Karakoram Trekking

TRAVEL BETWEEN ISLAMABAD AND SKARDU / GILGIT WILL BE BY AIR AND NOT BY ROAD, EVEN IF THIS CAUSES DELAYS IN OUR ITINERARY

A journey along the ‘highway of ice’ that connects the two ancient kingdom of Hunza and Baltistan. The Biafo and the Hispar glaciers are linked at the shallow pass of the Hispar La, cutting a non-technical route through the mountains in the heart of the Karakorum. This great trek will surely be on any serious mountain trekker’s hit list, and really does take you to one of the wildest places in the Karakoram.

Eric Shipton described the 16km wide Snow Lake at the head of the Biafo glacier as ‘the last blank on the map’. The Latok group of peaks are among the many spectacular jagged spires that tower above the glacier, helping to create one of the finest mountain views in the world.

Trekking up a glacier is demanding – sometimes walking on rocky moraine, sometimes through grassy valleys between the lateral moraines and the valley sides, and at the higher altitudes on pristine white ice and then snow, where we rope up for security in the crevassed areas. The highlight is camping on the Hispar La itself – with plenty of time to absorb the scenery into minds and cameras. At the end of the trek we descend into the spectacular Hunza valley, dominated by Rakaposhi (7788m) and home to the friendly and hospitable Hunza people, who are also renowned for their longevity believed to be linked to their diet of apricots!

Dates & Prices

Itinerary

Days 1/2 Depart UK, arriving Islamabad the next day and transfer to the hotel for a few hours’ sleep. After an early breakfast we return to the airport for the flight to Skardu, which usually departs mid-morning. Given good weather this is perhaps the most spectacular commercial flight in the world, with magnificent views of Nanga Parbat the ninth highest mountain in the world. The flight however will not operate in poor weather, and you must be prepared for a wait in Islamabad of the flight is cancelled.

Day 3/4 After a free day in Skardu,we travel by Jeep to Askole, the last village between us and K2, This journey takes about 7 hours and is on very rough narrow tracks often blocked / damaged by landslides.

Day 5 Initially we follow the K2 basecamp route along a dirt track towards the Biafo Glacier. Before the crossing of the Biafo River, our track veers left, climbs over a rocky shoulder onto the moraine and onto the glacier. We head of the left side to the grassy campsite behind the lateral moraine. 7 to 8 hours walking.

Day 6 A challenging day walking up the rocky medial moraine in the centre of the glacier before returning to the left bank to another grassy campsite. Latok-I (7145m), Latok II (7108m) and Latok III (6949m) are all visible from here.  5 hours walking.

Day 7 Back to the centre of the glacier to walk, more easily now, up a broad strip of ice before crossing to the right bank to camp. From here we can see up to the pass. 6 hours walking.

Day 8Our first acclimatisation day with the option to head up the ridge behind camp for views of the Latok group and the Ogre. This is Ibex country so keep your eyes peeled! Walking optional.

Day 9 A tricky descent takes us back down onto the glacier where we can enjoy more relatively flat, even walking. Soon we come across our first crevasses where a rope may be required for security. Great views of the Ogre (7813m), Hispa La and Snow Lake. 6 hours walking.

Day 10 We wend our way through a network of crevasses, roping up as and when required, to reach the southern edge of the mighty Snow Lake which is over 16 km wide.  5 to 6 hours walking.

Day 11 Our second acclimatisation day to rest and soak up the scenery of go and explore the vastness of Snow Lake. Walking optional.

Day 12 We cross Snow Lake, becoming insignificant dots in its vastness, and ascend gently to the Hispar La where we will camp for the night. More stunning views greet us - back across Snow Lake to the Ogre and down the other side to the peaks above the Hunza Valley.  5 to 6 hours walking.

Day 13 From our bird's eye camp we start or descent down the Hispar Glacier. There are more crevasses to negotiate before getting onto the flatter glacier below. We cross the Kani Basa glacier and make for another fine grassy campsite off to the side. 7 hours walking.

Day 14/17 For the next four days we make our way down the Hispar Glacier. The walking is mixed (we should know that by now!), the hardest sections usually being where side glaciers have to be crossed. Sometimes we will follow the centre of the glacier, at other times the lateral moraine ridges. Glacial streams flow fastest late in the day and it can be an interesting challenge to get across them. There are a number of grassy campsites we can use, so we don't specify exactly where we stay as conditions vary from year to year. We eventually reach greenery and civilisation at Hispar village, where, depending on the condition of the road we may meet our vehicles or we may need to walk on down to Huru. 5 to 7 hours walking per day.

Day 18 A couple of hours drive takes us to the Karakorum Highway (KKH) where we turn right and head up to the Hunza 'capital' of Karimabad. After a long awaited shower we can relax in the afternoon and enjoy this stunning valley, famed for its orchards of apricots and incredibly friendly people.

Day 19 Free time and sightseeing in Hunza and Karimabad. We can visit the 13th century forts at Alti and Baltit perched in dramatic positions above the Hunza River.

Day 20 We either  fly to Islamabad from Gilgit or if the flight is cancelled drive to Chilas.

Day 21 Free day in Islamabad or drive to Islamabad via the spectacular Barbusa Pass.

Days 22/23 Depart Islamabad, arriving home the following day.

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