Mt. K2 is the second-highest peak after Mt. Everest (Sagarmatha) discovered in 1856 by Col T.G. The peak has great historical and natural significance. It was named Mount K2 because it was the second gauged peak in the Karakoram region. It is also called Mount Godwin Austen named after an English geographer, Godwin Austen, the first surveyor of the peak.
The 8,611 meters elevated peak is magnificently exquisite and lies in the Karakoram Range of the Gilgit-Baltistan Region administered by Pakistan. Lino Lacedelli and Achille Compagnori were the first ones to reach the summit of this killer mountain on July 31, 1954. Till now, thousands of mountaineers have experienced its glorious summit despite its deadly challenges. Some of the earliest climbers named Mt K2 with different nicknames. The peak is also known as The King of the Mountains and The Mountaineers’ Mountain, Chhogori or Mount Godwin Austen, widely popular among mountaineers.
Mt K2 is a brilliant expedition for those who are seeking an extreme adventure and who have previously experienced higher altitudes in the Himalayas. Despite being the second-highest peak in the world, some climbers may sell short the hardship that one must stand during the trek but the journey to its summit is superabundantly challenging and requires an excellent level of mountaineering experience equal to Mt Everest. Additionally, Mt K2 never displeases its climbers in terms of glory and adventure.
The ascent to the summit of Mt K2 is considered to be tougher than Everest because of its steepness and unpredictable weather. The expedition also lacks experienced Sherpas who play a prominent role in climbing with a high risk of frequent avalanches. In fact, it is a technical climb from day one which includes glacier ice, snow, and rock notwithstanding whichever route climbers choose. The mountain lies in an infamous country in terms of tourist destinations and is somehow difficult to enter. However, several mountaineering companies are facilitating interested climbers for their convenience nowadays.
The best season to climb Mt K2:
The most appropriate seasons to climb are spring and summer. Most of the ascents have been accomplished in July and August as they are the warmest months of the year experiencing the magnanimous beauty of this lonely mountain.
Why climb K2 with 8K?
We are proud to announce that our founder Mr. Lakpa Sherpa is one of the veteran mountaineers and has conquered Mt. K2, the king of the Mountains, five times with a 100% success rate. We assure you the best possible experience during your expedition to K2 as we have explored K2 as much as we have known Everest. Our highly effective International team will facilitate all necessary requirements in our expedition to K2. We also have a huge team of Sherpas who will support us with all our logistics management so that you don't have to worry about anything.
Join us on the expedition to the World's Second-Highest mountain, K2 with Eight K Expeditions.
Before your arrival at the airport, you must complete all the required procedures for your visa. You will be welcomed by one of our envoys as soon as you arrive at the airport. After a brief meeting, you will be escorted to the hotel booked for your convenience and relaxation. You can also stroll around The Pakistan Monument, Lok Virsa Museum, Faisal Mosque, and many more cultural places in Islamabad.
On the second day, we will carry out our official procedure which includes: travel permit, documentation, necessary formalities, bag pack, shopping and finalize every requirement for our journey. Moreover, every aspect of the trek will be clarified as an important part of the briefing and you will also feel opportune to introduce yourself to your fellow trekkers.
After a palatable breakfast at the earliest hour in the morning, we will fly to Skardu, a magnificent city located in Gilgit-Baltistan which is elevated at 2228 m from sea level. You will be able to freshen up after an hour of a convenient flight and stroll around the city’s exhilarating places. On the next day, our guides will explain the entire expedition and make you prepare for the following days.
After a cozy stay in Skardu, we will drive to Askole on the fifth day. Askole is a small town of Shigar valley which is slightly remote. It is considered as the last station before one invades into the wild regions of the Karakoram. The drive will be thrilling and perhaps a bit bumpy from Skardu to Askole as it usually takes approximately seven hours by jeep covering a total distance of 128 kilometers. As soon as we reach our destination, we will settle in and prepare for our camping.
Following our night in Askole, we will have already started to behold the beauty of the Karakoram region. The next morning after breakfast, we will start our trek from Askole (2800m) to Jhola (3185m) to avoid the heat crossing the Biafo Glacier. You will experience a relaxing hike to JJhola ascending 385m of altitude. As soon as we reach Jhola, we will prepare for our night.
As per our travel schedule, we will be marching on to the pinnacles of Paiyu on the seventh day. We will gain a total altitude of 3383m after reaching Paiyu as it will be our campsite for the next two days. Despite various rumors about this incredible place, the region is placid with proper camps.
After a continuous trek for two days, we will halt in Paiyu for a one-day break. Paiyu falls in the Karakoram Region where we will be opportune to see a golden sunrise falling in the glorious peak of Paiyu experiencing nature’s generosity. We will relax for the entire day and get ready for Urdukas as our next stop.
After a relaxing break in Paiyu, our journey will start getting tougher as we head to Urdukas(4130m). It will be a challenging day undertaking the rocky moraines of the Baltoro Glacier. However, the breathtaking sights of Paiyu Peak and Trango will truly astonish you. We will ascend around 750m from Paiyu completing a long walk but the most intense mountain views and Broad Peak will be in our sight wiping the exhaustion. As soon as we reach Urdukas, we will camp and compose for Goro.
Passing an exhausting walk to Urdukas, we will trek to Gora II on the tenth day of our expedition. Somehow, it will be an alleviating day as we will only ascend 120m from Urdukas(4250m to Gora(4250m). You will be mesmerized after reaching the heart of Concordia full of ice smothered by the exotic views of spectacular Masherbrum, Muztagh Tower, and Gasherbrum IV. If we are fortunate enough with a clear evening, we will be bestowed with magnificent dawn and the red hue over Masherbrum.
Following the route to Mt. K2 base camp, Baltoro Glacier and Broad Base Camp present some enormous spectacles of Mustagh Tower (7,284m), Gasherbrum (8,080m), and Broad Peak itself (8,051m). Beholding those exquisite peaks, we will trek to Broad Base Camp ascending 322m elevation on the eleventh day of our journey. After our arrival at Broad Base Camp, we will find ourselves in Concordia, a large region of the glacier while K2 will still remain hidden.
After experiencing four eight-thousanders from Broad Base Camp, we will ascend to Mt K2 Base camp marking a significant day of our expedition. We will start at the earliest hour through small glacier rivers. After a couple of hours, we will be accomplishing a one-way journey to the base camp arriving at a traditional base camp especially structured for K2 climbers. If our schedule favors, we shall explore Gilkey Memorial which has been inscribed with the names of courageous hearts who died endeavoring K2.
As soon as we reach K2 Base Camp, K2 will majestically come into our sight in its gigantic form. K2 will seem to be at the closest distance from the base camp which will definitely make you admire it for eternity and you will dream of conquering its invincible summit. However, we will ascend around 578m from Broad Base Camp with tiring feet wanting to rest at K2 Base Camp.
We will stay at the base camp for a couple of days preparing for the climb. Our route will follow high camps 1, 2, and 3 making at least one rotation climb before our attempt to the summit. Our team of Sherpas will fix the routes up to the Summit. Meanwhile, we will do some training with the expedition equipment. Our team will speculate the weather for the ascent to the summit. Most probably, we will reach the summit on July 31 or August 1 if everything goes as per the schedule. After conquering the summit of the King of the Mountains, K2, we will spend some wonderful time beholding the surrounding massif. Standing atop the second highest mountain in the world, gazing at the massif of giant peaks all around must be one of the best feelings for any mountaineer.
After spending the exotic time on top of K2, we descend to the Base Camp to rest overnight.
After accomplishing the summit, we will start our preparation for descending back to the high camps and the base camp evaluating the weather. We will rest at the base camp for a night preparing to trek down to lower elevation.
After resting at the base camp for a night, we will continue to descend from the base camp to Gora on the forty-fourth day. We will follow our descending route until we return back to Askole, a small town in Shigar valley.
Following our travel schedule, we will drive back to Skardu and rest after a seven-hour drive from Askole. We will freshen up and get ready for the flight to Islamabad.
From Skardu, we will fly back to Islamabad and enjoy the aerial view of the capital city for an hour.
After the completion of a fifty-day expedition, you can relax in Islamabad strolling around The Pakistan Monument, Lok Virsa Museum, Faisal Mosque, Margalla Hills, Daman-e-Koh,and many more cultural places of this great city.
Our expedition to the summit of K2 concludes on this day. We will cordially implore farewell with countless memories. One of our representatives will escort you to Islamabad Airport a few hours earlier to your scheduled flight.
Trekking in the Karakoram Region is always challenging because of its unpredictable weather. We try our best to schedule our trips in the most appropriate seasons. The above-mentioned itinerary may change as per the trip’s complexities but we guarantee you that the quality of service shall not be compromised at all. In case of delayed or canceled flights, we must inform you that besides the total number of days included in the itinerary, clients shall be obliged to bear the expenses of the extra days themselves. Somehow, 8K Expeditions will undoubtedly facilitate necessary arrangements for your convenience at a reasonable extra charge.
Furthermore, we shall not be responsible for missed International Flights or your luggage before our reception. However, we would be delighted to minimize your loss. We advise scheduling flexible time frames before and after trip departure.
Climbers are suggested not to carry extravagant materials for their own comfort. They are advised to compose their mental and physical health which will be significantly required to resist remoteness, higher altitude, extreme weather, and diversion from their beloved families.
Expedition costs vary depending on factors including: group size, royalty and permit costs in different seasons, category of hotel accommodation, numbers of Sherpa’s allocated and equipment, type of arrangement and package customization. So, we would like to discuss with our client before offering the cost. Please feel free to contact 8K Expedition for any information about in your selected package.
We are eternally thankful to you for joining us!
