K2 ahead and camp at Broad Peak Base Camp. Sleeping higher helps prepare you for Ali Camp and the pass. During the season you may meet climbing expeditions.

Day 13 – K2 Base Camp (5,000m) and back to Concordia

We continue to K2 Base Camp and the Gilkey Memorial, where climbers who died on K2 are remembered. After time at base camp we return down the glacier to Concordia. It is a long day on crevassed ice, so we stay together with the guide.

Day 14 – Trek Concordia → Ali Camp (5,000m)

We head south up the Vigne Glacier, roped together because of hidden crevasses. Ali Camp sits at the foot of Gondogoro La. We eat early and rest, as the pass climb starts around midnight.

Day 15 – Weather/snow buffer day at Ali Camp

This day is kept in reserve for the pass. The Hushe rescue team checks snow and weather and decides when to cross. If conditions are good on

Day 14, we cross a day earlier and use this day later in Hushe or Skardu.

(Optional)

Day 16 – Gondogoro La (5,585m) → Khuspang (4,700m)

The hardest day of the trek. We start around midnight, when the snow is firm, and climb for 5–7 hours on fixed ropes with harness and crampons. From the top at sunrise there are views of K2, Broad Peak, Gasherbrum I and II. The descent to Khuspang is steep, with fixed ropes on the upper part. Total walking time is 10–13 hours.

Day 17 – Trek Khuspang → Saicho (3,350m)

We descend beside the Gondogoro Glacier to green pastures, with views of Laila Peak and Masherbrum. Saicho is a pleasant campsite among trees by a stream, and the lower altitude makes for an easy night's rest.

Day 18 – Trek Saicho → Hushe, jeep to Skardu (2,230m)

A short final walk to Hushe village, where our jeeps meet us. The drive back to Skardu follows the Hushe and Shyok valleys and takes 5–6 hours. A hot shower and hotel bed in Skardu.

Day 19 – Fly Skardu → Islamabad (540m)

The morning flight back to Islamabad depends on the weather. If it is cancelled, we drive the Karakoram Highway and stop overnight in Chilas.

Day 20 – Spare day for delays

Kept free for a cancelled flight or road delay. If everything runs on time, you can explore Islamabad and Rawalpindi, or do a day trip to Taxila or Lahore (extra cost).

Day 21 – Departure

Transfer to Islamabad airport for your onward flight.

Plan B: If Gondogoro La Is Closed

If snow, crevasses or the rescue team's decision close the pass, the group returns down the Baltoro: Concordia → Goro II → Urdukas → Paiju → Jhola → Askole (4–5 days). The buffer days cover most of this, but it may need one extra day.