K2 Base Camp & Gondogoro La trek
Pakistan

A Typical Day On Camping Trek in Pakistan

We provide a comfortable experience on our camping style treks in Pakistan. Our team works hard to support you so that you can relax and enjoy the trek. We provide personal tents, mess tent, kitchen tent and toilet tent(s). The camp will be set up and dismantled by the trek crew. We bring along a cook and kitchen helpers to provide the meals.

The day starts with an early morning mug of tea in the mess tent. Before breakfast you pack your overnight gear into your duffel bag. During breakfast the trek crew pack away the tents. The porters arrange their loads and set off on the trail in the cool of the morning. After breakfast, between 7am and 8am, we start walking.

The pace of the trek is moderate as there is plenty of time in the itinerary to reach the camp for tonight. There will be plenty of time to enjoy the scenery, take photos and explore the local villages. Lunch will be around midday at a spot by the side of the trail. Our cooks prepare lunch for us and the food is usually ready by the time the group arrives.

After lunch we continue the walk and on most days we arrive to camp by mid afternoon. Some of the trek crew would have gone ahead of the group to set up camp and to put up the tents. On arrival to camp you will get a hot drink and biscuits. In the evening our cook will provide a three course meal in the mess tent around 6pm.

After supper the leaders will discuss the plan for the next day. Afterwards people might stay in the mess tent chatting about the day’s events or playing cards. After a tiring day most people head to their tent quite early for the night. Tomorrow is likely to be very similar as today! The only difference is that if we are crossing a high pass or climbing to a summit we leave camp earlier in the morning.

Food provided on Camping Trek in Pakistan

While on a camping style trek in Pakistan we provide tasty and nutritional food. We make sure there is more than enough quantity to go around as trekkers will be hungry after a long day on the trail. Over the years we have worked on increasing the variety of the menus. We have expanded the list of ingredients provided to the cooks so they have more to work with.

For breakfast we provide porridge or cereal, toast or chapatis and eggs. There will be hot drinks including tea, hot chocolate and coffee. We provide fresh coffee from our Bialetti Moka coffee machine.

For lunch we stop at a convenient spot with water at the side of the trail. The cook and kitchen walk ahead of the group in the morning and lunch should be ready shortly after our arrival. After lunch we have time to relax before starting to walk again in the afternoon.

On arrival at camp in the afternoon you have biscuits and a hot drink such as tea or coffee. Around 6pm we serve a three course meal in the mess tent. The starter is often soup with popcorn or poppadoms. We have a range of main dishes and carbohydrates including rice, potatoes or pasta. Most meals are also served with delicious flat breads made fresh by the cooks.

We cater for a variety of dietary requirements. Our meals are suitable for vegetarians. If there is a meat dish then we also provide vegetarian options as standard. During booking we find out if you have any dietary needs and agree upon meal plans before departure. If you have any questions about the food provided please get in touch with us to discuss further.

Communications

We bring a Thuraya satellite phone for logistical, safety and personal use. Personal calls charged at £4 (US$5 or €4.50) per minute and £2 (US$3 €4.50) to send and receive SMS text.

Kit List for K2 Base Camp & Gondogoro La trek

This is the mandatory kit list for the safety of everyone in the group and to ensure a successful trek. You must have the following items tailored for K2 Base Camp & Gondogoro La trek. The group leader will check your gear in Islamabad or Skardu before departure for the trek.

As a reminder, the weather on this trek will vary season to season and day to day as you ascend to higher elevations. At the start of the trek you will experience very hot conditions with temperatures up to 40 Celsius. You experience the coldest temperatures in Broad Peak Base Camp at an altitude of 4,960m. Overnight lows here will be down to around -10 Celsius.

You should bring a rucsac or backpack for gear required during the day. Your pack should contain items such as warm clothes, jacket, camera, water bottles, personal first aid kit and snacks. The weight limit is 5kg. A porter will carry the rest of your personal equipment packed in a duffel or kit bag. The weight limit for your duffel bag is 20kg. Please mark your bag on the outside for easy identification.

Print the kit list and tick items off as you pack them then weigh your kit bag before you come on trek.

Footwear

• B2 rated mountaineering boots. For the day crossing Gondogoro La high pass.
• Walking Boots. A pair of water repellent boots with ankle support. Boots must be in good condition, the best approach is to get new boots and break in before the trek. Over the years we have had several boots fall apart so you should also bring trail shoes as a backup.
• Trail shoes. Used around camp and as a replacement if your walking boots fall apart!
• Sandals. Enclosed sandals are best to protect your feet during river crossings. Required for river crossings as well as two trekking poles.
• Walking socks.

Clothing

• Waterproof and Windproof jacket (with hood) and trousers (goretex or similar). For use if it rains or snows during the trek and in windy conditions.
• Trekking trousers. (eg. Mountain Hardwear Mesa V2 or The North Face Paramount Peak).
• Soft Shell Trousers.
• Long sleeve tops or shirts (not cotton).
• Micro fleece.
• Mid to heavyweight fleece or synthetic/ primaloft top.
• Sleeveless/ gilet or body warmer type fleece / synthetic top. This will help keep your core warm while not bulking when layering up. Gilet used in combination with base layers, other fleeces and down jacket. This provides the most warmth and insulation.
• Thermals or base layer for top & bottom (merino wool or synthetic).
• Medium weight down jacket.

Head and Gloves

• Fleece gloves.
• Mountaineering gloves (eg. Mountain Hardwear Medusa glove or Black Diamond Enforcer or Guide glove).
• Wool or fleece hat.
• Sun hat.
• Bandana or scarf (eg. Buff Headwear).
• Head torch. Bring extra batteries.
• Sunglasses. The lenses need to be Category 4 rated. They should have side protection or wraparound design.

For walking on the glacier

• Trekking poles (Black Diamond with “Flick Lock” are best). Two poles are mandatory for your safety. These will be helpful on steep sections of the trail and river crossings. Also for walking on snow or ice higher up.
• Kahtoola Microspikes or YakTrax Summits. These are for your security when descending passes with snowy or icy conditions. They fit onto your walking boots.
• Gaiters. A pair of knee high gaiters used to keep boots dry if walking through snow or on wet ground.

Climbing equipment for Gondogoro La

• Climbing harness. Plus two 60cm slings, four screw gate carabiners, Figure 8 belay device and 3m of 5mm static cord for prusiks.
• Jumar ascender (eg. Petzl handled ascender).
• Crampons. The best are universal crampons that you can use with trekking boots. Such as Stubai Universals or Kahtoola KTS crampons.
• Mountaineering ice axe with leash.
• Climbing helmet (mandatory as there is a risk of rockfall on the Gondogoro La).

Personal equipment

• Sleeping bag. Overnight lows down to -10 Celsius.
• Fleece or silk liner for your sleeping bag. A liner protects your sleeping bag from getting dirty. Also helps by adding extra insulation to keep you warm at night.
• Sleeping mat (eg.Thermarest). On trek we provide everyone with a foam mat. We recommend two layers for insulation and comfort. We also provide everyone with a pillow.
• Day pack. Recommended size is around 40 litres. You need to have enough space to carry water bottles, camera, snacks and extra clothing and climbing gear. The pack should have a good waist belt. It is also a good idea to bring a rain cover to keep the contents dry.
• Stuff sacks for keeping your gear dry and organised. Or even better are fold dry bags such as from Exped.
• Two water bottles. Nalgene wide mouth bottles are the best. You may use a hydration pack lower down but the tube will freeze in the cold so ensure you still have two water bottles.
• Pee bottle. Recommended as means you do not have to get up to find the toilet tent at night! For men you can use an old water bottle. For women take a look at SheWee.
• Sunscreen and lip salve with a high SPF.
• Water purification tablets (Pristine, Biox Aqua or Aqua Mira).
• Favourite snack food.
• Books and cards etc.
• Camera with spare batteries and memory cards.
• Insurance certificate.
• Earplugs (optional).
• Baby wipes (optional).
• Hand sanitizer. Keep this in your day pack for use after a toilet break during the trek or before eating any snacks. We provide sanitizer for use before meals.

Travelling

• Duffel bag for your personal gear on the trek. A porter will carry your bag. Rugged and waterproof made of a plastic material. Size 100-120 litres. Eg. Mountain Equipment 100l or Rab 120l. Bring a small combination padlock to secure the bag.
• Travel clothes. You will need casual clothing for air travel days and time spent in Islamabad and Skardu.
• Toiletry bag with soap, travel towel, toothbrush etc. We provide toilet paper while on trek.

Personal first aid kit

We provide a comprehensive group first aid kit.  Please bring personal medications and other items you might use such as:

• Any personal medications.
• Blister treatment (Compeed patches are the best)
• Rehydration powder (eg Dioralyte).
• Analgesics (paracetamol, ibuprofen and aspirin).
• Plasters and zinc oxide tape.
• Throat lozenges.
• Diamox (helps with acclimatisation).

Risk assessment for K2 Base Camp & Gondogoro La trek

You should be aware trekking in a developing country involves a risk of personal injury or death. You must accept these risks and be responsible for your own actions and involvement. Adventure travel requires an open and flexible attitude. You may experience extreme conditions and unpredictable weather. There could be last-minute changes to the itinerary beyond our control. The ability to work in a team is an important aspect of our trips.

We have performed a threat and risk assessment for our Gondogoro La trek. Our trips have a degree of risk. This is part of the attraction of adventure travel and why so many people choose to join this type of holiday. By identifying the hazards we assess the level of risk. We have control measures in place to reduce this happening or to reduce the impact.

Our risk assessment is available to clients on request. We have listed below a summary of the significant risks and hazards identified by us:

• Personal security such as terrorism or kidnapping.
• Falls and trips resulting in physical injury e.g. slipping on ice or falling off the path.
• Altitude illness including but is not limited to AMS, HACE, and HAPE.
• Getting lost or becoming separated from the group e.g. at Concordia or K2 Base Camp in a whiteout.
• Severe bad weather and conditions when camping e.g. at Broad Peak Base Camp.
• Climatic injuries (dehydration, sunburn, heat exhaustion, hypothermia or heat stroke). It will be very hot for the first few days of the trek with temperatures of up to 40 Celsius.
• Crossing a river with no bridge resulting in drowning and/ or a fall.  There are several river crossings on the trail.
• Rockfall and landslides e.g. on the jeep track Skardu via Askole to Jhola and sections of the trek.
• Snow and ice avalanches.
• Lightning strike.
• Wildlife, pack animals (e.g. donkeys or horses) or stray dogs. Pack animals can knock people off the path. Dogs can attack and bite. Discuss rabies vaccination with your doctor.
• Earthquake.
• Risk of fire in the hotel.
• Endemic local diseases. Discuss vaccinations with your doctor before departure.
• Physiological injury. Such as heart attack, appendicitis, hernia, toothache, etc. in a remote area.
• Road traffic accident. The drive along the jeep track Skardu to Askole and onto Jhola has sections with a high degree of exposure.
• Flight accident on Islamabad – Skardu – Islamabad route.
• Contaminated food and/ or water.

This trip visits a remote area. You are away from the usual emergency services and medical facilities. Evacuation for a serious injury requiring hospitalisation could take up to several days. This delay could impede your ensuing recovery. Helicopters are the usual means of evacuation. They are not always available or hindered by poor weather and flying conditions.

Weather and conditions for K2 Base Camp

K2 trek has a wide range of temperatures. This depends on the altitude, weather and time of day. In the mountains between 1,000m and 3,500m the nights will be cool around 5 Celsius. During the day temperatures can rise on a sunny day to 40 Celsius. Bring lots of water, sunhat and sunscreen.  At higher altitudes temperatures range from about 20 Celsius to -10 Celsius.

The trekking season in Pakistan is from early July to end of August. From our experience of running trips in Karakoram the best time is mid July to mid August. It is likely you will get some rain while on trek when pulses of monsoon clouds push to the north. You should expect to get one third of the trek with sun, one third with cloudy conditions and one third with rain.

Islamabad is hot and humid in July and August as this is the monsoon season. Temperatures range from 30 to 46 Celsius with high humidity. The temperatures in Skardu at 2,340m will be cooler and is dryer as in the rain shadow of Nanga Parbat.

Suggested reading and maps

Maps

Karakoram Trekking Map 1:175,000. Published by TerraQuest- the best map to buy for K2 Base Camp and Snow Lake treks.

K2 and Baltoro Glacier Satellite Image Map. 1:80,000. (Geosystems)- this is a superb satellite photography. Available at Stanfords, London.

Karakoram geographical sketch map Sheets 1 & 2. Swiss Foundation for Alpine Research, Zurich. Scale 1:250,000- shows the whole Karakoram range including Ladakh in India. A copy of this will be available to look at on trek.

The Karakoram Highway by Open Road Guides, England Scale: 1:1,000,000

Books 

K2: Triumph and Tragedy by Jim Curran

The Endless Knot: K2, Mountain of Dreams and Destiny by Kurt Diemberger & Audrey Salkeld

Clouds from Both Sides An Autobiography by Julie Tullis

Regions of the Heart: The Triumph and Tragedy of Alison Hargreaves by David Rose and Ed Douglas

Above the clouds by Anatoli Boukreev

The Last Step: The American Ascent of K2 by Rick Ridgeway

Quest for Kim: In Search of Kipling's Great Game by Peter Hopkirk