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k2 trek FEATURE
| words & images | Daniel Shah
K2 Calling
Daniel Shah fulfils a lifetime’s ambition to
trek to the Karakoram’s legendary ‘Savage
Mountain’ in his native Pakistan...
Danial Shah is a travel
photographer and writer
who loves mountains, deep
sea diving and tea. He
travels around Pakistan
looking for positive stories
and maintains a travel blog
www.iexplorepakistan.com.
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FEATUREK2 trek
K2 trek FEATURE
“A
mountain of stunning dimensions.
It seems to rise like a perfect cone,
but incredibly tall” – this is how
English explorer Sir Francis Younghusband, the
first westerner to see the mountain from close up,
described K2 in the late 19th century,
The second highest mountain on earth lies in the
Karakoram mountain range and is situated at the
border of northern Pakistan and southern China,
though it is easier to access from Pakistan – which
happens to be my home country.
Of the 14 8000m peaks in the world, five of them
are in Pakistan and of these, four can be seen from
Concordia camp site which sits at the confluence of
the Baltoro Glacier and Godwin Austen Glacier at an
altitude of 4600m. The four 8000m peaks include K2
itself, known locally as Choghori, while the other
three are Gasherbrum I (8611m), Broad Peak (8080m)
and Gasherbrum II (8035m). This meeting of mighty
peaks is why Concordia is called a ‘mountaineer’s
paradise’ and I had been yearning to visit it for a
very long time.
In the event, I only spent two nights viewing the
mountain, but I saw it in many ways; hiding behind
clouds, getting darker during sunset, shining
beneath billions of stars during the night, covered in
clouds; and with the first light of the day hitting the
peak. It stands out in the whole mountain range
and by calling it ‘beautiful’ does not do justice to
its glory. The ‘beauty’ of the mountain can be
deceiving as well, since it is estimated that one out
of every four people who attempt to climb it, dies.
To mountaineers it has a fearsome reputation and
not for nothing has it earned its reputation as the
‘Savage Mountain’.
Concordia
camp on the
Baltoro Glacier
Xxxxxxxx
xxxxxx
xxxxxxx
First memories
I don’t remember where or when I first found out
about K2; it could have been a course book in school,
a photograph, a TV programme or a conversation.
Whatever it was, I have dreamed about the mountain
ever since and I have been preparing myself to travel
there just to lay eyes on it.
I work in Pakistan as a freelance travel writer and
photographer and extreme adventures have always
attracted me. Since childhood, I’ve been collecting
photographs of places that were far away beyond my
reach, places I wanted to travel to. I also developed a
curiosity to go to places that are on the back of the
banknotes of Pakistan; these include photographs of
archaeological sites, coastal areas, historic buildings,
tunnels and mountains.
The 50 rupee note in Pakistan (about 40p) has a
photo of K2 on its back. I’ve kept one in my wallet for
a long time, and along with it a dream to go and
spend some time with the mountain one day. Going
there wasn’t an easy task; I had to prepare myself
mentally and physically over time and trekked to
several remote areas to gain confidence, since
trekking is not widely encouraged as a leisure
activity in Pakistan.
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ON THE MAP: K2 trek
Highlights of the trek to Concordia
n askole
The trek begins at Askole, the last
village before K2; this is reached
by a 4x4 drive from Skardu.
n BALTORO GLACIER
At 62km long, this is one the
longest glaciers outside of the
polar regions. The K2 trek follows
the glacier all the way to the
Godwin-Austen Glacier.
n TRANGO TOWERS
The famous group of granite
spires is set in the Baltoro
Skilbrum
Muztagh
Tower
Muztagh sub range. Great Trango
Tower is the highest at 6286m.
CONCORDIA
n At the meeting place of the
Baltoro Glacier and GodwinAusten Glacier, this is the final
campsite for most treks.
n K2 BASE CAMP
Most treks stop at Concordia
camp, but you can do a dayhike
onto Broad Peak and K2 base
camps, and even stay a night
at K2 base camp.
(7410m)
(7276m)
Great Trango Tower
(6286m)
Askole (3000m)
K2 (8611m)
Broad Peak
(8051m)
Baltoro Glacier
Concordia
Choricho (6769m)
Masherbrum (7821m)
Chogolisa (7665m)
FEATUREK2 trek
Cloud obscurs K2
on a starry night
at Concordia
“The 50 rupee note was
still in my pocket and I
had my mind set on
photographing it with K2”
I started to research K2 treks on the internet and
discovered that the standard trek would take 14 days
[about three weeks if travelling from the UK – Ed]. I got
in touch with some tour operators in the north of
Pakistan and later I was introduced to a young tour
operator from the city of Lahore who was planning a
K2 Concordia trek that perfectly matched my
schedule and budget.
Without further delay, I registered my name and
joined a group that consisted of 27 locals from
different walks of life. The tour cost was about £400
and this included a hotel stay in Skardu plus the tent,
food and logistics required during the trek. It didn’t
include any personal equipment though, and I was
required to take my own rucksack, sleeping back,
trekking poles, karabiner, gaiters and harness.
The group gathered at the hotel in the town of
Skardu in the north of Pakistan and this is where our
journey started. The first day was a bumpy sevenhour jeep ride to Askole in the Shighar Valley, the last
village before K2. It was the very last time we would
see any evidence of civilisation, such as people,
electricity, houses and vehicles. The next day our trek
actually started and we were on foot from now on,
with all of our equipment, food and other necessities
for surviving in the mountains.
The author compares
K2 with the image on
the banknote
Mess tent after
sunset on a clear
night at Concordia
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comparing notes
That 50 rupee note was still in my pocket and I had
my mind set on photographing it with the mighty
K2. I thought I would be able to see K2 as soon as the
trek started, but the mountain is not easy to spot, as
it is hidden away behind other peaks. I inquired
about it with one of the guides; “You will only be able
to see it from Concordia camp and onwards”, he
replied. That meant six more days of trekking just to
get the first glimpse of it.
‘Six more days’ is easier said than done when all
you have to do is just walk. You pass your time
usually alone, walking in wilderness, talking with noone but yourself. At times you get tired of yourself
too, but then you have to move on. You meet your
fellow trekkers every now and again, and they are in
the same situation as you are. But every single step
of the trek brings a whole different landscape,
making it almost impossible for you to believe how
beautiful the natural surroundings are.
The daily routine on the trek comprised of
approximately six to ten hours of hiking and 300500m of ascent, crossing through sand, rocks, rivers
and glaciers, before making camp at one of the
sites along the way. The trek is famous for its
difficulty and harshness and consequently only
FEATURE K2 Trek
K2 TREK FEATURE
“My heart wanted the
glory of being at the
‘mountaineer’s paradise’
so I kept on going”
high mountain lovers and experienced trekkers
choose it. I am not a climber but the curiosity of
exploring drew me there.
The first day went smoothly except for the last
stage before the campsite at Jhola (Jola or Jhula).
This is said to be the ‘deceiving campsite’ as it
appears quite early across the Dumurdo River but
takes a long time to reach, as you have to cross the
river by a wooden bridge that is a long way off. The
last section required us to hike through deep sand
which added a sting in the tail to a day that had
already exhausted most of our group.
Crossing the
River Dash
on Day 1
Porters returning
from K2 base camp
Cooking dinner at
Concordia camp
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A trekker getting a
helping hand on
Vigne Glacier
baltoro glacier
On Day 2, the Baltoro Glacier came into sight. It
stood in front of us like a giant grey and white
monster. At 62km long it is one of the longest
glaciers outside of the polar regions. The second
night we camped near the glacier and were also on it
the third day. Glaciers are a menacing presence in
this region; they are depressing, dark, rigid, slippery
and full of rough rocks and stones. There is nothing
beautiful about them but they are a sign of the
vastness and harshness of nature that is forgotton
by people who live in the city. We were instructed by
the guides to walk fast and stay together as there
was a danger of getting lost on the Baltoro Glacier.
It’s like a maze and if you are lost, the chances are
that you are lost forever.
Meanwhile, the terrain was getting harder and my
feelings of loneliness and depression were getting
stronger. My mind was struck by the thought of
going back, but my heart wanted the glory of being
at the mountaineer’s paradise so I kept on going.
While it was difficult to spot even a single tree
throughout the trek, we did have some of the
most magnificent mountains in the world to look
at, including K1 (also known as Masherbrum, the
22nd highest mountain in the world ) and
the Great Trango Tower (the world’s greatest nearlyvertical drop).
Our last camp before Concordia was Goro-II. I
was looking for the peak of K2 as soon as I started
trekking that day, but the mountain wasn’t visible all
day due to bad weather. It was an easy walk and on
reaching the campsite, I asked the guide again if I
would be able to get a glimpse of the mighty K2. He
assured me that it would be clear in the night, or the
following morning, and that the mountain always
plays a game of hide and seek.
I spent all my day waiting for the clouds to
move on. I saw the peak very briefly before it
was hidden again by the clouds. With
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FEATUREK2 Trek
K2 trek FEATURE
“There I saw the
mighty K2 shining in
the middle of two
mountains...”
disappointment I went to my tent, hoping for a clear
mountain next day since this would be the only
spare day I had before we had to continue on our
journey back home.
It started raining that night, and while lying in my
sleeping bag on the uneven surface of the glacier I
took out my 50 rupee note, stared at the K2 photo
and wondered if I would be able to see that view for
myself the next morning. My skin was sunburned, I
had dried lips and I had lost nearly ten kilos. I was
also finding it hard to sleep at the high altitude we
were now at. I slept sad that night, afraid that I might
not be able to see the mountain of my dreams, as I
couldn’t afford to stay longer.
The group wake up
to fresh snow at
Concordia
Trekkers and porters
play volleyball at
Concordia camp
k2 revealed
The skies clear
and K2 is finally
revealed
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The sun was still behind high peaks when I woke up
with the first morning light. I unzipped the tent and
found everything outside covered in white. The rain
from the previous night had turned to snowfall, and
now a blanket of snow was all over Concordia. There
was also now a crystal-clear, blue sky and this made
me want to run towards the peak.
Without stopping, I rushed out in my slippers. Ray
of sun were falling on the high peaks now and there I
saw the mighty K2 shining in the middle of two
mountains and the Godwin-Austen Glacier. This was
the first time I had ever seen K2 clearly with my
naked eyes. I realised now that the shot of K2 on the
back of my 50 rupee note was taken from exactly the
same place as I now stood. Not only that, because
the sky was so clear the rest of the other snowcovered 8000’ers were prominent too. The campsite
seemed so tint compared to the 8000m peaks
around us and Mitre peak (6010m) close by.
I saw a dark patch of clouds coming over and I
knew that the beautiful, clear sky wouldn’t last for
long and that this amazing moment would soon be
gone. Hurrying now, I started taking photographs of
the magnificent view along with my 50 rupee note.
Within an hour, dark clouds had moved across the
mountains all around and K2 disappeared again from
view. The rest of the day was spent playing volleyball
at the campsite with a special treat of local-fried
delicacies and tea, while K2 rested behind the clouds.
This was our last night at Concordia, and in the
morning it was time to go back. The guide leader
gathered every trekker into the mess tent and
explained the route we were taking back. The joy of
spending time there was overtaken now by the fear
of the upcoming journey. There are two ways
to descend back, either by the same route we
had ascended that would take exactly the
Wading through
soft snow on
Vigne Glacier
TREK&MOUNTAIN | 35 |
K2 TREK FEATURE
“It was a difficult walk
that night with wet
feet, no rest and fear
of the Gondogoro”
same number of days, or via the Gondogoro Pass
which is shorter but much more difficult. Everyone in
the group had an adventurous nature and no-one
wanted to take the same route back to descend, so
we decided to go back this way. At an altitude of
nearly 6000m, Gondogoro Pass is famous for its
rough weather, steep climb and deadly avalanches.
We all proceeded in fear – fear of the unknown.
gondogoro pass
Porter with the
Trango Towers
behind
Useful guides
n Trekking in the Karakoram
and Hindu Kush
by John Mock and Kimberley
O’Neill (Lonely Planet)
n Pakistan Trekking Guide,
by Isabel and Ben Shaw
(Odyssey Guides)
We left Concordia early in the morning, crossed
Vigne Glacier and reached Ali camp after about six
hours. My shoes were wet because of the deep soft
snow, and by the time I reached the camp, the sun
had already gone behind the clouds. There was no
way to dry my shoes and socks except the heat in the
kitchen tent but this wasn’t enough for the limited
time we had. We took a short nap, had food and
prepared ourselves for crossing Gondogoro Pass,
which can only be crossed during night since it’s
more prone to avalanches during the daytime.
We left Ali camp at 10pm and started walking
towards Gondogoro La with our headlamps on. It
was a difficult walk that night with wet feet, no time
to rest and fear of the Gondogoro. I was afraid and I
sensed that in every other trekker’s eyes too. I had
never done anything like this before; where I knew
exactly the risk of what I was about to do, yet knew I
couldn’t turn back. The mission was simple; to reach
the summit before dawn to avoid the sun melting
the snow.
Within an hour, we reached a huge white
mountain wall shining under the moonlight. I
spotted the light of a guide who was climbing at
a faster pace, clearing the path, making way and
fixing ropes to make the descent easier for us.
Without rest and with limited water and food I
climbed like a person being chased by a dog, but
this time I was chased by light. I reached the top just
before dawn and saw the first rays of light hitting K2.
The top was clear with a magnificent view of the
8000m peaks and countless other snow-covered
peaks around.
That morning, the ten minutes we spent on top of
the world was the most beautiful morning I’ve ever
had. Going down was more difficult; the fixed rope
had strands coming off it which increased the risk of
it breaking. It was a long descent and the journey to
the campsite after would be even longer. After falling
countless times in the melted snow and saving
myself from stones falling from the top, I made
it to the Khuspang campsite at 1pm in the
afternoon while most of my mates made it in
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FEATUREK2 trek
“Those mountains
don’t let you go that
easily, and remain a
part of you forever.”
K2 trek FEATURE
Crossing Vigne
Glacier, near to
Ali Camp
the evening. For inexperienced trekkers it had been
a challenging task, and we were proud of our
achievement. We stayed a night in Khuspang,
celebrated our success with soft drinks and a fresh
meat dinner and left early next morning for home. It
took us two more days to get back to Skardu, and
the first thing we did after reaching the town was to
inform our families back home about our success
and safe return. Once we’d done that, we ordered a
good meal at a restaurant.
back to earth
Back at home, it took me a week and half to come
down to earth after my adventure. Night after night I
would wake up in the middle of the night having
dreamt of finding myself lost on some glacier,
trekking and finding my way out, and it was difficult
to differentiate between reality and the dream. Truly,
those mountains don’t let you go that easily and
remain a part of you forever.
As a photographer I believe photographs have the
power to transport us to places we can only dream
of. For me the dream had become reality, and the
glory of being at high altitude and seeing the second
highest peak on Earth had been achieved – and it
was a photograph on the back of a banknote that
started it all. But seeing K2 for just two nights wasn’t
enough, and I feel the place calling me back... T&M
The author’s trek went as far as Concordia, but
Mike Wynne of Adventure Peaks describes the
extra leg from Concordia to K2 base camp itself:
Although the trek to Concordia is superb, it’s a real
shame to stop there. By continuing on up the GoodwinAusten Glacier and spending a night at K2 base camp
you will be probing deeper into this amazing place and
be able to return home fulfilled. Crossing the initial
glacial river may be a challenge, but after that an easy
angled trail follows the medial moraine, passing below
Broad Peak and through Broad Peak base camp. It
continues on up to K2 base camp situated on spacious
moraine below the towering SE face of K2. This
excursion can be undertaken in one long day – but only
for the fit and acclimatised. It is best enjoyed over two
days, giving you plenty of time to visit the various
climbers’ camps (on all my visits they have been very
welcoming), exploring further on up the glacier and
visiting the rather eerie, sombre, Gilkey memorial site,
where the reality of the seriousness of the mountain
above you smacks you in the face.
For info on Adventure Peaks’ K2 basecamp
trek, go to www.adventurepeaks.com
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FEATUREK2 trek
K2 trek FEATURE
Mike Wynne at
K2 Base Camp
Knowledge: K2 /Concordia
What you need to know before you go
Mitre Peak
When to go 
n It’s possible to trek to
Concordia and K2 from April
through to September (weather
permitting) but the best months
to go are June to August which
is when most organised treks
are run. The weather can be hot
and sunny for the first few days
of the trek, but as you gain altitude
the temperatures drop and you will
need 4-season sleeping bags and down
jackets to keep warm at night.
getting there
Descending the
Gondogoro La
n From the UK, fly into Pakistan’s
capital Islamabad before getting a
connecting flight to Skardu, about 45
minutes away. Skardu is also accessible
by road via the Karakoram Highway
though the FCO advise against travel
on some parts of this route.
FCO advIce
n Speaking of the FCO (Foreign and
Commonwealth Office) their website
currently advises that some areas of
Pakistan should not be travelled to
(including parts of the Karakoram
Highway) however this advice is subject
to change and it’s worth checking back
for the latest updates. Interestingly,
they also mention that 270,000 Brits
visited last year with very few recorded
incidents. More at: www.fco.gov.uk
tourist Visas
Crossing
Vigne Glacier
n Gaining a tourist visa to Pakistan is
quite involved but your trekking
agency should be able to help with this.
It is essential that you apply for it at least
6 weeks before you travel, and for British
passport holders it costs £104 for single
entry. You will also need a permit to trek
to Concordia/K2 and this again will be
organised by your trekking agency.
how hard
n This is a strenuous, high-altitude trek
and previous experience is preferable. It
takes around 7–8 days to reach Concordia
from Askole and a day more to reach K2
base camp. You can either return via the
same route or go an alternative route
via the challenging Gondogoro Pass
(5940m) that takes around 4–5 days
depending on the weather.
Where to stay:
n Islamabad has a range of high-end
hotels like the Serena hotel, and there
are plenty of cheaper options too. We
would suggest staying one day before
taking an internal flight to Skardu.
Who to go with
n Specialist trekking companies
offering treks to K2 include Adventure
Peaks (www.adventurepeaks.com) who
go all the way to K2 Base Camp itself,
Travel Pak (www.travelpak.co.uk) who
can offer bespoke treks including the
Gondogoro La return trip from
Concordia or base camp, and Explore
(www.explore.co.uk) who go as far
as Concordia. Be sure to check the travel
arrangements for getting to the start of
the trek.
More info at www.trekandmountain.com
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