K2 & Gondogoro La Trek
- 23 days, Islamabad to Islamabad
- Gondogoro La, 5,585 m
- Fixed rope, harness and crampons
- Small groups, maximum 10
- A true traverse of the range
- Hotels either end, tents between
- Late June to early August
- 23-day itinerary
About this tour
This is the K2 base camp trek without the anticlimax of walking back the way you came. Everything as far as Concordia is the same — the Braldu gorge, the Baltoro, the Trango Towers, the Cathedrals, K2 at the head of the Godwin-Austen and the Gilkey Memorial at 5,150 metres. Then instead of turning round, the route crosses the Gondogoro La at 5,585 metres and drops into the Hushe valley on the other side of the range, finishing among apricot trees in a village three days' walk from where the glacier ended.
The pass is what changes the character of the trip. It is glaciated on both sides, climbed before dawn on fixed rope with a harness, jumar and crampons, and the descent on the Hushe side is steep and long. A qualified high-altitude crew fixes the rope and works the pass for the group, and the crossing is only made in settled weather with a good freeze — but you should be clear that this is mountaineering-adjacent ground, not a walking pass, and it is the reason this trek is a step up from the standard route.
The reward is the finest single viewpoint in the Karakoram. From the top of the Gondogoro La, in the early light, K2, Broad Peak, Gasherbrum I and Gasherbrum II stand behind you and Laila Peak, Masherbrum and the Charakusa peaks in front. There is nowhere else on earth you can see four eight-thousanders and that skyline in one turn of the head.
A full camping expedition throughout: permits and park fees, licensed guide, cook and crew, porters for all group loads, the high-altitude crew for the pass, all meals and hotels either end. Groups are capped at ten because the pass takes time per person on the rope. If the pass is out of condition we return down the Baltoro, and the practical notes explain what that means for you.
Trip highlights
The view from the pass
K2, Broad Peak and both Gasherbrums one way; Laila Peak, Masherbrum and the Charakusa the other.
Concordia and K2 base camp
The full classic route to 5,150 m at the foot of the Abruzzi Spur, and the Gilkey Memorial.
A traverse, not an out-and-back
Two valleys, two roadheads, and not a step of the same ground walked twice.
Finishing in Hushe
Down into green fields and apricot trees, in the home village of Pakistan's high-altitude porters.
Route
- 1 Start
- 2 Stop in order
- 8 Finish
- Route travelled
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Dates & availability
| Departs | Returns | Length | Price | Deposit | Places |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Jun 2027Summer | 17 Jul 2027 | 23 days | US$ 2,855 | — | Available |
| 16 Jul 2027Summer | 7 Aug 2027 | 23 days | US$ 2,855 | — | Available |
Dates not working? Every trip here also runs as a private departure — tell us your window and we will build it around you.
At a glance
- 23 days, Islamabad to IslamabadEight days to Concordia, a base camp day, the pass, and out through Hushe to Skardu.
- Gondogoro La, 5,585 mFour eight-thousanders behind you and Laila Peak, Masherbrum and the Charakusa in front, in one view.
- Fixed rope, harness and cramponsA glaciated pass climbed before dawn. Not a walking pass — the crew fixes and works it for the group.
- Small groups, maximum 10Licensed guide, cook, kitchen crew, porters, and a high-altitude crew dedicated to the crossing.
- A true traverse of the rangeIn at Askole up the Baltoro, out at Hushe down the Gondogoro — no ground walked twice.
- Hotels either end, tents betweenIslamabad, Chilas and Skardu in hotels; dome tents for fifteen nights, several of them on ice.
- Late June to early AugustTwo departures a summer. The pass needs a hard overnight freeze, which narrows the window further.
Day by day
Day 1Arrival in Islamabad
Met at the airport and transferred to the hotel. Trek briefing and a kit check in the evening — particularly footwear, because boots that will not take a crampon cannot cross the pass. Dinner together.
Day 2Islamabad to Chilas
A full day north on the Karakoram Highway, about 460 kilometres through the Kaghan valley or up the Indus gorge depending on the season. Night in Chilas.
Day 3Chilas to Skardu
East along the Indus past the confluence of the three ranges and up the gorge to Skardu at 2,500 metres. Night in a hotel; the Gondogoro permit is finalised here.
Day 4Skardu to Askole
Jeeps up the Shigar and the Braldu gorge, six to seven hours, to Askole at about 3,050 metres — the last village on the Baltoro road. Camp beside the fields; porters engaged this evening.
Day 5Askole to Jhola
Six to seven hours down the Braldu valley, crossing the snout of the Biafo glacier, to camp at Jhola at about 3,200 metres. Long in hours, flat in height.
Day 6Jhola to Paiyu
Five to six hours up the valley, hot and dusty, with the Trango group showing itself during the afternoon. Paiyu at about 3,450 metres has water and the last trees. Rest afternoon while loads are prepared.
Day 7Paiyu to Khoburtse
Up the Baltoro snout — the steepest hour of the whole trek — and then along the ablation valley and out onto moraine. Five to six hours to Khoburtse at about 3,930 metres, beneath the Trango Towers.
Day 8Khoburtse to Urdukas
A short three to four hours to the grass terraces of Urdukas at 4,130 metres, with the Cathedrals directly opposite. Deliberately short: this is the acclimatisation step, and the camp view is the best on the glacier.
Day 9Urdukas to Goro II
Six to seven hours out across the middle of the glacier, Muztagh Tower ahead and Masherbrum south, to camp on the ice at Goro II at about 4,380 metres. Cold as soon as the sun leaves the glacier.
Day 10Goro II to Concordia
Three to four hours, and the moment the trek turns. The valley opens and K2 stands at the head of the Godwin-Austen. Concordia at 4,600 metres, with Broad Peak, the Gasherbrums and Chogolisa around it. Two nights here.
Day 11Concordia to K2 Base Camp and back
Seven to nine hours out and back up the Godwin-Austen to base camp at about 5,150 metres at the foot of the Abruzzi Spur, with expedition camps in season. The Gilkey Memorial is on the spur above — the plates carry the names of more than eighty people who died on K2. Back to Concordia.
Day 12Concordia to Ali Camp
Four to five hours south up the Vigne glacier to Ali Camp at about 5,000 metres, directly below the pass. An early dinner and an early night, because tomorrow starts in the dark. The guide and the high-altitude crew brief the crossing in detail this afternoon.
Day 13Ali Camp over the Gondogoro La to Khuispang
Up at one or two in the morning and onto the pass while the snow is still frozen — harness, crampons and jumar on the fixed rope, with the crew working the line. Sunrise from the col at 5,585 metres, and the view that this trek is built around: four eight-thousanders behind, Laila Peak and Masherbrum in front. The descent on the Hushe side is steep, long and fixed in its upper section, dropping to Khuispang at about 4,700 metres. Ten to twelve hours in total, and the hardest day of the trip by a wide margin.
Day 14Khuispang to Saicho
Down the Gondogoro glacier and out of the ice, five to six hours, to camp among juniper and birch at Saicho at about 3,330 metres. Green, warm and full of running water after two weeks of rock and ice.
Day 15Saicho to Hushe
The last walking day — three to four hours down the valley to Hushe at 3,050 metres, the home village of a great many of Pakistan's high-altitude porters. Settle up with the crew, and spend the evening in the village.
Day 16Hushe to Skardu
Jeeps out through Khaplu and along the Shyok to Skardu, six to seven hours. Hotel, hot shower and a proper bed.
Day 17Skardu — a day off
A free day, and a well-earned one. Kharpocho Fort above the Indus, the Shangrila lake, the Sarfaranga cold desert, or nothing at all beyond a long lunch.
Day 18Skardu to Chilas
Back down the Indus gorge on the Karakoram Highway. A long driving day. Night in Chilas.
Day 19Chilas to Islamabad
South through the gorge and out into the plains. Night in Islamabad.
Days 20–22Islamabad — contingency days
Three days held deliberately in reserve, and on this trek they are not padding. The Gondogoro La is only crossed in settled weather with a hard overnight freeze; if the pass is not in condition the group waits at Concordia or Ali Camp for a window, and if it never comes we walk back down the Baltoro instead, which takes longer than the crossing. The Karakoram Highway also closes for landslides.
Whatever is not used is yours in Islamabad: the Faisal Mosque, the Margalla trails, Saidpur village, the Taxila museum and the Gandhara ruins, or Rawalpindi's old bazaars with a guide. What matters is that these days come out of the itinerary rather than out of your flight home.
Day 23Departure
Transfer to Islamabad International for your flight home.
What’s included
- Trekking permit, Central Karakoram National Park entry and waste management fees
- Gondogoro La crossing permit and the fixed-rope charge levied on the pass
- Licensed professional trekking guide throughout
- High-altitude crew to fix and work the pass, with group technical equipment
- Harness, jumar, carabiners, helmet and crampons for the crossing
- Hotel accommodation in Islamabad, Chilas and Skardu, twin-sharing
- All camping equipment — two-person dome tents, dining tent, toilet tent, mattresses
- All meals from arrival in Islamabad to departure
- Cook, kitchen staff and trek support crew
- Porters for all group loads and personal duffels up to 15 kg each
- All road transport, including the jeep sections to Askole and out from Hushe
- Satellite phone carried by the guide, group first aid kit and a pulse oximeter
- Porter insurance and equipment as the porters' welfare rules require
Not included
- International airfare and airport taxes
- Pakistan visa and personal travel, medical and evacuation insurance
- Helicopter evacuation, which insurance must cover and weather does not always permit
- Personal trekking equipment, boots, sleeping bag and mat
- Mountaineering boots, if your own footwear is not stiff enough for crampons
- Single tent or single room supplements
- Personal expenses — phone charges, bottled drinks, laundry and souvenirs
- Tips for drivers, porters, guide, kitchen and high-altitude crew
Good to know
The pass is the whole decision. Everything as far as Concordia is the standard K2 base camp trek and asks the same of you: long days on moraine and a high point of 5,150 metres. The Gondogoro La is different in kind. It is glaciated on both sides, crossed in the dark on fixed rope with a harness, jumar and crampons, and the Hushe-side descent is steep and long — a ten to twelve hour day at over 5,000 metres. You do not need to be a climber, and you do need to be comfortable on steep snow with a rope, willing to be taught the technique, and confident about the exposure. Boots must be stiff enough to take a crampon; trail shoes will not do, and we will check at the briefing.
We cross only in settled weather with a good overnight freeze, and that judgement belongs to the guide and the high-altitude crew. If the conditions do not come, we walk back down the Baltoro and out through Askole. That is not a failure of the trip and it is not refundable — it is the mountain, and it is the honest risk of buying this itinerary rather than the standard one. The three contingency days at the end exist for exactly this, and it is the reason the group is capped at ten: every person takes time on the rope.
Everything else is as the K2 base camp trek. Porters carry your duffel to 15 kg and you carry a day pack. Fifteen nights are in tents, several of them on the glacier. Altitude rather than fitness is what turns people back, so the itinerary keeps the short day into Urdukas and two nights at Concordia, and your guide checks the group each evening with a pulse oximeter. Anyone not acclimatising is walked down.
The two lists above are what we commit to. Confirm anything that matters to your decision with us in writing when you book.
Questions about this trip
How much harder is this than the standard K2 base camp trek?
Everything to Concordia is identical. The difference is the Gondogoro La: a 5,585 metre glaciated pass climbed before dawn on fixed rope with harness, jumar and crampons, followed by a steep, long descent — ten to twelve hours in a single day. It is a genuine step up, and it is why groups are capped at ten and the minimum age is eighteen.
Do I need climbing experience?
No, but you need to be comfortable on steep snow while roped, happy with exposure, and willing to be taught to use a jumar. The high-altitude crew fixes and works the line and the guide briefs the technique the afternoon before. What we cannot teach on the day is a head for the ground, so be honest with us about that.
What happens if the pass is closed?
We wait at Concordia or Ali Camp for a window, and if it does not come we return down the Baltoro and out through Askole. The three contingency days at the end of the itinerary exist for this. It happens some seasons, it is the guide's call, and it is not refundable — that is the honest risk of choosing this route over the out-and-back.
What boots do I need?
Stiff-soled trekking or light mountaineering boots that will hold a strap-on crampon. Flexible trail shoes will not, and we would rather tell you now than at Ali Camp. Crampons, harness, jumar, carabiners and helmet are provided; boots are yours, and we can advise on hire in Skardu if needed.
Which direction do you cross?
Baltoro to Hushe — in at Askole, over the pass and out at Hushe. That is the safer direction: the steeper, more exposed side is descended in daylight after the col is reached at sunrise, and the acclimatisation from eight days on the Baltoro is already banked before you go high.
Is the view really better than Concordia?
Different, and arguably yes. Concordia puts four eight-thousanders around you at 4,600 metres. The col at 5,585 metres puts those same peaks behind you and the entire Hushe skyline — Laila Peak, Masherbrum, the Charakusa peaks — in front, at sunrise. Most people who have stood on both say the pass is the photograph they kept.
What is included for the pass itself?
The crossing permit and the fixed-rope charge levied on the pass, the high-altitude crew who fix and work the line, and the technical equipment you need — harness, jumar, carabiners, helmet and crampons. Boots are not included, and neither is helicopter evacuation, which your insurance must cover.
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Enquire about this trip
Tell us who is travelling and roughly when. A trip planner — not a call centre — replies within three hours between 9am and 11pm Pakistan time with a day-by-day itinerary and the full price, per person, with nothing hidden underneath it.
- Every itinerary written from scratch around your dates.
- Licensed operator, running these routes since 2014.
- A full costing up front — no deposit to see one.
- +92 310 5344471
- info@elhamasia.com
- 9am – 11pm PKT, seven days a week
- Office No. 227, Rohtas Road, G-9/1, Islamabad, Pakistan