Hike To K2 Base Camp: A Stroll Amongst Behemoths In Karakoram
The K2 base camp trek in Pakistan’s Karakoram is a breathtaking excursion to the foot of an iconic mountain.
One of the world’s best elevated treks is the K2 base camp trek over Pakistan’s massive Karakoram mountains. A journey to K2 base camp combined with a technical passage of the Gondogoro La Pass was offered by FlyVour earlier this year.
Lost Horizons, with over 25 years of guiding experience in Pakistan’s mountains, was the ideal partner for our excursion. K2 is the second highest peak on Earth, standing at 8,611 metres (28,251 feet). It is one of only 14 eight-thousanders and one of the seven intermediate peaks. The mere mention of the mythical mountain sends shivers up one’s spine. Due to its exceedingly arduous ascent and one of the highest fatality rates among the eight-thousanders, K2 is known as the “Savage Mountain.”
K2 is the only eight-thousander that has never been attempted during the winter season. Mudslides are unpredictable, therefore one in every four summiteers perishes on its hazardous slopes. K2 may be smaller than Everest, but it necessitates far more technical climbing abilities. It’s known as the ‘mountaineer’s mountain,’ and it’s often regarded as the pinnacle of high-altitude climbing.
The K2 base camp trip is a less-traveled Himalayan route. Although officially distinct, the Karakoram Range is connected to the ranges to the southeast and is part of Asia’s ‘Greater Himalayas’, which span Bhutan, China, India, Pakistan, and Nepal.
The reinvigorated drive has resulted in a moderate increase in tourist numbers, notably among hikers. Only 900 people registered to visit the Central Karakoram National Park in 2018. That number had climbed to 1,300 by the time we arrived in early September as one of the last trekking parties of the year.
WHY IS THE K2 BASE CAMP TREK SO UNIQUE?
Trekking in Nepal is nothing like the K2 base camp hike. It’s a long journey to one of the Greater Himalayas’ most remote locations. Nepal’s throngs and luxuries have vanished. Villages, teahouses, and monasteries have all vanished, as have sections of the paths. Instead, Pakistan’s Karakoram mountains provide a different perspective on the world’s tallest peaks. Trekkers will find that they have a lot of time and a lot of trails to themselves.
The K2 base camp trip, when paired with the passage of Gondogoro La Pass, passes through some of the world’s most breathtaking landscape, the most humbling of which is found at Concordia, where the world’s most spectacular coliseum of high peaks is guarded by the crown.
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