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K2 Support Trek
 We are delighted that you are considering joining Mountain Madness on our journey into the rugged mountains of Pakistan and the basecamp of K2.
You will be a part of the Mountain Madness K2 climbing expedition that will include Christine Boskoff and Charlie Fowler, who will be attempting the 2nd highest mountain in the world by the South Southeast Spur. After trekking up the Baltoro glacier, we will spend time with the climbers at base camp as they rest and plan out their climb of the mountain. We will leave the Baltoro and cross a high mountain pass, the Gondoghoro La, before dropping into a different drainage for the trek out.
Incredible mountain scenery and the opportunity to be involved with a real climbing expedition await you in Pakistan this summer.
2002 DATES (28 days): June 8 - July 5
Land Costs: Please call our office 1-800-328-5925
TREKKING GRADE: STRENUOUS
K2 Support Trek Itinerary:
Day 1-2: Islamabad/Rawalpindi - Depart from your homeport and travel to Islamabad. All flights cross the date line and consequently, a day is lost. You will be met at the airport by a Mountain Madness guide and transported to the hotel. Optional sightseeing of Rawalpindi/Islamabad. Overnight at hotel.
Day 3 : Islamabad/Rawalpindi - Mandatory pre-trek briefing at the office of the Ministry of Tourism. Organize equipment and make final trek preparations. Overnight at hotel.
Day 4: Skardu/Chilas - After breakfast, our group will fly to Skardu (weather permitting) where we get an opportunity to catch first glimpses of the Gasherbrum, K2, Nanga Parbat and dozens of 7,000meter peaks! Our group will be met in Skardu and transported to the hotel. The afternoon is open for relaxing or an optional sightseeing trip up to Satpara Lake. Overnight at hotel.
Day 5: Skardu - Rest day in Skardu. If bad weather prevented the flight to Skardu on Day 4, then this day will have been used to drive from Islamabad to Skardu.via Chilas. The drive is 735km long and follows the Karakorum Highway to the junction of the Indus and Gilgit rivers where it turns and follows the Indus river to Skardu. Overnight at hotel.
Day 6: Askole - After breakfast we make the 7 hour jeep trip to Askole (10,000 feet), the last inhabited site en route up this important route into the Karakorum. The town of Askole is and has been a very important town because it is the last outpost of humanity for travelers venturing into the Braldu Valley.
Day 7: Jhola - We leave civilization behind, we begin our journey into the Karakorum. We will rely on ourselves and our porters to carry all our food and equipment for the rest of the trek. We continue up the Braldu River and then pass through a rocky gap which grants us access to the Biafo Glacier. Traveling across the jumbled maze-like glacier is an interesting and exciting experience! Our group will then come to a cable bridge crossing of the Biafo River and we will set up camp at the Jhola campsite (10,200 feet). Views of Paiju Peak (21,658) as it towers above the foot of the Baltoro glacier are stunning.
Day 8: Paiyu - Pleasant walking up the riverbed leads to Bardumal. The trekking becomes more difficult as we climb to a vantage point where you will be able to see the snout of the Baltoro Glacier, the spectacular silhouettes of the Cathedral towers, and the distant K2. We will pass a 10 mile wide basin of snow called Snow Lake where Yeti tracks were sighted in 1937! Beyond Snow lake lies the 16,900 foot Hispar pass. Clear weather means the first glimpse of K2 and, from camp, the impressive lower Baltoro massif. This is one of the most spectacular days of the journey! We camp at Paiyu camp (11,00 feet).
Day 9: Rest Day - Layover day at Paiyu to acclimatize, reorganize loads, and give the porters and ourselves a well-deserved rest. It is a wonderful location for a camp, situated in a peaceful grove of trees with beautiful view of the Baltoro glacier and the Baltoro Cathedrals. For those desiring to stretch their legs, a mile and a half walk will take you to the Baltoro Glacier for some great views and photo opportunities.
Day 10: Urdukas - We continue up the valley to the snout of the Baltoro Glacier where the trail divides. The left branch leads to the basecamp of the Trango Towers and the right branch, our path, heads up onto the massive Baltoro glacier, which stretches up valley for 62 kilometers! The peaks on the northern side of the glacier dominate the horizon, providing striking contrast to the highly textured glacial surface. Paiyu Peak, Trango Towers, and Uli Biaho Towers rise above, each tower separated by a glacier flowing into the Baltoro. Urdukas camp is located across from one of these six smaller glaciers, the Biale glacier, at 13,000 feet. This camp is known for being the last vestige of greenery, flowers and life along the Baltoro.
Day 11: Goro II - Walking along the Baltoro Glacier, we will pass under Masherbrum (7821 m) from which the Yermanendu glacier flows. Great views of Gasherbrum IV and behind it, Gasherbrum II, Broad Peak and of the peaks surrounding Concordia. Camp at 4450 meters. (6-8 hours).
Day 12: Concordia - A long glacier walk takes us to the camp at Concordia (14,000 feet), the junction of the Godwin-Austen Glacier, which tumbles down from K2 (28,250 feet), and the Upper Baltoro Glacier. At Concordia, the seven giants of the Baltoro all come into view: the Mustagh Tower, K2, Broad Peak, Gasherbrum II, the Golden Throne, Chogolisa and Masherbrum. Galen Rowell describes this region as the "Throne Room of the Mountain Gods".
Day 13: K2 Basecamp - From Concordia, we head up the Godwin-Austen glacier to K2 basecamp, navigating around crevasses and over glacial rivers en route. The zebra like striation of the glacier here is very pronounced. The striped effect is from the lateral moraines of side glaciers that are squeezed into long parallel ridges of ice bordered by lines of rock and gravel as they join the main iceflow. There are memorials 20 minutes north of the basecamp, dedicated to the climbers killed while attempting K2, on the rock face above the junction of the Savoia and Godwin-Austen glaciers.
Day 14-15-16: K2 Basecamp - These next three days are yours to explore the glacier and surrounding mountain vistas of the area, spend some time with the climbers, eat great food, enjoy Starbucks Coffee and RELAX.
Day 17: Concordia - We return out the Godwin-Austen glacier to Concordia, as we begin our trek out towards the village of Hushe.
Day 18: Base of Gondoghoro La - We turn up the Baltoro Glacier, heading for the Golden Throne for a brief while. Then we turn off onto the Vigne glacier and camp at the base of Gondoghoro La, a high pass we must cross the next day which will grant us access to the valley we will descend to Hushe.
Day 19: Gondoghoro La - We climb up to Gondoghoro La (19,160ft) where the views of the Karakorum and its immense peaks are phenomenal and we can see four 8,000 meter peaks: K2, Broad Peak, Gasherbrum I and II! We will then descend into the Hushe valley. This north-south valley cuts a swath to the base of the 25,660 foot Masherbrum.
Day 20: Dalzampa - The way is not as steep not as we continue to lose elevation down the Gondoghoro Glacier. Three glaciers tumble down from the South slope of Masherbrum: the Aling, Masherbrum and Ghandagoro. The Meadows at the base of these glaciers are used by the Hushepa people as summer pastures.
b Shaishcho - Our last camp before the village of Hushe. We begin returning to the land of trees, vegetation and the wonderful smells and color associated with vegetation. Small cypress and fir trees line the trail.
Day 22: Hushe - Today is a short one as we hike along the river valley to the small village of Hushe and the end of our trek. The Balti people in this village still wear the traditional round, Balti cap called a nhating, made of white wool for men and black wool for women.
Day 23: Skardu - We are met at the trail head in Hushe by jeeps for the ride back to Skardu. We stay the night at a hotel where we can enjoy hot showers!
Day 24: Chilas - Overnight in hotel. The most interesting sites near Chilas vicinity are various rocks where ancient petroglyphs can be seen. Over the past four millennia, Kushan, Buddhist and Hindu conquerers, merchants, missionaries and pilgrims carved symbols and inscriptions onto various large boulders glazed dark brown by oxidizing iron. We stay overnight at a hotel.
Day 25: Islamabad - Time to explore Islamabad, spend some hours shopping and enjoy the food and culture of Pakistan!
Day 26: Islamabad - De-briefing at Ministry of Tourism. Overnight at hotel.
 Day 27-28 : Fly home
NOTE ON ITINERARY:
Although we do our best to follow the schedule listed, this itinerary is subject to change for numerous reasons beyond our control.
Mountain Madness owner Christine Boskoff in the Baltoro region, 1995. Christine will accompany trekkers to K2 Basecamp. From there, she will attempt to become the first American woman to climb K2 .
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