Day 1: Arrival in Islamabad and meet-up at the Hotel Envoy Continental in Islamabad
Free day for the members while the expedition leader takes care of the last administrative formalities the authorities.
Days 2-3: Either two days bus trip to Skardu with overnight stay in Chilas or the conditions allow a flight to Skardu. But the bus ride has its charm and leads us through the varied landscape of Pakistan to the Indus Valley, where we will take the legendary Karakorum Highway. On the second day shortly after Chilas we see in good weather the Nanga Parbat with the Rhakiot flank mastered by Hermann Buhl from the road. The drive on the second day is a bit shorter. Overnight stay in a hotel in Skardu.
Day 4: We spend the day in the small but lively town of Skardu at 2300m. The carriers are organized, the luggage loaded, and you can run some last errands or go on a hike.
Day 5: Day trip by jeep through wild, stunning scenery and canyons to Askole at 3050m. For those who have never been here before, this will probably be the most exciting and thrilling ride of their lives! Overnight stay in tents in the small village of Askole.
Days 6-12: An impressive walk through what we consider the most spectacular mountain valley in the world. We spend each night in a tent. On the first day it is relatively flat with a very dry and barren landscape on the way to Jhula at 3100m. On the second day we reach the last small settlement of Paiju at an altitude of about 3500m. If required, we will lay in a day of rest there, which the carriers need in order to prepare for the Baltoro glacier. On the fourth day we will already be on the legendary Baltoro glacier. We reach our camp at Urdukas next to the glacier at about 4150m. And just across from the Trango towers! An incredibly impressive view! On the fifth day we pass the beautiful Muztagh Tower on the way to our next camp Goro II at around 4200m. Because of the spectacular views, the walks are very entertaining here.
You have to force yourself to keep your eyes on the ground. On the sixth day we reach the famous Concordia confluence at about 4600m where so many scientists, explorers and mountaineering legends have set up camp over the years. All have left their unmistakable traces. We see here two of the most beautiful mountains on this planet, Masherbrum and Gasherbrum IV. Also Broad Peak, K2 and Hermann Buhl’s fateful mountain – the Chogolisa. All are prominent in this stunning 360 degree panorama. On the last day we reach our K2 base camp at the Godwin-Austen Glacier.