Archives: Trips

K2 Expedition 8611m

Karakoram in Turkish means “Black Rubble”. In 1856 a British officer, Capt. Montgomery, surveyed a number of peaks in the Baltoro region of the Karakoram from a distance of about 200km. He noted a cluster of high peaks and named them K1, K2, K3 upto K37 using the prefix “K” from Karakoram.

In 1861 the area was further surveyed by Col. Godwin Austin who recognized K2 as the highest peak of the range and measured it to be 8619m—only three meters more than its official height (1988) of 8616m. Its local name is Chogori, which means Great Mountain.

The route to K2 goes through the Baltoro region of Baltistan. There are several high peaks which rise from the world’s largest temperate zone glacier. Only the highest or more prominent peaks have been named or climbed. An incredible nineteen of these peaks tower over 7600m while four of them are 8000ers..

Thus, K2, the second highest mountain in the world towers majestically above Concordia with the sweeping Godwin Austin Glacier offering an ice highway towards it. It was first climbed by Italians in 1954.

     Detailed Trip Itinerary

Day 01 : Islamabad: Arrive Islamabad.
Day 02 : Islamabad: Welcome reception at Alpine Club of Pakistan.
Day 03 : Skardu/Chilas: Fly to Skardu. In case of cancellation of flight drive to Chilas (480 km).
Day 04 : Chilas/Skardu: Day free at Skardu. If your are driving, complete road journey (07–08 hrs) to Skardu (275 km) En-route has good view of Nanga Parbat (8125m).
Day 05 : Askole (3000m):By jeeps drive to Askole (6-7 hrs).
Day 06-12: Trek to K2 Base Camp.
Day 13-77: 66 days for acclimatization and climbing.
Day 78-81: Trek back to Hushe via Gondogoro La and drive back to Skardu.
Day 82 : Islamabad/Chilas: Fly to Islamabad. In case of flight cancellation drive to Chilas.
Day 83 : Islamabad: Leisure day at Islamabad. In case of driving, complete rod journey from Chilas to Islamabad.
Day 84 : Islamabad: Farewell meeting at Alpine Club of Pakistan.
Day 85 :Fly Out: Transfer to airport for your return flight home

Services Included:

Liaison with ministry of tourism in Islamabad for climbing permit process, providing measurements of the appointed Liaison officer for his prescribed kit.
Process of import/export permit from ministry of tourism.
Clearance of cargo before arrival of the team and its storage.
Assistance upon arrival/departure.
Briefing/Debriefing at Ministry of Tourism.
Hotel accommodation in Rawalpindi/Islamabad, Chilas and Skardu.
All meals during trek and at B.C. as per itinerary.
Porterage of 75 kg per person of expedition equipment and high altitude food etc. to the B.C. and 50 kg per person on return from BC.
Road transfers between airport/hotel and within city as per itinerary.
Sleeping tents, mattresses, mess, kitchen and toilet tent with tables/field stools and camping ground fees.
Kitchen equipment, crockery, cutlery, fuel and related community gear.
Wages and basic kit of guide, sirdar, cook and assistant (s).
Insurance of our field staff and low altitude porters (except helicopter rescue).
Porterage at airports, hotels, toll taxes and parking fee etc.
Mail handling/forwarding to BC/overseas except postage charges.
Reconfirmation of air tickets.
Hiring of HAPs, mail runner (s) and any other crew as per requirement. (Wages and kit to be arranged by the team).

Three Majestic Mountains Bike Tour

We begin our journey in Islamabad and proceed to the beautiful alpine lush green Kaghan valley. This valley rivals any in the American Rockies and the European Alps. From here we drive over the Babusar Pass and enter another realm of the Indus gorge.

The Deosai Plains lie between the Indus River and the southern extension of the Himalayan Range, whose most famous peak is Nanga Parbat (8125m). At an average height of 3800m, the undulating, green, flower-filled meadows are surrounded by snow capped peaks and the drive through these plains is a soul stirring experience Deosai Lake, or Sheosar Lake from the Shina language meaning “Blind lake” (Sheo – Blind, Sar – lake) is in the park. The lake, at an elevation of 4,142 metres (13,589 ft), is one of the highest lakes in the world. Its length is 2.3 kilometers (7,500 ft), width 1.8 kilometers (5,900 ft) and average depth 40 metres (130 ft). It is located near the Chilim Valley on the Deosai Plains.

From Skardu we drive along the Indus Highway towards Hunza. Some say that the journey on the Indus High way is much more spectacular than even the legendary KKH. From Hunza we make an excursion to touch China at the highest paved road border crossing in the world. This is Khunjerab Pass and is located at a height of 4833 m. From Hunza we travel westwards to the Hindukush mountains, home of the Kafir Kalash. These pagan tribes claim descent from Alexander the Great.

The Deosai Plains are also home to the Himalayan Ibex, Red Fox, Golden Marmot, Gray Wolf, the Ladakh Urial, the Snow Leopard, and over 124 resident and migratory birds. Birds in the park include the Golden Eagle, Lammergeier, Griffon Vulture, Laggar Falcon, Peregrine Falcon, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk and Snowcock.Astore Rama Lake is a lake near Astore in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. It is on the top of the beautiful Astore Valley, covered with oak trees and greenery. RamaValley is thickly forested with huge pine, cedar, fir and juniper trees. The valley is about 3300 meters (10800 feet) above sea level and thus is snow covered for 7-8 months of the year. In summer, it becomes lush green; conditions favored by local shepherds.From here one can trek to east side of the Nanga Parbat (also known as the Killer Mountain), the world’s 8th highest mountain.

     Detailed Trip Itinerary

Islamabad – Peshawar via Khyber Pass – Chital – Kalash- Shandur – Phandar Valley – Gilgit – karimabad Hunza via Atta abad lake – Khunjarab Pass – Gulmit – Gilgit – Skardu – Khapulo – Skardu – Deosai plains – Astore Rama Lake – Fairy meadows – Babusar pass To Naran – Islamabad.

Desosai Plains Bike Tour

Bicycling on the winding roads of the Himalaya, Karakoram and Hindukush valleys would heighten your experience as you will have an occasion of a tidies uphill paddling and then abruptly ride downhill, passing through alpine forests, open valleys, along the rivers and lakes and lush meadows. Meet friendly people on the way as you may be offered with a local taste of tea and perhaps food.

We can arrange your bicycle tour with a van to follow you so that you may at any time climb aboard the vehicle in case you are tired or the weather disallow you to continue bicyclin. This trek is for real mountain bike freaks, physically well prepared people! Experience in mountain biking is a must. ..

     Detailed Trip Itinerary

Karakoram Highway Bike Tour

Karakoram is a Turkish language it means ‘crumbling rock’ is an incredible feat of engineering. The original track started from Xian in China, Karakoram highway, connecting the Northern Areas of Pakistan to the ancientSilk Road, runs approximately 1,300 km from Kashgar, to Havelian, located in the Abbottabad District of Pakistan.

As it became popular, the route was used by the invaders, raiders, explorers, hunters, missionaries and philosophers. Buddhism, Islam and Christianity came to this region through the Silk Route. The road has also given mountaineers and trekkers easier access to the many high mountains in the area. High mountain ranges and glaciers are visible from the road, which also passes through green valleys of great natural beauty. Rock art and petroglyphs are found all along the road.

The Silk Road construction started from 1966 and completed in 1978(20 years)During construction 810 Pakistani and 82 Chinese workers lost their lives, mostly in landslides and falls, while building the Karakoram Highway. .

The Karakoram Highway (KKH) follows one of the principal Silk Road routes and is the backbone of this stunning mountain bike holiday. The KKH is a remarkable engineering achievement. Pakistanis proudly refer to the road as the Eighth Wonder of the World. Built in conjunction with the Chinese, the KKH was carved into the Indus Valley above the furious torrent of the Indus River, right up through the Hunza Valley and over the mighty Karakoram Mountains via Khunjerab Pass into China.

The Hunza Nagar offers a wide variety of mountain scenery, peaks above seventhousand meters including such giant as Ultar, Spantik, Diran and 7,788 meter Rakaposhi. The Valley embraces enormous glaciers that tumble down to the roadsides, and tiny villages with their carefully terraced and irrigated fields clinging precariously to the valley slopes. The barren upland plateau of the Pamirs that is straddled by the Khunjerab Pass eventually gives way to the fertile fields and apricot orchards that made the Valley world famous. This incredible diversity of landscape is this mountain bike tour’s great appeal, and the reason why the upper KKH offers perhaps the most rewarding biking anywhere in the world. Himalayan Range.

     Detailed Trip Itinerary

Islamabad – Gilgit – Hunza – Gulmit – Sost – Khunjerab Pass – Passu – Hunza Valley- Hoper – Hunza – Rest Day – Gilgit – Naltar – Gilgit – Islamabad

Deosai Plains Jeep Safari Tour

The Deosai Plains lie between the Indus River and the southern extension of the Himalayan Range, whose most famous peak is NangaParbat(8125m). At an average height of 3800m, the undulating, green, flower-filled meadows are surrounded by snow capped peaks and the drive through these plains is a soul stirring experience. Deosai National Park is at an average elevation of 4,114 metres (13,497 ft) above the sea level, making the Deosai Plains the second highest plateau in the world, after the adjacent Tibetan Plateau. The park protects an area of 3,000 square kilometers (1,200 sq mi). It is well known for its rich flora and fauna of the Karakoram-West Tibetan Plateau alpine steppe ecoregion. In the spring season it is covered by sweeps wildflowers and a widevariety of butterflies.

The Deosai Plains and Deosai National Parkcan be accessed via two routes. One is through Skardu City and the second through Astore District .The road from Astore starts from Chilum, continues through the plains and is asphalt road till the main lake before climbing to Deosai. The route from Skardu is via an unpaved road which can be hiked in two days. By jeep it is only a matter of hours. Deosai Lake is located in Gilgit-Baltistan. The beauty of Himalayas is visible every where around Deosai..

     Detailed Trip Itinerary

Fairy Meadows Tour

Fairy Meadows named by German climbers (German Märchenwiese, “fairy tale meadows”) and locally known as Joot, is a grassland near one of the base camp sites of the Nanga Parbat, located in Diamer District, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. At an altitude of about 3,300 meters above the sea level, it serves as the launching point for trekkers summiting on the Rakhiot face of the Nanga Parbat. In 1995, the Government of Pakistan declared Fairy Meadows a National Park.

Fairy Meadows is approachable by a twelve kilometer-long jeepable trek starting from Raikhot bridge on Karakoram Highway to the village Tato. Further from Tato, it takes about three to four hours hiking by a five kilometer trek to Fairy Meadows. The grassland is located in the Raikhot valley, at one end of the Raikhot glacier which originates from the Nanga Parbat and feeds a stream that finally falls in the River Indus. Since 1992, locals have operated camping sites in the area.

At the end of the trek you will be driving on the 4137 meters high Babusar pass and descent down to Chilas, which lies, on the bank of Indus River. Visit the ancient Rock carving of to 6th century A.D. Trek up to the enchanting green pasture of Fairy Meadows, lies on the foot of North face of Nanga Parbat 8125 meters. Explore the scenic Fairy meadows covered with thick high altitude pine and birch forest. Day hike to the Base camp, offered the magnificent view of biggest mountain face in the world.

     Detailed Trip Itinerary

ITINERARY 2

TRIP GALLERY

Nanga Parbat 8126m Expedition

Nanga Parbat, Sanskrit for “Naked Mountain” is so named because some of its slopes are so steep that they are bereft of vegetation and snow. According to the local old legend, Nanga Parbat is also called Diamir, which means abode of fairies. It is believed that the Queen of fairies lives there in a castle made of solidice crystal is guarded by gigantic snow serpents and frogs. The earlier disasters in climbing this mountain are attributed to the displeasure of fairies. Nanga Parbat is not a single peak but consists of 20km long series of peaks and ridges culminating in an ice crest of (8125m). Its South Face known as Rupal Face is (5000m) high, while the North or Raikot Face plunging over (7000m) from the summit to the Indus forms one of the world’s deepest gorge. This expedition takes us to the West Side, which is known as Diamir Face.

Nanga Parbat is the second highest mountain of Pakistan and ninth highest in the world. It is not part of the Karakoram as it is the western extremity of the mighty Himalaya. It is separated from the Karakoram by the mighty Indus River. Since the first disastrous British expedition led by A. F. Mummery in 1895, mountaineers have tried to ascend its summit through different routes but few lucky ones have succeeded.

In 1934 four German climbers and six porters perished in a storm. In 1937 disaster 18 Sherpas and 12 climbers were buried alive by avalanche that covered their camp. In fact Nanga Parbat has claimed more lives than any other 8000er relative to the number of attempts, hence the frightening nickname of Killer Mountain.
It was first climbed in 1953 by a joint Austrian – German Expedition. Hermann Buhl made the final ascent in a tortuous 41 hours solo ordeal without oxygen. Italian mountaineer Reinhold Messner climbed the south face (Rupal Face) with his brother Gunther in 1970, descending by the Diamir face, where Gunther lost his life.

     Detailed Trip Itinerary

Day 01 :Arrive Islamabad. Welcome reception at Alpine Club of Pakistan.
Day 02 :Briefing at the Ministry of Tourism.
Day 03 :Drive by coach to Chilas (480km) on Karakoram Highway.
Day 04-05:Drive to Halale by jeep and trek to Diamori B.C.
Day 06–45:40 days for acclimatization and climbing.
Day 46-47:Trek down to Halale and drive by jeep to Chilas.
Day 48 :Drive on KKH to Islamabad. Overnight at hotel.
Day 49: Farewell meeting at Alpine Club of Pakistan.
Day 50 :Transfer to airport for your return home bound flight

Expedition to Gasherbrum Peak

Gasherbrum I peaks and II stands side by side. Both the peaks have same base camp even the higher camps are common until camp II. Therefore for us ground handling and services to base camp is same for the either of the peaks. Choose one of the either peak or both by paying additional royalty fee. Rest leaves on us and enjoy your climbing.

Climbers have described it as an impressive but achievable peak, much like Cho Oyu but with a gradual walk up the Baltoro Glacier to its BC that is said to be the best trek in the world. Its climb provides not too hard and a perfect mountaineering experience for Himalaya beginners. G2 stands in the majestic neighborhood of Karakoram giants like and K2 in a close line-up of world`s highest peaks in the amphitheater of Concordia that has no parallel in the world.

In 1889-1929 an international expedition headed by the Swiss G.O. Dyhrenfurth studied possible ways to the top of the Gasherbrum 2 and got to 6250m on the south flank. On July 8, 1956 the first ascent via the southwest spur was made by an Austrian expedition headed by F. Moravec. Fritz Moravec along with Josef Larch and Hans Willenpart from a bivouac at 7700m via the east spur to the summit on 7th.

     Detailed Trip Itinerary

Day 01 : Arrive Islamabad, Welcome reception
Day 02 : Travel to Chilas
Day 03 : Chilas- Skardu Road jouney 7-8 hours
Day 04 : Askole : Drive to Askole 6-7 hours
Day 05 – 17 : Trek to G-II Base Camp
Day 18- 45 : 28 days for acclimatization and climbing.
Day 46 – 48 : Back to Hushe via Gondogoro La and Skardu
Day 49 : Drive to Islamabad
Day 50 : Farewell meet. Transfer to air port.

Broad Peak Expedition

The Broad peak is the 3rd highest peak in the Karakoram Range and the 4th highest in Pakistan. The peak is located on the west end of the Baltoro glacier. Despite of its massive height of 8,047 meters (26, 400 feet ) the peak remained escaped from the serious attention of the mountaineers for long period.
According to the survey record of Pakistan it is mentioned as PK 23/52 A Broad Peak. Because of its broad top the locals named it ‘Falchan Brak’ means Broad Peak. This beautiful mountain of Pakistan repulsed scores of expeditions from various countries of the world. ….It was, however, scaled for the first time on June 9, 1957, by the Austrian.

 Because of its broad top the locals named it ‘Falchan Brak’ means Broad Peak. This beautiful mountain of Pakistan repulsed scores of expeditions from various countries of the world. ….It was, however, scaled for the first time on June 9, 1957, by the Austrian…

The first ascent of Broad Peak was made between June 8 and 9, 1957 by Fritz Wintersteller, Marcus Schmuck, Kurt Diemberger, and Hermann Buhl of an Austrian expedition led by Marcus Schmuck. A first attempt by the team was made on May 29 where Fritz Wintersteller and Kurt Diemberger reached the forepeak (8,030 m). This was also accomplished without the aid of supplemental oxygen, high altitude porters nor base camp support.

On the same expedition, Marcus Schmuck and Fritz Wintersteller made a flash first ascent of Skil Brum peak (7,360 m) on June 19, 1957 in pure Alpine style in 53 hours. Hermann Buhl fell to his death when he and Diemberger attempted to climb nearby Chogolisa (7,654 m) on June 27, 1957. In July 2007 an Austrian mountaineering team climbed Broad Peak and retrieved the corpse of Markus Kronthaler, who had died on the mountain one year before, from over 8,000 meters.

     Detailed Trip Itinerary

Day 01 : Arrive Islamabad, Welcome reception.
Day 02 :  Travel to Chilas
Day 03 : Chilas- Skardu Road jouney 7-8 hours
Day 04 : Sight seen in Skardu final packing for theExpedition.
Day 05 : Drive by 4 x 4 jeep to Askole
Day 06 : Trek to Jolha
Day 07 : Trek to Paiju
Day 08 : Trek to Urdukus
Day 09 : Trek to Goro II
Day 10 : Trek to Concordia
Day 11 : Trek to Broad peak base camp.
Day 12-42 : Climbing activities.
Day 43 : Trek to Concordia, over night in camp.
Day 44 : Trek to Ali Camp.
Day 45 : Trek to Kheuspang
Day 46 : Trek to Dalspangpa
Day 47 : Trek to Shaicho
Day 48 : Trek to Hushe Walking distance is 3 hours. At Hushe jeeps are waiting.
Day 49 : Drive to Chilas overnight in hotel.
Day 50 : Drive to Islamabad, overnight in hotel.
Day 51 : Debriefing in Ministry of Tourism
Day 52 : Fly back to home

Diran Peak Trek