K2 Base Camp, Kraig Adams's way

The numbers come from my own GPS recordings, smoothed the same way for every day. Apps count climbing differently: Strava shows 99.99 miles and about 14,300 ft for the trip. My GPS heights read a little low near the top; see Altitude.

What I did. I flew into Islamabad through Abu Dhabi after hiking the Haute Route in the Alps. Our group met for the first time in Islamabad and spent the day exploring. We exchanged money, walked around the Shah Faisal Mosque and visited the Pakistan Monument. I did not see another tourist anywhere, and locals stopped us constantly for photos and conversation. After lunch at a tandoori restaurant we drove up to the Daman-e-Koh viewpoint and watched the sun drop and the city lights come on, with monkeys watching us.

The next morning a short flight took us north to Skardu, a desert valley surrounded by sharp peaks and braided rivers. That evening, on the roof of the guesthouse, I listened to the call to prayer echo across the valley.

From Skardu we drove toward the trailhead at Askole. The road was barely a road: floods and landslides had taken out whole sections. Where a bridge was missing, the team unloaded the jeeps, carried everything across by hand and loaded it again on the other side.

Flights to Skardu. In 2026 PIA, Airblue and AirSial fly Islamabad to Skardu (AirSial since May 2026; I didn't check schedules on the airlines' own sites). Flights to the northern mountains are often delayed or cancelled by weather, so leave spare days. Operators drive when flights are cancelled: my operator's plan is Islamabad to Chilas (12 to 13 hours) and Chilas to Skardu (8 to 9 hours).

By road. Gilgit-Baltistan is reached on the Karakoram Highway or over the Babusar Pass (seasonal, and closed by floods in July 2025). The UK advises against all travel on the Karakoram Highway between Mansehra and Chilas. The Babusar road crosses Khyber Pakhtunkhwa too, so both road routes cross the province the US says not to travel to (September 2026). If your flight is cancelled, ask your operator which road they would use and check the current advice for it. Don't drive the highway at night.

Skardu to Askole. About 5 to 6 hours by jeep (operator figure, 2026), on a road that floods can break.

Gear for this route

What this trek needs

• Warm layers and a sleeping bag or quilt for nights below freezing (our bottles froze at Goro II)
• Sun protection for hot, bright days low down and on the glacier: an umbrella, a hat and glacier glasses
• A headlamp for the midnight start on the pass, and camp shoes
• Boots that take crampons, or whatever your operator provides for the pass
• A water bottle you can keep in the tent at night, and a water filter or tablets
• A power bank (the generator ran for a couple of hours a day)

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My operator's team carried the tents, the kitchen and the food. Here's the hiking gear I brought in August 2025, what I'd take now, and what I filmed with.

What I carried in 2025

The hiking gear from my film's gear list, which I used and brought on this trip.

Hiking

• Pack: Hyperlite Mountain Gear Unbound 55 (Hyperlite)
• Tent: my tent. The team provided it.
• Quilt: Hyperlite Mountain Gear 20° Quilt (Hyperlite). Nights were below freezing: our water bottles froze at Goro II.
• Sleeping pad: Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT (Amazon). I slept on two pads.
• Pillow: Klymit Pillow X (Amazon)
• Pad inflator: AlpenBlow Micro Inflator (Garage Grown Gear)
• Sun hoodie: PATH Projects Pyrenees T19 Hoodie (PATH Projects)
• Fleece: Senchi Designs A90 Half Zip Hoodie. Similar: PATH Projects Lomond Hoodie (PATH Projects).
• Puffy: Arc’teryx Cerium Hoody (Arc’teryx)
• Rain shell: Arc’teryx Beta AR Jacket (Arc’teryx)
• Pants: PATH Projects Killam PX Pant (PATH Projects)
• Shorts: Territory Run Co. Long Haul Short. Similar: PATH Projects Sykes PX Short (PATH Projects).
• Socks: PATH Projects Joyner Crew Sock (PATH Projects)
• Shoes: trail runners. They got holes on the glacier and made it to the end thanks to Aziz's patch.
• Umbrella: Six Moon Designs Silver Shadow Carbon (Amazon). The reflective umbrella, the MVP of the trip, for the sun on the glacier and for the rain.
• Headlamp: Nitecore NU20 Classic (Amazon). For the midnight start on the pass.
• Water bottle: Katadyn BeFree AC · 1L (Amazon)
• Camp shoes: a pair of camp shoes. They were essential.
• On the pass: alpine boots, crampons, a helmet and a harness, plus every warm layer I had

Filmmaking

• Power bank: Nitecore NB20000 (Amazon). The team ran a generator for a couple of hours each evening. Bring a power bank for the rest of the day.

What I'd take now

What I'd add for this trek, from my current kit.

Hiking

• Camp shoes: Crocs Classic Clog (Amazon)
• Shoes: Oboz Katabatic LT Low GTX (Amazon). I wore them on Alta Via 1: lightweight and stable, and no blisters.
• Poles: Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Z Poles (Amazon). For the rocks and ice of the Baltoro Glacier.
• Cap: PATH Projects Muir Cap 2.0 (PATH Projects). The days are hot and bright low down and on the glacier.
• Gloves: Unigear Touchscreen Liner Gloves (Amazon)

Other

• Glacier glasses: more protective glacier glasses. The glare off the snow on Day 9 was intense. I wish I'd had them.
• Navigation: AllTrails+ (AllTrails, 30% off). Import my GPX files and download them offline while you still have Wi-Fi. Offline maps need the paid plan.
• Phone data: Airalo eSIM (Airalo, $3 off). Data in Islamabad and Skardu. After Askole I don't count on a connection.

Filming kit

What I filmed this trip with in 2025. My setup is smaller now (below). Read the drone note in Weather and safety before you bring one.

• Camera: Sony ZV-E1 (Amazon). I shot this entire trip on it.
• Lens: Sony FE PZ 16-35mm f/4 G (Amazon). My tripod fell over on Day 8 and cracked the lens, but the camera survived.
• Drone: DJI Air 3 (Amazon), now the Air 3S
• Tripod: SmallRig Carbon Fiber Tripod (Amazon)
• Tripod head: Joby BallHead 3K (now the 3K PRO) (Amazon)
• Wrist strap: Peak Design Cuff Wrist Strap (Amazon)

What I film with now

Since September 2026 I film with a smaller setup: the Pocket 4 and the Mic 3 on the trail, and the Mini 5 Pro in the air.

• Camera: DJI Osmo Pocket 4 (Amazon)
• Mic: DJI Mic 3 · 1 TX + 1 RX (Amazon). It pairs with the Pocket 4.
• Drone: DJI Mini 5 Pro (Amazon)

A Gilgit-Baltistan trekking permit, US$150 per person from April to September, and the Central Karakoram National Park fee, US$190 per person (2026). Your operator files the permit, and the visa normally takes about 4 weeks.

The season. The Gilgit-Baltistan tourism department gives June to September as the time to go. The Gondogoro La is normally crossed from late June to about the end of August, while the Hushe team keeps ropes on it; there's no official season notice, so ask your operator for your year's dates. I crossed on August 27, 2025.

What I got. The first day was long and hot, and rain came in the afternoon. The sun on the glacier was strong. From Day 5 the nights got colder, and on Day 6 water bottles left outside froze solid. We had clear skies at Concordia, then rain, cloud and fresh snow on the day to K2 Base Camp, frost the next morning, snow and hard glare on the way to Ali Camp, and a freezing night on the pass. It was very cold at times and very hot at times.

Floods and roads. Monsoon rain, floods and landslides are a risk from late June to early October (UK advice, 2026). In 2025 floods and landslides had taken out whole sections of the road to Askole, and the team carried our supplies across missing bridges by hand. In 2026 the floods came again. On June 30 the Hushe River cut the road to Hushe, where this trek ends (news reports in late July still had the Hushe Valley road closed for repairs), and in July floods closed the Jaglot to Skardu road until a temporary bridge went in on July 27. Ask your operator whether the jeep roads to Askole and from Hushe are open for your dates.

Go soon. This trek still feels wild. You feel like you're getting away with something, because there's hardly anyone else doing it. It will become popular as infrastructure and money pour in. I said it at the time: do it as soon as you can.

Altitude

This is the part of the trek to take most seriously. You sleep seven nights above 13,000 ft, the highest at 16,240 ft, and cross a pass of about 18,300 ft in the middle of the night.

My camp heights

Highest points on foot: 16,317 ft (4,973 m) near K2 Base Camp on Day 7, and the Gondogoro La on Day 10. My GPS reads lower than most published heights up high (5,467 m at the pass, against the usual 5,585 m), and published camp heights differ from each other by up to about 300 m. Use these as a guide to the steps between camps.

The rules of thumb

From the CDC's 2026 guidance on altitude illness, based on the Wilderness Medical Society's recommendations:

• Above 3,000 m (9,850 ft), don't raise your sleeping height by more than 500 m (1,600 ft) a night, and plan an extra day for every 1,000 m (3,300 ft) you gain.
• My trip stayed under 500 m every night, but it had no full rest day, only two short days (4 and 8). By the extra-day rule, the climb from Askole to Ali Camp, about 1,900 m, calls for about two more days. My operator's current 23-day itinerary adds a rest day at Paiju and a day at Concordia.
• Acute mountain sickness (AMS): a headache plus at least one of loss of appetite, dizziness, tiredness or nausea, usually 2 to 12 hours after arriving higher. It improves with a descent of 300 m (1,000 ft) or more. If it gets worse at the same height, you must go down.
• HACE (brain swelling): confusion, poor balance and drowsiness, like being drunk. Start down immediately.
• HAPE (fluid in the lungs): unusual breathlessness, first when walking and then at rest, with a cough or chest congestion. It can kill faster than HACE. Going down is urgent.
• Acetazolamide (Diamox) can help prevent AMS. Talk to your doctor before the trip.

What this means on the Baltoro

Going down fast is hard here. From Concordia it's days back down the glacier on foot, the pass is only possible with the ropes in place and good weather, and helicopters fly only in daylight, when they're available. Askari Aviation's briefing gives a maximum landing height of 5,000 m and advises moving casualties on the Baltoro to Concordia. In 2025 there was a small medical dome at Concordia with a doctor on call. Tell your guide early if you feel unwell, and turn around below the pass if anyone in the group is getting worse.

On the pass, the altitude, the cold, the darkness and the lack of sleep made it one of the craziest experiences of my life. Coming down the other side, breathing felt easier.

Weather and safety

Emergency numbers (September 2026). 1122 for ambulance and fire, 15 for police. Gilgit-Baltistan Tourist Police: 1422 inside the region, 05811-930055 from elsewhere in Pakistan. Rescue 1122 Skardu: 05815-1122.

Helicopter rescue. Askari Aviation flies rescue with army helicopters: not guaranteed, daylight only, and only if you're registered before the trek (see What you need to arrange). Its briefing gives a maximum landing height of 5,000 m and advises moving casualties on the Baltoro to Concordia.

Where to be careful:

• River and stream crossings: the brown, flooded river on Day 2, the big stream crossing on Day 11 and the hanging basket on Day 12
• The glacier: loose rock over ice from Day 3, ice towers and crevasses beside the path on Day 5, crevasses under snow on Day 9
• Heat and sun low down; cold nights and snow glare high up
• The Gondogoro La: a night climb on a steep snow slope with fixed ropes, and a roped descent. Cross only with your guide, the ropes in place and the weather right
• Altitude, every day above Urdukas: read Altitude

Go with the group. The UK's advice for Gilgit-Baltistan is to use a reputable trekking agency, stay on established routes, walk in groups and never trek alone, and to register with the local authorities (ask your operator how).

Photos. Don't photograph military sites, airports, bridges or dams (UK advice), and photography is banned near military installations in Gilgit-Baltistan. Khoburtse, where we camped on Day 3, was a military outpost. Ask your guide before you point a camera.

Drones. I flew a drone on this trip. Reports from 2024 and 2025 conflict on whether Pakistan's civil drone rules are in force, and I found no official page for visitors in September 2026. Ask your operator and the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority before you bring one.

Can I do this trek on my own? No. The route from Askole up the Baltoro to Concordia and out over the Gondogoro La to Hushe is on the Pakistani government's list of restricted-zone treks. You need a trekking permit, your trekking visa needs a sponsor letter from a tour operator licensed by the Department of Tourist Services, and a licensed guide and porters are mandatory (all checked September 2026). See How this trek works.

How many days do I need? I walked 12 days from Askole to Hushe, with no full rest day. Add a day in Islamabad, the flight to Skardu, a jeep day each way and spare days for flights and weather. My card records put me in Pakistan for about 19 days. The Gilgit-Baltistan tourism department gives 14 to 20 days for the trek, depending on the route.

How hard is it? It was one of the hardest things I've ever done, a double diamond compared to anything I'd done before. The daily distances are short, 3.5 to 14.6 miles, and the team carries the camp. What makes it hard is the altitude (seven nights above 13,000 ft), walking on loose rock over glacier ice, cold nights and hot days, being far from home for a long time, and a pass climbed at night on fixed ropes.

Do I need climbing experience for the Gondogoro La? I didn't have any. I had never done anything like it. We wore alpine boots, crampons, helmets and harnesses, climbed a steep snow slope clipped from rope to rope, and rappelled on the way down. A team from Hushe fixes and looks after the ropes each season. Ask your operator what gear they provide, and practice walking in crampons and clipping in before you go.

Is it safe? There are two separate questions. Altitude is the big physical risk: read Altitude. Security advice changes. In September 2026 the US rated Pakistan Level 3 (reconsider travel) and said not to travel to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan or near the Line of Control; Gilgit-Baltistan, where this trek is, isn't named. The UK doesn't list Gilgit-Baltistan in its warnings, but advises against all travel on the Karakoram Highway between Mansehra and Chilas. Details and links: Before you go, check these.

When should I go? I went in August. The season is June to September, and the Gondogoro La is normally crossed from late June to about the end of August. See When to go.

What does it cost per person? Plan on roughly US$3,000 to US$4,500 all in with a Pakistani operator. Their 2026-27 packages run from about US$1,500 (trek only) to US$1,800-2,500 (all inclusive, about 21 days); Western-run trips cost far more, up to about US$9,500. On top of that come international flights, a visa, insurance, tips and spare nights, and a helicopter rescue deposit you get back if it isn't used. I hosted my group, so my own trek price isn't in my records. See What I paid.

What's a day like? Warm water to wash with, breakfast, then 2.5 to 9.5 hours of walking at the group's pace, with a lunch stop. At camp the tents are up and your bag is waiting. Tea, dinner in the dining tent, and an early night.

Where do you sleep? In tents the team puts up. I had my own tent, and two pads under me, which kept me warm.

Can I charge my phone and camera? On my trip the team ran a generator for a couple of hours each evening for cameras, phones and drone batteries. Bring a power bank for the rest of the day.

Are there showers? No. The lack of showers was one of the challenges for me. There was warm water for washing your face and hands each morning and before each meal.

What was your most useful gear? The reflective umbrella. It was the MVP of this trip, for the sun on the glacier and for the rain.

I walked the twelve days in this guide. These are other ways operators run the trip, and I didn't do them.

Out and back, without the pass

From Concordia you can walk back down the Baltoro the way you came, as our pack animals did on Day 9. It skips the Gondogoro La, its night climb and its ropes, and it's the way out if the pass is closed. My operator lists a 21-day K2 Base Camp trek of this kind, with a high point of about 5,100 m (2026 page).

With rest days

My operator's current K2 and Gondogoro La itinerary runs 23 days door to door, with a rest day at Paiju and a day at Concordia for K2 Base Camp, Broad Peak and the memorial, before the pass. On my trip we had no full rest day, and we slept at the Broad Peak camp on the way back from K2 Base Camp. By the altitude rules in Altitude, the extra days are worth having.

Just the Hushe side

The Hushe valley, with Saicho and the camps below the Gondogoro La on the south side, is its own restricted-zone trek on the government list. The GPX files for Days 11 and 12 cover the lower part of it.

How this trek works

What my operator did

My trip was organized by Spantik Expeditions (spantikexpeditions.com), a licensed company in Skardu led by Aziz and his son Abdul. A year earlier, Abdul messaged me on Instagram inviting me to come hike in Pakistan. That message eventually brought me here, with a small group of subscribers.

The company took care of everything: the logistics, the permits and the food. Then they took care of us through the whole trek, helping with crampons and food, giving advice, making sure the tents were good, translating for us and dealing with currencies. Aziz and Abdul, a father and son, were the two guides you see throughout my films. Behind them were porters, cooks and a caravan of pack animals, and a goat and a few chickens.

On the road in, when a bridge was missing, the team unloaded the jeeps, carried the supplies across by hand and loaded everything again on the other side, several times. The dedication was obvious from the start.

Life in camp

The food. The cooks fed us three meals a day. Breakfast was bread, eggs, porridge, fruit, coffee and tea. On Day 1, lunch was fresh fruit, mangoes and melon cut that morning. Each afternoon the cooks rolled fresh chapati by hand. Dinner was Chinese food on the first night, and noodles, chicken and fried potatoes at Urdukas. At Goro II, popcorn really hit the spot, and that night we had our goat for dinner. At lunch my appetite was endless: seconds, then thirds.

The extras. The team carried so much Coca-Cola for us that it became a running joke; we celebrated at K2 Base Camp with Coke and boiled potatoes. I ate a lot of Snickers on this trek and drank a lot of tea.

Camp. The team put up the tents, a big dining tent and a kitchen, and our bags were waiting when we arrived. There were warm water stations every morning and before each meal. A generator ran for a couple of hours each evening for charging. My operator's 2026 package lists member, dining, kitchen and toilet tents. Camp shoes were essential.

Water. The river was brown and violent from flooding on the way in. My records don't show how our drinking water was treated. Ask your operator, and carry a filter or tablets as a backup.

The pace. I wanted to move faster, but it wasn't just about my pace. The porters, cooks and animals all had difficult jobs that longer days would have made even harder. Traveling with a group was part of the challenge for me, and there were a lot of moments that didn't make the video: the long conversations, the meals, the jokes and the struggles.

What I paid

I hosted this trip, so my records don't have a normal trek price in them. This is what my card and bank records show, and it isn't the full picture.

For your budget (2026)

• The operator's package. This is most of the cost. My operator's page shows no price. For scale, prices published for 2026 and 2027 (checked November 2026): Pakistani operators list about US$1,490 for a 15-day trek-only package and US$1,790 to US$2,500 for a 21-day all-inclusive K2 and Gondogoro La trek; a Pakistani operator selling through an international booking site lists from US$3,894 for 20 days; a Western guiding company lists from US$9,500 for 22 days. Ask exactly what's included.
• All in, with a Pakistani operator, flights from Europe or North America, insurance and tips, most people should plan on roughly US$3,000 to US$4,500 per person, plus the refundable rescue deposit.
• Government fees, usually inside the package: trekking fee US$150 per person (April to September) and the national park fee, US$190 per person.
• The Gondogoro La rope fee, paid to the Hushe team; my operator includes it.
• Helicopter rescue deposit or guarantee: my operator lists US$15,000, refundable minus US$500 if unused, not included in the price.
• Visa: check the fee for your passport on the visa site.
• Insurance covering trekking to about 5,600 m and helicopter evacuation.
• International flights, spare nights in Islamabad and Skardu, a sleeping bag if it isn't included, and tips for the staff and porters, which usually aren't in the price.

What you need to arrange

The rules below were checked on official Pakistani government pages on September 26, 2026. They change, so confirm them with your operator.

1. A licensed tour operator. The trekking visa needs a sponsor letter or agreement with an operator authorised by the Department of Tourist Services (DTS). The operator files your permit. The government's list of licensed operators is on the visa site, visa.nadra.gov.pk.
2. A trekking permit. The Gilgit-Baltistan Tourism Department issues it. The 2025 fee schedule, still posted in September 2026, charges foreigners a trekking fee of US$150 per person from April to September (US$75 from October to March), paid in Pakistan after the visa is granted. There is also a Central Karakoram National Park waste management fee, US$190 per person for restricted-zone trekkers (one line of the same schedule says US$200), paid in advance into the park's account. The same rules cap a group at 20, require a briefing and debriefing at a tourism office in Gilgit-Baltistan, and assign a liaison officer to each restricted-zone group.
3. A trekking visa. Apply online at visa.nadra.gov.pk under "Mountaineering & Trekking". It's a single-entry visa for up to 3 months, and processing normally takes 4 weeks. Pakistan's tourism corporation advises applying at least 45 days ahead, and the UK says the permission process can take up to 2 months. Don't book flights until you have the visa grant notice.
4. A licensed guide and porters. Both are mandatory in restricted areas. Porters must be insured (up to PKR 3 million each under the 2025 rules), and their wages are set by the regional government. My operator's 2026 package lists 25 kg of luggage per trekker carried each way. Tips for the staff and porters are usually not in the price.
5. A way to Skardu. A domestic flight from Islamabad, or two long days by road. See Getting there.
6. Insurance and rescue. Helicopter rescue in the Karakoram is run by Askari Aviation with army helicopters. It is not guaranteed, it flies only in daylight, and you have to be registered before the trek with a cash deposit, a bank guarantee from your operator or a guarantee from your embassy. My operator's 2026 page lists a US$15,000 deposit, refundable minus US$500 if unused. The US advises insurance that covers medical evacuation, and the UK warns that your insurance may not be valid without the correct permits.
7. Spare days. For flights to Skardu, roads, weather and the pass.
8. Cash in rupees. The Gilgit-Baltistan tourism department says cards aren't widely accepted in the region. I exchanged money in Islamabad with the group.

Questions to ask an operator

• Are the trekking fee, the park fee and the Gondogoro La rope fee in the price?
• Who arranges the helicopter rescue deposit or guarantee, and what does it cost?
• What do you provide for the pass: crampons, harness, helmet, boots? What do I bring?
• Are tents, pads and a sleeping bag included? (Sleeping bags often aren't.)
• How many rest and acclimatization days are in the plan?
• What happens if the Gondogoro La is closed or the weather is wrong on the day?
• How are the porters insured and paid, and how much do they carry?
• How big is the group, and who is the guide?

Before you go, check these

These change every year; everything else in this guide stays the same. Checked September 26, 2026. Check them again, with your own government's advice, when you book and the week you fly.

Security

• US State Department (June 6, 2026): Pakistan Level 3, reconsider travel; do not travel to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan or near the Line of Control. Gilgit-Baltistan isn't named. travel.state.gov
• UK FCDO (September 22, 2026): no warning for Gilgit-Baltistan, but against all travel on the Karakoram Highway between Mansehra and Chilas; register locally, don't trek alone. gov.uk

Permits and paperwork

• Your operator is on the licensed list, and what the price includes
• The trekking visa: visa.nadra.gov.pk
• The fees (2025 schedule, per person in summer): US$150 trekking fee, US$190 park fee
• Rescue registration, and insurance for this altitude and evacuation, valid with your permits

The pass and the travel

• Whether the Gondogoro La is open and roped for your dates, and the plan if it isn't
• Skardu flights, spare days at both ends, and the roads: Jaglot to Skardu, the Babusar Pass, the Karakoram Highway advice
• Flood and glacial lake warnings: visitgilgitbaltistan.gov.pk

Money, health and gear

• Rupees and tip money before Skardu; a doctor's visit about altitude and acetazolamide
• Drone rules if you bring one; offline maps and GPX files on your phone