The motivation was lacking. However, I managed to get the Laila Peak drone video and Laila Peak vlog edited up. I got onto most of my admin work and then began to prepare for being the host of the Snow Lake Trek.

I’m excited to go on an expedition again with the new dynamic of a group trip and no climbing but I have to admit, I am feeling a bit drained after this year of expeditions, social media, and many other factors. Here’s a look at the two videos I edited this week from Laila Peak. There are also a few random photos from the week in Islamabad below. My computer on the bed, a night out full of meat with our guide, and Josh losing the battle against the buffet.

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In the end, it was a lack of rope to be able to fix the entire route but also our guides had never been further either. We discovered (and should’ve known prior) that usually the local Pakistani guides only take you to Camp 2 at a maximum and then you are on your own for the rest of the expedition. We weren’t prepared for this with gear no with expertise.

Nonetheless, we had amazing views from Camp 2 and it was still a great expedition. It was a similar price and duration to an EBC trek, which it surpasses in many ways. We will all remember this trip for the card games, patience at base camp, amazing views on our summit push, and immense fear this sharp slope put into us. Until next time Laila Peak.

Snow Lake starts on the K2 Basecamp Trek trail and finishes in Hispar on the Hunza side. The trek is quite remote, even more so than K2 Basecamp Trek with only a few trekking groups succesfully making the crossing each year. So remote in fact, that is one of the last regions in Pakistan where you might cross paths with Markhor, Ibex, Himalayan Bears and even Snow Leapords.

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SNOW LAKE TREKKING GUIDE

In this blog post, I will cover everything you need to know about the logistics of the Snow Lake Trek and also share with you my experience of the trek. This will give you an idea of what to expect and a great insight into the scenery you will find on each day of the trek. Before sharing my experience on the trek in the second section of this blog post, I will detail all of the information you need to know in this complete guide about the Snow Lake Trek.

SNOW LAKE TREK DETAILS

While trekking through the Karakoram Mountain Range towards K2 Basecamp, you can expect harsh camping weather conditions such as snowstorms or days on end of the exposed sun. The rocky, glacial terrain makes this a tough trek but also provides some of the most incredible trekking views in the world. Unlike the popular Everest Base Camp trek, which is visited by more than 100,000 trekkers annually, the K2 Basecamp Trek sees just over 1000 visitors a year making it a brilliant alternative for adventure-seekers.

• Distance: 120 km through-hike
• Days required: 12-14 days
• Total Incline: ( with undulation) – 4,000 m
• The highest point on the trek: 5,200m
• Difficulty: This trek was much harder than Everest Base Camp Trek as it was more remote, tougher terrain, and less commercialized. One of the major differences is that you will be camping every night rather than in tea houses. Also, the terrain is along a rocky, icy glacier making it much more difficult to cover distances rather than a path that leads you to Everest Base Camp. Having said that, there was nothing technical involved to cross the Hispar La although there were many crevasses we needed to avoid. The acclimatization profile was very good as you have seven days to reach the highest point on the Hispar La
• Permits: Your tour operator will take care of these. It isn’t possible to hike independently and you must book with a guide and a registered tour operator.
• Guide: A guide is required on this trek and the guide manages all of the logistics, distances, directions, and camping sites. The directions weren’t always very clear like on the Everest Base Camp trek and having the guide manage all of the logistics was great.
• Accommodation: Each night you will camp at an incredibly scenic campsite with views of 7000m peaks visible. Trust me you will be entranced just while looking out of your tent window.

BOOKING A TOUR FOR K2 BASECAMP TREK

The Snow Lake Trek does require a guide. I did the trek with Epic Backpacker Tours, which is one of the top trekking companies in Pakistan. The owner, Chris, has explored all over Pakistan and is joined by an experienced Pakistani team of cooks, porters, and guides.

The trek costs approximately $4200 USD with Epic Backpacker Tours as of 2022 and includes all transfers, accommodation, meals, drinks, and permits. The itinerary is 21 days even though the trek is just 14 days, which is to allow for domestic travel on either side of the trek and any potential delays with domestic flights or road conditions/landslides. I honestly had a great time and can wholeheartedly recommend Epic Backpacker Tours.

INSURANCE FOR THE SNOW LAKE TREK

Pakistan is a precarious place for climbing or hiking because the availability of helicopter rescue is almost non-existent. Compared to places like Nepal, helicopter rescue requires prior organization and deposits of $5000+ by your trekking or climbing company. There is a solution though.

Need extra protection?

Regular travel insurance is great but won’t cover you for high altitude hikes or for helicopter evacuation. Each year, I purchase a Global Rescue Subscription.

For less than $500 per year or $100 per expedition, you can purchase a Global Rescue subscription and be covered no matter how extreme the hike or how high the climb is.

TREKKING TO SNOW LAKE: WIFI/ELECTRICITY AVAILABILITY

Wifi: There is no WiFi on this trek although some operators may provide a satellite connection. Most will not offer WiFi.
Electricity: Our team had a generator, which was carried by a mule. Each night, one jug of gasoline would be used for the generator so we could charge cameras, phones, headlamps, power banks, and even drone batteries for a few hours each night. This seems to be standard practice among tour operators but you will need to check if it is available. I also took a small solar panel, which worked well to charge my phone and power bank each day.

PEAKS YOU CAN VIEW ALONG THE TREK

Along the Snow Lake Trek, there are a number of high peaks to observe. Peaks you might find along the way include, Distaghil Sar (7,885 m) Kanjut Sar (7,760m), and Makrong Chhish (6,607m). There is the Latok group (Latok I: 7,145m, Latok II: 7,108 m, Latok III: 6,949m, Latok IV: 6,456m) and Baintha Brakk/The Ogre (7,285m).

SNOW LAKE TREK ITINERARY

• SKARDU TO ASKOLI (3,000m) 7 HOURS DRIVE
• TREK TO NAMLA,(3,566m) 6-7 HOURS WALK
• TREK TO MANGO,(3,720m) 5-6 HOURS WALK
• TREK TO BIANTHA (4,035m) 5-6 HOURS WALK
• REST & ACCLIMATISATION DAY
• TREK TO MARFOGORO (4,300m) 6 HOURS WALKING
• TREK TO KARPHOGORO (4,680m) 6 HOURS WALK
• TREK TO HISPAR LA BASE CAMP,(4,590m) 6 HOURS WALK
• TREK TO HISPAR LA BY CROSSING SNOW LAKE, (5150m) 6 HOURS WALK
• CROSS SNOW LAKE AND TREK TO KANI BASA, (4,510m) 4 HOURS WALK
• TREK TO BAKHTUR BAIG (4,470m) 6 HOURS WALK
• TREK TO SHIGHAM BARIS (4,170m) 7 HOURS WALK
• TREK TO BITENMAL, (3,760m) 6 HOURS WALK
• TREK TO HISPAR VILLAGE, (2,300m) 4 HOURS WALK

MY EXPERIENCE ON THE SNOW LAKE TREK

Over the last couple of years, I had heard from many other hikers that the Snow Lake trek was the most scenic route in Pakistan. It was also known to be much more remote than the more commercialized routes in Pakistan and was often difficult to accomplish due to conditions and crevasses. It sounded like a challenge worth attempting and something a little more off the beaten path than other hikes in Pakistan. So, we rallied a group together and set off to cross the Hispar La on the Snow Lake Trek.

After a couple of days in Skardu, we set off in the Jeeps to Askole to camp for the night before starting our trek the next day. We knew we were in for a long journey, but nothing would prepare us for the adventure to come.

The first couple of days are the toughest on most treks in the Karakoram. The combination of extreme heat and rocky terrain make the progress slow and arduos. Heat stroke hits many newcomers to the region and the remoteness of the region quickly becomes apparent.

Our route begins on the same path as the K2 Basecamp Trek from Askole, but quickly diverges onto the Biafo Glacier. We will follow the glacier all the way up until Snow Lake over the next week. It undulates along dusty paths and rocky mounds with hardly a slither of shade for respite. The scenery is beauitful but these first few days are about survival and saving energy.

Our first few days on the Snow Lake Trek went to plan. We had no injuries, some members with mild heat stroke and the entire team was upbeat and ready to march on. We made it out of the rocky glacier to Biantha Camp. Having grass beneath our feet was a great feeling after the hot, rocky terrain we had been enduring til that point. Having now reached almost 4000m, it was time for a rest day. Here we set up camp and proceeded to play cards, eat well and rest the bodied before the next phase of the expedition.

The next phase of our journey was the easiest. The weather had now cooled and we no longer melted while trekking. The terrain had leveled out ever so slightly to be less rocky and we encoutnered flat, icy glacier from time to time. We didn’t see any green grass after leaving Biantha but the scenery and peaks began to grow in stature and become more immense.

The remoteness of our surroundings became apparent for two reasons. Firstly, the vast glacier dwarfed our team. Like ants, we marched across the expanse towards Snow Lake. 6000m and 7000m peaks began to appear when the clouds offered a break. We were now several days from help in both directions and a sense of vulnerability swept over the team although this added to the adventurous nature of the joruney.

However, the second reminder of our remoteness was the sad news that a French trekker had suffered severe illness up at a higher altitude than us. With no radio, Garmin or chance of heli-evacuation, he had passed away on the glacier as his team tried to carry him down. They had waited three days to dry and descend. We passed by the body, which lay wrapped in a sleeping bag on the glacier. It was a sad moment on our trip and a reminder that we were visitors here in a harsh and merciless environment.

We made it through to Kharfogoro, a rocky outcrop that would be our temporary home. Setting up camp was tough, as there were limited capsites despite us being the only team on the trek. We would have to get comfortable however, as bad weather set in and we ended up spending three nights here.

Kharfogoro became a pivotal point in our journey. We discovered that this is the location where many groups turn around. Porter managers and staff of many teams try and make the case of bad conditions and insufficent gear of the porters. They want to go back to Askole and deem it unsafe to push on. We had to have some big conversations about safety, responsibility and fulfilment of what we set out to do. Ultimately we managed to get everyone on board and motivated to attempt to cross the Hispar La. We assured our porter team we would break trail and lead the way while roped up.

From Kharfogoro, we had a 10km journey, hopping over crevasse fields, to reach Snow Lake Camp. The trek name can be deceptive. There are no lakes just a lot of snow. Reaching the camp was a great relief as it was right beneath the path. Arriving here to our mini village meant that we would be indeed continuing on rather than turning back to Askole.

Our campsite was an isolated collection of tents in the middle of a massive snowfield. Quite a sight from above.

The day had finally arrived. We woke early aiming to leave during sunrise to cross the Hispar La. While the journey was not a great distance, we knew it would be a long day. Due to bad weather, the porters requested to leave an hour or so later. The weather didn’t improve and this would end up being a bad decision causing us to arrive to camp in the dark on the other side of the pass.

We roped up in our individual groups and began the march up the pass. Deep snow, often hip high, slowed us to a crawl as we took a few hours just to reach the top of the pass. Atop the pass, a wide plateau became difficult to navigate while in a complete whiteout. Despite being asked to lead the way and break the trail, a group of rogue porters and porter managers decided they didn’t like our route and set off on their own, often unroped. These are the kind of ‘workshops’ or debacles that I’ve come to expect when trekking in Pakistan. Things rarely run smoothly.

Luckily, none of our team had an issues with the constant danger of the crevasses and we managed to survive the day. It wasn’t in the safest fashion possible but that’s how it is in Pakistan. It’s the Wild Wild West sometimes.

On the slope down from the pass towards the Hispar Glacier, we encountered an endless stretch of deep crevasses. This was hard to navigate and the winding approach made our progress slow. We managed to survive our way down to the Hispar Glacier and make our way into camp just as nightfall approached. The slower members of our team arrived in the dark, dangerosuly navigated the cliff-side trails on loose rock in difficult, rainy conditions.

That was the drama of the trek over. We now just had to make the 3-4 day descent down to Hispar Village along the Hispar Glacier. The terrain is rough with lots of undulation over loose rocks. Long days of 20km+ on this type of challenging terrain is draining but the motivation to complete the route was ever strong.

The scenery was beautiful and we received some of the best weather over this period during the descent. We saw our first clear sunset, admired the peaks and even had an afternoon of warm sun to dry out our wet, musty gear.

These were the days we could revel in our success. We were the first teamand only team out of twenty five to make the crossing from Biafo to Hispar that season. It was a tired group but a proud one.

After a long couple of weeks, we though our adventure was over when we finally reached Hispar. A series of rockfalls had seriously damaged the road beyond repair out from Hispar. We loaded up in Jeeps and a couple of tractors to try and fix the damage. We patched up several spots on the road taking more than an hour to rebuild meters of road in one section. However, we reached some blockages to big to fix by hand. Dynamite or heavy machinery would be needed.

Thinking quickly, we asked the locals to ferry us out on motorbikes one by one. This was by far te sketchiest drive of my life. Bumpy, rocky and very narrow. I often looked over my shoulder to the left at the 100 meter drop below me. I said to myself just hold on, it’s not your time to go yet! We all sruvived although a few members did come off the bike and draw blood.

Surely the adventure ends there. Not in Pakistan. The bridge had been broken. There was no other way out. Luckily it was being repaired right when we arrived. By repaired, I mean completely rebuilt by hand. The team finsihed it in time for us to cross in the dark and call for Jeeps on the other side to pick us up. Finally at 9pm we made it to Hunza for a well earned meal back in civilization.

I hope you enjoyed this guide and recap for the Snow Lake Trek in Pakistan.

The next morning we set off for our two-week expedition of Laila Peak. The journey into basecamp was beautiful but quite short. Just two days of mild trekking for a total of 25 kilometers had us reaching our new home for the next two weeks.

Laila Peak base camp was probably one of the best base camps I’ve ever been to. The highlight was that we had a small, private glacial lake. It was great on the hot days for a dip/ice bath. The grass field of our base camp was awesome compared to the snow, rock, or dirt found at most base camps. We were also a transit point for most climbers coming down from 8000ers so we got to chat with them as they passed through on their way out of the Karakoram.

In this first week, week chilled out and did a small acclimatization hike to Chuspang at 4,700m. Everyone handled it well and we went back to playing cards while waiting out the weather window for the summit. A goat was sacrificed, we became professional card kings and we ate like champions. Often at times, we were unsure if it was a grueling expedition or a luxury holiday. Good times with mates amidst incredible scenery!

I had two flights to reach Pakistan. The first was from Manila to Doha and the second was from Doha to Islamabad. As I disembarked the plane in Doha, I somehow placed my passport wallet down on the seat amidst the rush around me of people trying to get off the plane. I realized I had left it there about 10-minutes later when I was in the transit area.

I immediately alerted the Qatar staff who were quite lethargic (it was midnight) and they acted incredibly slowly. By the time they sent someone to the plane, it was almost 45-minutes later. They said there was no passport found. How could it be? I stood there at the desk waiting for three hours for an update but nothing. If they can’t find it, that’s that. What a rookie mistake.

I missed my next flight and went to the lounge to wait for the Australian Embassy to open at 9 am. I’d known been awake for 48 hours straight due to the red-eye flight and overnight wait at Doha airport. The lost passport sector was still trying to locate my passport but I figured it was lost and not coming back. A

At 10 am the next morning, I was waiting outside the lost passport desk while simultaneously trying to contact the Australian Embassy to see if I could get an emergency replacement. In what was a true miracle, my passport had been located. It still took another two hours to get to me for some reason but I had it back with $500 worth of foreign currency, my German passport, driver’s license, and more.

It turned out, that the cleaning team had found it and handed it in before the Qatar team got there to check. So it was caught in limbo between being put into the system. Bad luck and bad timing. Thankfully, Qatar put me on the next flight with no extra charge and I made it to Islamabad at 10 pm.

I then took a taxi and arrived at the hotel to finally meet Josh Lynott. It’s been ages since we traveled together so it was great to link up again for this Pakistan trip. Unfortunately, I couldn’t catch up on sleep. I had to quickly repack all my stuff to take only what I needed for this first expedition in one duffel. We had to wake up at 4 am and head to the airport to get to Skardu.

Everything went to plan and we touched down in Skardu where we waited a couple of days for Chris Lininger to arrive and then our team was complete and ready for our Laila Peak expedition the following week. What an unnecessary whirlwind!

Part of me knew the rest was good but after catching up on all of my work for the first day or so, I had almost a week of good old plain boredom. I could tell my body, mind, and soul were fatigued after a few months of at-times difficult travel throughout Pakistan. I didn’t have the motivation or the energy to start any new projects. I settled with myself and simply finished my current projects and articles.

The only salvation from my boredom in the apartment was an outdoor gym, which was a 25-minute drive away. With nothing else to do, each day I would take an Uber (very cheap) to and from the gym and wander around a little after. I couldn’t afford to have a positive COVID test so I was really limiting my interactions with people. Netflix, gym, Youtube, home-cooking, skype calls and sleep-filled the week. It was honestly one of the most boring weeks of my life but I feel rested and ready for travel again, which is sometimes not the case.

Often with non-stop travel and this type of lifestyle, you don’t really crave the next adventure. You simply survive the transit and begin to enjoy it once you are there. However, a lacklustre week like mine in Islamabad has you looking forward to the next trip more than normal as you have something to compare with. Of course, I could have been out sightseeing in Islamabad to fill the time but I wasn’t too interested in a city tourist outing so I just made it through the days.

As always, there are no complaints just observations of different situations throughout my nomadic life. This week was an introspective seven days but the action is coming back. I’m about to head to Nepal for one of my biggest adventures yet.

In this Weekly, I will re-share the text from the second week of the climb. This portion of the story sees us attack the summit push after having reached base camp last week.

ACCLIMATIZATION ROTATION TO CAMP 2 ON SPANTIK PEAK

Our focus now turns to acclimatization. We will first make a rotation, which will include camps one and two before coming back down to basecamp and riding out a few bad days of weather. With acclimatization under our belt, we will then wait for a weather window and make the push up all three camps, and head on to the summit on our next venture up the mountain.

The journey from basecamp to Camp 1 is inherently steep. The distance is just a mere 2-kilometers but in that small journey, you will ascend more than 800m. With rocky terrain, often laced with gravel, this route can be a little slippery but overall is a comfortable ascent. At the halfway point there is a magnificent perch overlooking the Chogholungma Glacier, which we have traversed to reach basecamp from Arandu. The views of the glacier and surrounding peaks only increase as you continue the ascent up to Camp 1. You can expect this journey to take about two hours from base camp to Camp 1.

At the campsite, you will find a few small ledges with room for a handful of tents. The view right out of the tent is purely amazing with the Chogholungma Glacier in full view. The snowline begins right at the campsite, which means in the morning you can put your boots and crampons on and head off into the snow. We left this tent set up and stored gear in here while venturing further up the mountain.

Once you leave the comforts of Camp 1 behind, you venture into the land of snow and crevasses. The route follows the narrow ridgeline, with four kilometers of undulation leading you towards the second camp of Spantik. It’s important to rope up here as a team or at least a duo. There were multiple crevasses that at times swallowed our ankles and we even found ourselves knee-deep in snow during some moments. The conditions will vary depending on the weather and snowfall. On our acclimatization hike from Camp 1 to Camp 2, the journey took us four hours. The next time we did this traverse in heavier snow would take us eight hours as we had to break the entire trail in thick snow.

Camp 2 is on a wide plateau with steep drop-offs down to the glacier on either side of the site. It’s very exposed so there isn’t really anywhere to hide at this campsite from a stinging sun or a fierce storm. We had a couple of incredible sunsets here and the shots from the drone shots captured by Off The Atlas at this campsite are just phenomenal.

After a night at Camp 1 and then spending the following night at Camp 2, we headed back to basecamp in one day. The journey down from Camp 2 took us two hours and then from Camp 1 to base camp took just 1.5 hours. Therefore, descending from Camp 2 to basecamp took us 3.5 hours in these good conditions during our acclimatization.

CLIMBING SPANTIK PEAK

After arriving back down at Spantik Base Camp, we had to start analyzing the weather for a potential summit push window. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t looking great and our only window for the next ten days was a 3.5-day period directly after a forecasted snowfall. This would mean heavy snow conditions up top on the ridge and peak in the days before we made our summit push. Not ideal, but it was our only window and we were willing to head up and give it a chance. It’s important to note that you really do need a satellite phone or Garmin InReach to be able to access the weather, which will help you make decisions about your weather window.

We hung out at basecamp in the snow for a few days. I watched my tent become completely engulfed by the snowstorm to the point I couldn’t even make it out of the yellow fabric underneath. We kept warm in our mess tent, ate well, and prepared both mentally and physically for the task ahead.

The weather had given us three clear days and then one semi-clear day. This was our 3.5-day weather window. Our plan was to climb to Camp 2 on day one, then to Camp 3 on day two. On the night of day two, we would begin our summit push to Spantik Peak and then descend back to Camp 3 on day three. We would then descend all the way to basecamp on day four to complete the journey. This plan would be quite manageable in normal conditions but due to the thick snowfall in the days prior, it would be a massive mission if we could pull it off.

Our journey began with the short climb back up to Camp 1. This time much of the trail was covered in the snow whereas, during our acclimatization journey, the snowline began after Camp 1. We stopped for an hour or so to assess the conditions while at Camp 1 but our guides decided it was ‘safe enough’ to continue on to Camp 2.

A journey that had taken us just 3-4 hours previously, this time cost us almost 8 hours as we reached Camp 2 late in the day. Thick snow was slowing us down dramatically and increasing the chance of falling into the menacing crevasses. Nevertheless, we made it to Camp 2, which was our objective for the day and I was relieved at that. It meant our summit push dreams were still alive.

The following morning as we were packing up, a disaster occurred. Chris, my climbing partner, was packing up his bag when his sleeping bag slipped out. In the blink of an eye, it was yards away and picking up speed as it began to roll down the steep hill. A $500 sleeping bag was gone as we headed up to sleep for two nights at 6,200 meters. Would we survive sharing just one bag between the two of us? We were about to find out!

The climb up from Camp 2 to Camp 3 is largely the most technical part of the entire expedition. It doesn’t involve anything too extreme but you will jumar up a 45-degree slope for several hours (depending on your speed) to reach the third camp. The views back down the Chogholungma Glacier while ascending are just incredible and this section of the climb was definitely my favorite.

Despite the relatively short distance from Camp 2 to Camp 3 of less than four kilometers, the trip took us the entire day. The approach to the jumar section was incredibly thick with snow and the ‘Shark Fin’ ridge had to be traversed with care for crevasses. We ended up reaching Camp 3 at 6 pm after leaving early that morning. We then had just two hours of sleep after setting up the tents before it would be time to rise again to begin the final summit push to Spantik Peak.

After two hours of uncomfortable napping, we rustled ourselves out of the tent at 9 pm and geared up with boots, crampons, and all of our warmest gear. It was time for the summit push.

Our journey to the summit was dark, cold, and arduous. Through the night we trudged through the thick snow reaching the plateau by sunrise to sit beneath the final climb to Spantik Peak. With bad weather and blizzards rolling in, two members from the other expedition decided to head back. Our guides sipped a tea with us and said they were happy to move on to complete the mission.

The final climb up Spantik Peak is a continuous steep slope gaining the final 500m of elevation to reach 7,027m above sea level. The thick snow became incredibly difficult to manage throughout this portion of the climb. It seemed as if we moved two steps forward and one step backward with no traction for crampons or ice axes.

Unfortunately, at the summit, we had a complete whiteout with only a glimpse of Nagar Valley for a few moments. On a clear day, you can expect to find incredible views including looks toward K2, Nanga Parbat as well as other peaks. On this day it was snowing sideways. We took a photo, a breather, and then began the long descent back to Camp 3. We made it back to camp just before sunset completing a 22-hour push on just two hours of sleep. We made it.

The following morning, we woke tired and fatigued but had to descend all the way down to basecamp. It snowed heavily again during the night so we had to break the trail once again. It ended up taking us the entire day to descend and we reached basecamp at sunset after an arduous journey back down the ridge. We celebrated with a coca-cola (no alcohol allowed in Pakistan) and went straight to bed.

A rest day would have been nice but our team of porters had arrived and so we had to wake up at sunrise and march 28km in the piercing sun to Chogo Balansa, which is the first camp on the trek into Spantik Base Camp. We survived the day and then made the final 14km trek back out to Arandu the next day. Keeping the surprising level of efficiency rolling, we then jumped straight into a Jeep and headed back to Skardu that night. The following morning we flew to Islamabad. If you know anything about traveling in Pakistan, you would be astounded at that turnaround. Normally one form of transport fails you but on this occasion, we were in Islamabad just four days after being on the summit of Spantik Peak.

I’ll add the excerpts from that article to this Weekly about our journey from Skardu to Spantik Base Camp.

TREKKING TO SPANTIK BASECAMP

Day One: The time had come to begin our adventure after a lot of logistical planning and preparation. We drove the short distance from the campsite to the Arandu village center in the Jeep. This is where the trek really begins. We met a few locals and grabbed some last-minute essentials in Arandu before crossing the bridge and heading off into the mountains, waving goodbye to the local kids.

The first day of trekking leads you along the upper ridge of the glacier, avoiding the arduous, rocky undulations of the glacier itself. It was pleasant hiking with a dirt path for most of the journey. A small rain shower threatened our great start but passed quickly as we settled into a great weather window, which would last for our entire journey to base camp.

The most surprising aspect of the trek in the early moments was how lush and green the terrain was. I didn’t expect to walk through fields of wildflowers, which was a stark comparison to many other rocky, dry, and dusty treks in Pakistan.

From the first moments of the trek, we were treated to spectacular views of the surrounding snow-covered peaks. It’s a very scenic journey and the trek towards basecamp is a spectacle in itself. Small farming villages comprising of a few rock huts are scattered throughout the route. Our campsite for night one was amidst one of these villages called Chogo Balansa (3350m) with the porters using the huts to sleep in, foregoing tents or tarps.

Our first day of trekking to basecamp was 14km with 937m of incline taking us just over four hours to complete. 

Day Two: An early start with clear skies was the motivation we needed to get moving towards Bolocho Camp. The total distance for the day would again be 14km with 742m of incline taking us just over five hours. 

Today we traversed the ridge above the glacier again, only detouring down onto the ice to avoid a few landslide-impacted sections of the route. The hiking was quite straightforward again with a nice path for the majority of the route and only a few rocky, steep sections to navigate.

Our campsite for the night gave us spectacular views and we caught our first glimpse of Spantik Peak as the clouds parted late in the afternoon. It was a sunset special with all of the peaks, including Spantik, receiving some beautiful glow as the day came to a close. 

Our guides purchased an entire leg (20kg) of locally hunted Ibex, which apparently gives magical climbing powers and would surely be our staple food for the next few weeks. 

Day Three: Our final day of trekking to basecamp was a little more interesting than the mellow nature of the two days prior. We immediately dropped down onto the glacier and began traversing the ‘white highway’ directly towards Spantik. With clear weather, we were treated to views of the peak we would soon be attempting to climb. 

The glacier became more and more intricate, turning into an ice maze that only the local guides had the intuition to navigate. In several sections, we nervously walked alongside huge drops into crevasses on either side. Our guides roped us up once but other than that we followed the ‘porters route’ all the way across the glacier and lived to tell the tale. I think in Europe, there would be a lot more ropes and safety implemented for this glacier crossing but not out here in the Wild Wild West of Northern Pakistan.

After passing across the last of the ice on the glacier, we had one final task for the day before reaching our new home, Spantik Basecamp.  A steep climb led us up the foot of Spantik Mountain for a couple of hundred meters to the basecamp. The hill was covered in lush free grass and purple, red and yellow wildflowers. It is quite a sight and definitely an unexpected color palette at 4300m of elevation. It’s seemingly a little slice of Switzerland in the often harsh and unforgiving landscapes of Pakistan.

After 42km and more than 2000m of incline over three days, we made it to Spantik Basecamp in the early afternoon. Tents were set up, kitchens were constructed and our toilet tent was erected. We had settled in for what would likely be at least two weeks depending on our weather windows. Spantik Basecamp is one of the most scenic basecamps I’ve ever set foot upon. Perched on the edge of the cliff with 270-degree views of the surrounding peaks and directly down into the glacier, it is a phenomenal spot for both sunrise and sunset. With the wildflowers providing a pop of color to the hills behind us, it’s not hard to envision being ‘stuck up here for a couple of weeks.

CLIMBING SPANTIK PEAK IN PAKISTAN

In this blog post, I will cover everything you need to know about the logistics of a Spantik Peak Climbing Expedition and also detail my experience through photos and shared stories. This will give you an idea of what to expect and a great insight into the scenery you will find on each day of the trek and climb. Before sharing my experience with this expedition in the second section of this blog post, I will detail all of the information you need to know in this complete guide about climbing Spantik Peak.

If you want to climb Spantik Peak organized by the same team I went with you can contact Epic Backpacker Tours and just let them know I sent you and they will sort you out. They normally run one or two expeditions a year to Spantik and have western and local guides who have summited Spantik before. You can view their prices and full expedition details by clicking to view their Spantik Expedition Sign-Up Page.

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SPANTIK PEAK BASECAMP TREK DETAILS

• Distance: 42 km one-way
• Days required: We took three days up and two days down, which is standard timing.
• Total Incline: 2,500m of incline througout the three day journey to basecamp.
• Difficulty: The three-day trek to Spantik basecamp is quite manageable for most hikers. While there is around 600-1000m of elevation each day, the undulating terrainp gives moments of respite and recovery with easy walking. The toughest and only dangerous parts of this route are the times spent on the glacier during the third day. Here your guide needs to choose a route to help you avoid the many crevasses and steep drop-offs. Even with a guide, we roped up several times as a precaution due to the slippery slopes on either side of the crevasses.
• Permits: Your tour operator will take care of these. It isn’t possible to hike independently and you must book with a guide and a registered tour operator.
• Guide: A guide is required on this trek and the guide manages all of the logistics, distances, directions, and camping sites. The directions weren’t always very clear regarding the path. The glacier imparticular was like a maze and a local guide is 100% necessary.
• Accommodation: Each night you will camp at an incredibly scenic campsite.

CLIMBING DETAILS FOR SPANTIK PEAK

Camp 1:(5100m), 5 hrs: The route from base camp to Camp 1 begins on grass from basecamp, before ascending a solid rocky ridge. Camp 1 is located just before the snowline and is your last chance to wear trekking boots.

Camp 2: (5650m), 4-5 hrs: The climb from Camp 1 to 2 is mostly easy walking on moderately angled snow but requires the occasional crevasse to be crossed.

Camp 3: (6295m), 5-6 hrs: Situated on a wide plateau, Camp 3 has incredible views over the Hindu Kush and Karakoram. The climb from Camp 2 to Camp 3 includes the steepest slopes at 30-45 degrees on which fixed line will be placed for security for our ascent and descent. A jumar and belay device will be used to ascend and descend this route.

Summit: The climb from Camp 3 to the summit of Spantik usually takes around 7 to 10 hours and will be climbed alpine style, with the expedition group divided into rope teams.

INSURANCE FOR SPANTIK PEAK

Pakistan is a precarious place for climbing because the availability of helicopter rescue is almost non-existent. Compared to places like Nepal, helicopter rescue requires prior organization and deposits of $5000+ by your trekking or climbing company. There is a solution though.

Need extra protection?

Regular travel insurance is great but won’t cover you for high altitude hikes or for helicopter evacuation. Each year, I purchase a Global Rescue Subscription.

For less than $500 per year or $100 per expedition, you can purchase a Global Rescue subscription and be covered no matter how extreme the hike or how high the climb is.

MY SPANTIK PEAK HIGHLIGHT VIDEO

SPANTIK PEAK CLIMBING PACKING LIST

I pack pretty light and managed to wash most of my clothes each afternoon/night for the first half of the trip. In the latter stages of the trip, it was pretty cold so we weren’t sweating as much and we wore our warm gear basically nonstop. During the day it was incredibly hot and then very cold at night so you need a good spread of warm weather gear and cold weather gear. Our porter allowance was 12kg and the rest we needed to carry during the day on our way to the basecamp, such as personal items, cameras, and rainjackets.

Clothes

• 1 pair of pants that maybe convert to shorts
• 1 pair of shorts
• 1 Warm or thicker pair of hiking pants
• 1 Long sleeve quick-dry shirt
• 1 Long-sleeve thermal shirt
• 2 Short-sleeve t-shirts
• 1 Thermal long underwear
• 4 pairs of quick-dry underwear
• 1 Lightweight down jacket
• 1 Heavy-duty summit down jacket
• 1 Beanie
• 1 Cap

Gear

• Sunglasses
• 1 Neck Buff
• Gloves
• Hiking boots
• Microspikes
• Headtorch
• Helmet
• Crampons
• 6000-8000m climbing boots
• Descender
• Carabiners
• Warm mitts or high-altitude gloves
• Glacier glasses
• Harness
• Gaiters
• 1 pair of warm summit socks
• 3 pairs of regular socks
• Sunscreen
• Trekking poles
• Water filter
• Powerbank
• Camera

My camera gear included a DJI Mavic Pro 2 drone, 100-400mm, Mirrorless body, 16-35mm lens, 24-105mm lens, GoPro Max, Sony RX100, and a tripod. I used a 40L camera bag and my porter had my 12kg duffel.

SPANTIK WIFI/ELECTRICITY AVAILABILITY

Wifi: There is no WiFi on this trek although some operators may provide a satellite connection. Most will not offer WiFi. It’s important to bring a satellite phone or Garmin InReach to be able to coordinate with the weather. Without a weather report, you will have no idea when it is safe for your summit push.

Electricity: Our team had a generator, which was carried up to the base camp. Each night, one jug of gasoline would be used for the generator so we could charge cameras, phones, headlamps, power banks, and even drone batteries for a few hours each night. This seems to be standard practice among tour operators but you will need to check if it is available. I also took a small solar panel, which worked well to charge my phone and power bank each day.

GETTING TO ARANDU VILLAGE

Our journey to Spantik, also known as the ‘Golden Peak’, began in Skardu at the Masharbum Hotel. After a couple of days of preparation in the dusty streets of the small mountain town, we had gathered the essentials and packed our bags ready for our big adventure. A vintage Jeep awaited us in the parking lot and we loaded our bags and barrels. 

The drive to Arandu Village takes about five hours and passes through many small villages along the way. The roads aren’t quite as precarious as the journey to Askole, which is the starting point for the K2 Basecamp Trek. A surprise along the journey was a lunch stop at Chu Tron. Here we not only had a great local meal but also soaked our legs in the natural hot springs. 

By mid-afternoon, we had reached the camping site just before Arandu Village and set up for a relaxing afternoon ready for our trek to begin in the morning. Our expedition had a potential of 20 days including the trek in and out of base camp, which gave us some time to wait for a good weather window while at base camp.

TREKKING TO SPANTIK BASECAMP

Day One: The time had come to begin our adventure after a lot of logistical planning and preparation. We drove the short distance from the campsite to the Arandu village center in the Jeep. This is where the trek really begins. We met a few locals and grabbed some last-minute essentials in Arandu before crossing the bridge and heading off into the mountains, waving goodbye to the local kids.

The first day of trekking leads you along the upper ridge of the glacier, avoiding the arduous, rocky undulations of the glacier itself. It was pleasant hiking with a dirt path for most of the journey. A small rain shower threatened our great start but passed quickly as we settled into a great weather window, which would last for our entire journey to base camp.

The most surprising aspect of the trek in the early moments was how lush and green the terrain was. I didn’t expect to walk through fields of wildflowers, which was a stark comparison to many other rocky, dry, and dusty treks in Pakistan.

From the first moments of the trek, we were treated to spectacular views of the surrounding snow-covered peaks. It’s a very scenic journey and the trek towards basecamp is a spectacle in itself. Small farming villages comprising of a few rock huts are scattered throughout the route. Our campsite for night one was amidst one of these villages called Chogo Balansa (3350m) with the porters using the huts to sleep in, foregoing tents or tarps.

Our first day of trekking to basecamp was 14km with 937m of incline taking us just over four hours to complete. 

Day Two: An early start with clear skies was the motivation we needed to get moving towards Bolocho Camp. The total distance for the day would again be 14km with 742m of incline taking us just over five hours. 

Today we traversed the ridge above the glacier again, only detouring down onto the ice to avoid a few landslide-impacted sections of the route. The hiking was quite straightforward again with a nice path for the majority of the route and only a few rocky, steep sections to navigate.

Our campsite for the night gave us spectacular views and we caught our first glimpse of Spantik Peak as the clouds parted late in the afternoon. It was a sunset special with all of the peaks, including Spantik, receiving some beautiful glow as the day came to a close. 

Our guides purchased an entire leg (20kg) of locally hunted Ibex, which apparently gives magical climbing powers and would surely be our staple food for the next few weeks. 

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Day Three: Our final day of trekking to basecamp was a little more interesting than the mellow nature of the two days prior. We immediately dropped down onto the glacier and began traversing the ‘white highway’ directly towards Spantik. With clear weather, we were treated to views of the peak we would soon be attempting to climb. 

The glacier became more and more intricate, turning into an ice maze that only the local guides had the intuition to navigate. In several sections, we nervously walked alongside huge drops into crevasses on either side. Our guides roped us up once but other than that we followed the ‘porters route’ all the way across the glacier and lived to tell the tale. I think in Europe, there would be a lot more ropes and safety implemented for this glacier crossing but not out here in the Wild Wild West of Northern Pakistan.

After passing across the last of the ice on the glacier, we had one final task for the day before reaching our new home, Spantik Basecamp.  A steep climb led us up the foot of Spantik Mountain for a couple of hundred meters to the basecamp. The hill was covered in lush free grass and purple, red and yellow wildflowers. It is quite a sight and definitely an unexpected color palette at 4300m of elevation. It’s seemingly a little slice of Switzerland in the often harsh and unforgiving landscapes of Pakistan.

After 42km and more than 2000m of incline over three days, we made it to Spantik Basecamp in the early afternoon. Tents were set up, kitchens were constructed and our toilet tent was erected. We had settled in for what would likely be at least two weeks depending on our weather windows. Spantik Basecamp is one of the most scenic basecamps I’ve ever set foot upon. Perched on the edge of the cliff with 270-degree views of the surrounding peaks and directly down into the glacier, it is a phenomenal spot for both sunrise and sunset. With the wildflowers providing a pop of color to the hills behind us, it’s not hard to envision being ‘stuck up here for a couple of weeks.

ACCLIMATIZATION ROTATION TO CAMP 2 ON SPANTIK PEAK

Our focus now turns to acclimatization. We will first make a rotation, which will include camps one and two before coming back down to basecamp and riding out a few bad days of weather. With acclimatization under our belt, we will then wait for a weather window and make the push up all three camps, and head on to the summit on our next venture up the mountain.

The journey from basecamp to Camp 1 is inherently steep. The distance is just a mere 2-kilometers but in that small journey, you will ascend more than 800m. With rocky terrain, often laced with gravel, this route can be a little slippery but overall is a comfortable ascent. At the halfway point there is a magnificent perch overlooking the Chogholungma Glacier, which we have traversed to reach basecamp from Arandu. The views of the glacier and surrounding peaks only increase as you continue the ascent up to Camp 1. You can expect this journey to take about two hours from base camp to Camp 1.

At the campsite, you will find a few small ledges with room for a handful of tents. The view right out of the tent is purely amazing with the Chogholungma Glacier in full view. The snowline begins right at the campsite, which means in the morning you can put your boots and crampons on and head off into the snow. We left this tent set up and stored gear in here while venturing further up the mountain.

Once you leave the comforts of Camp 1 behind, you venture into the land of snow and crevasses. The route follows the narrow ridgeline, with four kilometers of undulation leading you towards the second camp of Spantik. It’s important to rope up here as a team or at least a duo.

There were multiple crevasses that at times swallowed our ankles and we even found ourselves knee-deep in snow during some moments. The conditions will vary depending on the weather and snowfall. On our acclimatization hike from Camp 1 to Camp 2, the journey took us four hours. The next time we did this traverse in heavier snow would take us eight hours as we had to break the entire trail in thick snow.

Camp 2 is on a wide plateau with steep drop-offs down to the glacier on either side of the site. It’s very exposed so there isn’t really anywhere to hide at this campsite from a stinging sun or a fierce storm. We had a couple of incredible sunsets here and the shots from the drone shots captured by Off The Atlas at this campsite are just phenomenal.

After a night at Camp 1 and then spending the following night at Camp 2, we headed back to basecamp in one day. The journey down from Camp 2 took us two hours and then from Camp 1 to base camp took just 1.5 hours. Therefore, descending from Camp 2 to basecamp took us 3.5 hours in these good conditions during our acclimatization.

CLIMBING SPANTIK PEAK

After arriving back down at Spantik Base Camp, we had to start analyzing the weather for a potential summit push window. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t looking great and our only window for the next ten days was a 3.5-day period directly after a forecasted snowfall. This would mean heavy snow conditions up top on the ridge and peak in the days before we made our summit push. Not ideal, but it was our only window and we were willing to head up and give it a chance. It’s important to note that you really do need a satellite phone or Garmin InReach to be able to access the weather, which will help you make decisions about your weather window.

We hung out at basecamp in the snow for a few days. I watched my tent become completely engulfed by the snowstorm to the point I couldn’t even make it out of the yellow fabric underneath. We kept warm in our mess tent, ate well, and prepared both mentally and physically for the task ahead.

The weather had given us three clear days and then one semi-clear day. This was our 3.5-day weather window. Our plan was to climb to Camp 2 on day one, then to Camp 3 on day two. On the night of day two, we would begin our summit push to Spantik Peak and then descend back to Camp 3 on day three. We would then descend all the way to basecamp on day four to complete the journey. This plan would be quite manageable in normal conditions but due to the thick snowfall in the days prior, it would be a massive mission if we could pull it off.

Our journey began with the short climb back up to Camp 1. This time much of the trail was covered in the snow whereas, during our acclimatization journey, the snowline began after Camp 1. We stopped for an hour or so to assess the conditions while at Camp 1 but our guides decided it was ‘safe enough’ to continue on to Camp 2.

A journey that had taken us just 3-4 hours previously, this time cost us almost 8 hours as we reached Camp 2 late in the day. Thick snow was slowing us down dramatically and increasing the chance of falling into the menacing crevasses. Nevertheless, we made it to Camp 2, which was our objective for the day and I was relieved at that. It meant our summit push dreams were still alive.

The following morning as we were packing up, a disaster occurred. Chris, my climbing partner, was packing up his bag when his sleeping bag slipped out. In the blink of an eye, it was yards away and picking up speed as it began to roll down the steep hill. A $500 sleeping bag was gone as we headed up to sleep for two nights at 6,200 meters. Would we survive sharing just one bag between the two of us? We were about to find out!

The climb up from Camp 2 to Camp 3 is largely the most technical part of the entire expedition. It doesn’t involve anything too extreme but you will jumar up a 45-degree slope for several hours (depending on your speed) to reach the third camp. The views back down the Chogholungma Glacier while ascending are just incredible and this section of the climb was definitely my favorite.

Despite the relatively short distance from Camp 2 to Camp 3 of less than four kilometers, the trip took us the entire day. The approach to the jumar section was incredibly thick with snow and the ‘Shark Fin’ ridge had to be traversed with care for crevasses. We ended up reaching Camp 3 at 6 pm after leaving early that morning. We then had just two hours of sleep after setting up the tents before it would be time to rise again to begin the final summit push to Spantik Peak.

After two hours of uncomfortable napping, we rustled ourselves out of the tent at 9 pm and geared up with boots, crampons, and all of our warmest gear. It was time for the summit push.

Our journey to the summit was dark, cold, and arduous. Through the night we trudged through the thick snow reaching the plateau by sunrise to sit beneath the final climb to Spantik Peak. With bad weather and blizzards rolling in, two members from the other expedition decided to head back. Our guides sipped a tea with us and said they were happy to move on to complete the mission.

The final climb up Spantik Peak is a continuous steep slope gaining the final 500m of elevation to reach 7,027m above sea level. The thick snow became incredibly difficult to manage throughout this portion of the climb. It seemed as if we moved two steps forward and one step backward with no traction for crampons or ice axes.

Unfortunately, at the summit, we had a complete whiteout with only a glimpse of Nagar Valley for a few moments. On a clear day, you can expect to find incredible views including looks toward K2, Nanga Parbat as well as other peaks. On this day it was snowing sideways. We took a photo, a breather, and then began the long descent back to Camp 3. We made it back to camp just before sunset completing a 22-hour push on just two hours of sleep. We made it.

The following morning, we woke tired and fatigued but had to descend all the way down to basecamp. It snowed heavily again during the night so we had to break the trail once again. It ended up taking us the entire day to descend and we reached basecamp at sunset after an arduous journey back down the ridge. We celebrated with a coca-cola (no alcohol allowed in Pakistan) and went straight to bed.

A rest day would have been nice but our team of porters had arrived and so we had to wake up at sunrise and march 28km in the piercing sun to Chogo Balansa, which is the first camp on the trek into Spantik Base Camp. We survived the day and then made the final 14km trek back out to Arandu the next day. Keeping the surprising level of efficiency rolling, we then jumped straight into a Jeep and headed back to Skardu that night. The following morning we flew to Islamabad. If you know anything about traveling in Pakistan, you would be astounded at that turnaround. Normally one form of transport fails you but on this occasion, we were in Islamabad just four days after being on the summit of Spantik Peak.

Climbing Spantik Peak was a journey of a lifetime and challenged us immensely. In better weather conditions the mission may be less intense but this incredibly scenic ridge is not to be underestimated. It’s long, difficult to get a wide weather window and will push you to your limits. I hope this guide and story has given you an insight into climbing Spantik Peak and I wish you a safe journey and an incredible climb.

The three-day expedition begins by crossing the Passu Glacier before climbing up the ridge to reach Patundas Camp (4,300m). From the camp, it is possible to explore further up the ridge towards Passu Peak, where we reached 4800m of elevation.

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PATUNDAS TREK IN UPPER HUNZA

In this blog post, I will share with you all of the details about this 3-day trek including distances, campsites, guides, costs, locations, and also a full description of my experience with photos included. 

PATUNDAS 3-DAY TREK DETAILS

• Trek Distance: The total distance of the trek was 29 kilometers including our adventure up the ridge past Patundas Camp One.
• Trek Duration: This trek can be done in one day but it would be very difficult given the incline. I think the best duration is three days as we did. This means you can camp at Patundas Lower Camp just across the Passu Glacier on day one. Then do the steep climb to Patundas Camp One in the morning. In the afternoon of day two, we adventured up the ridge for sunrise and then stayed back at Patundas Camp One. On day three, we headed back down to Patundas Lower Camp in just over an hour before crossing the glacier and reaching back to our starting point.
• Trek Difficulty: This trek needs to be done with a guide. Crossing the glacier is simply not possible without the local knowledge of the guides. The incline of 2000m in just two days will also push many people to their limits. The terrain is rocky, gravel, glacier, and grass throughout the journey without any technical elements other than the glacier.
• Trek Incline: 2,177m total elevation although if you just went up to Patundas Camp One and back down the total elevation would be just 1600m. 
• Strava Map Upload: Patundas 3-Day Trekking

WHERE IS THE PATUNDAS TREK

The Patundas Meadows Trek starts near Borath Lake, which is in-between Ghulkin Village and Passu Village. My accommodation before the trek was at a local homestay in Ghulkin Village and then we had a 30-minute drive to the trailhead, just beyond Borath Lake. To reach this region, we flew from Islamabad to Gilgit on a one-hour flight and then drove a couple of hours to reach Ghulkin.

INSURANCE FOR THE PATUNDAS TREK

Pakistan is a precarious place for climbing or hiking because the availability of helicopter rescue is almost non-existent. Compared to places like Nepal, helicopter rescue requires prior organization and deposits of $5000+ by your trekking or climbing company. There is a solution though.

Need extra protection?

Regular travel insurance is great but won’t cover you for high altitude hikes or for helicopter evacuation. Each year, I purchase a Global Rescue Subscription.

For less than $500 per year or $100 per expedition, you can purchase a Global Rescue subscription and be covered no matter how extreme the hike or how high the climb is.

BOOKING A GUIDE

Our guide was organized while in Ghulkin Village. There are only about 2000 residents in Ghulkin Village so it’s safe to say everyone knows everyone. We were set up with a local guide called Hassan, who then, in turn, organized a small team of one more porter and one cook to join us on the expedition. I’ve added Hassan’s Whatsapp number below, but it is highly probable you can arrive at Ghulkin and organize your trek within 24-48 hours with no prior organization.

Hassan’s Phone Number:  +92 355 5328658

PATUNDAS TREK COSTS

Our trek was with a group of three and we employed two porters and a cook. The total cost of the three-day trek is actually super affordable. We paid a total of 30,000 Pakistani Rupees, which is equivalent to $180 USD. Split between three of us this equates to just $60 USD per person for three days of trekking including all food and permits. 

Compared to the $4000 cost for trekking to K2 Basecamp, this is a great budget option for hiking in Pakistan.

The only other cost involved was the transport to and from the trailhead from Ghulkin Village, which was about $30 USD but needs to be negotiated with Hassan.

MY EXPERIENCE ON THE 3-DAY PATUNDAS TREK

Day One: Our journey began in Ghulkin village, where we piled all of our gear into the Jeep and made the 30-min drive towards the trailhead. On the way, we passed the stunning Borath Lake as the Jeep bounced along the bumpy, dusty roads. We unloaded the gear and left the car in the parking lot as we began the first steps of our three-day adventure.

The first segment of the trail is commonly frequented by locals who make the 1-kilometer hike out the start of the glacier for a first-hand view. We began early so there were no crowds but on our return, we spotted more than fifty local tourists checking out the glacier along the path. Even on this early section of the trail, you have world-class views with glimpses of the glacier and the majestic Passu Cones. 

The trail leads you along the left side of the Passu Glacier on a rocky trail. Slowly but surely you rise alongside the Passu Glacier for incredible views of the icy formations across the expanse. Expect some early incline with a few steep hills as we grabbed five hundred meters of elevation to reach a small mountain cottage. Inside the cottage, we had a tea and snack while admiring the damage a giant boulder had inflicted onto the corner of the room.

After rising further from the cottage, it was time to strap on the crampons and venture onto the precarious Passu Glacier. This is the most dangerous part of the trek and having a guide is paramount. The local guides know the route well and despite the fact that the glacier is constantly changing and evolving, they do a good job of finding a safe route to the other side. We followed their steps precisely and made our way to the center of the glacier, where there was much more room for error with wide paths of ice. The first couple hundred meters was riddled with crevasses and quite an interesting journey of winding turns.

Once off the glacier and onto the other side, we could breathe a sigh of relief. Not only because we had reached safety but also because the day of trekking was all but over as we had reached the lower camp of Patundas. We set up our tents and cooking stations ready to settle in for the night. I actually decided to leave my tent in the bag and used one of the cottages, which even held up during a bit of stormy weather overnight. 

Our dinner table was made from fallen rocks and our team of guides cooked a beautiful chicken dish with chapati, of course. Day one had been an incredible adventure and we looked forward to scaling the big cliff behind us after a good night’s rest. 

Day Two: We woke in our private campsite and enjoyed a peaceful breakfast before packing up camp ready for a new day of challenges. The wall directly behind the lower camp is incredibly steep and is quite the leg burner for the first activity of the morning. We climbed about 700m in just a couple of kilometers as the trail runs up a number of switchbacks. You will be at around 3500 meters of altitude and above during this climb so expect to be a bit out of breath as you crawl up the mountain. The views of the Passu Glacier get better and better with every meter of elevation you gain and it becomes possible to grasp the size of the entire glacier as its entirety comes into view.

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We reached the false plateau around 8 am and even spotted a few ibex who quickly ran away at the sight of us. From here we just had a 20-minute uphill hike to reach Patundas camp in the heart of the meadow. 

Totally blown away by the view, I was a little overwhelmed as I reached the viewpoint within Patundas Camp. Now looking to the other side of the meadow, away from Passu Glacier, there was something even more impressive. Beneath the monolithic Passu Cones is Batura Glacier, the second-largest glacier in the world. We sat in the sun, legs dangling over the edge of the viewpoint in complete awe of the amazing scenes Pakistan consistently provides.

Our plan was to set up camp and take it easy for the middle portion of the day while the sun was the strongest. The guides had to do some lengthy expeditions to a still down the cliff to fetch enough water, which we then used for drinking and cooking. We took a nap, took in the view, and prepared for a late afternoon adventure up the ridge. 

At around 5 pm, two hours before sunset, we set off up the ridge in the direction of Passu Peak. This adventure would be the highlight of the entire trip but as we set off through the wide meadow, not a soul in sight. With the Passu Glacier and the Batura Glacier crowding us on either side, we marched up the ridge as our track became narrower and narrower. There is no defined viewpoint but we found a great lookout just before the track began to descend at around 4,800m. Here we had views down the Batura Glacier but we could also look down directly on Passu Glacier. All of the peaks in view, a couple of mates, and a bottle of Coca-Cola we had hiked all the way up made for an unforgettable Pakistan sunset. 

Hiking up the ridge from Patundas camp is entirely optional and makes the trek much more intensive but should be manageable for most adventurous hikers. There were no major elements of exposure when staying on the trail. We used head torches to make it back to Patundas Camp after the sun had set and then enjoyed a great dinner to cap off a memorable day two.

Day Three: After two days of adventure and incline, today was all about descending safely back to the trailhead. There were three main segments of the day. Firstly, we had a very steep downhill straight after breakfast. Secondly, we had to retrace our steps across the Passu Glacier. Thirdly, the journey back down the side of the Passu Glacier to the trailhead would cap off the adventure. 

This third day was quite long and the rocky terrain had us fatiguing towards the end but having an entirely downhill run helped us reach back to the trailhead by 1 pm. 

I hope you enjoyed this blog post about the Patundas Trek and it inspires you to venture to this beautiful part of the world.

Thanks for the additional photos by Chris Lininger from Off The Atlas.

I’m currently in the Mashabrum Hotel on the main street in Skardu. This hotel is a hub of activity with climbers, trekkers, and tourists using this hotel as a base for before and after the ventures into the Karakoram Mountain range and surrounding regions. 

Tomorrow I will head off in a Jeep on a bump eight-hour ride. This adventure is a little different from those that have come before it. I’ll be on a three-week expedition attempting to summit Spantik Peak (7,027m). 

Everything about this adventure is new to me. There have been lots of new gear added to the kit like 6000m boots, crampons, ice axes, ropes, and more. The altitude will not only be new but it will be more than 1000m higher than I’ve ever climbed or trekked in my life. Three weeks off-grid will be new. The weather at altitude will be new. How I react to all of these changes will be new as well. I’m interested, afraid, and confident all at the same time about how my body and my mind will react. 

I’ve never wanted to be a person who waited for the perfect time, excellent weather, a convenient period of life, or for all of my friends to be ready. Sometimes when a mate calls you and says are you up for climbing a mountain, you don’t ask anything other than when you need to be there. Life’s too short to wait for the perfect moment. What I’ve learned is that the perfect moment rarely comes and in fact, it often needs to be harnessed, created, and procured through your tenacity and willingness to dive into the unknown. So here I go, the unknown is calling and I’m answering.

We flew from Islamabad to Gilgit and drove to a small yurt-style accommodation called Mountain Story. This trip felt very relaxed and we were enjoying the laidback atmosphere of traveling with just three guys compared to the big group. The owner at Mountain Story brews his own beer from his very own hops and treated us to a couple of IPA’s. The trip was off to a great start.

The next day we headed off to Ghulkin Village, which is home to less than 2500 residents. Here we would base for a few days as we took in the village vibes. Staying at a homestay, we were able to explore the village and see how the locals went about their business. It was a beautiful place, which was covered in green crops and apricot trees. Huge peaks surrounded the village creating a great atmosphere within this small town.

A small hike one morning along the local suspension bridges dusted off the cobwebs from the K2 Trek and gave us some insights into the local scenery. A yak burger gave us insights into the local cuisine. We capped off our local sightseeing with a swim in Borath Lake to cool off in the searing heat.

Our big adventure for the trip was a 3-day trek to Patundas Meadows. Hidden amidst the towering peaks of the Upper Hunza region is an incredible plateau, wedged between two enormous glaciers. The Patundas ridge is in effect a shepherd’s meadow but it is so much more. Surrounded by the Passu Glacier on one side and the mighty Batura Glacier on the other flank, Patundas offers some of the most incredible glacier views in Pakistan. The three-day expedition begins by crossing the Passu Glacier before climbing up the ridge to reach Patundas Camp (4,300m). From the camp, it is possible to explore further up the ridge towards Passu Peak, where we reached 4800m of elevation.

This three-day hike was one of the best I’ve done with not another hike seen on the entire trek. It felt like a true adventure and we had a sunset I’ll never forget up at 4,800m on the ridge as we looked down on both glaciers.

After the trek, we were all pretty fatigued and spent a few days back at Mountain Story recovering and eating well. It was then goodbye to Joao, who headed off back to Islamabad, en route to Portugal. It was now just Chris and myself as we headed off to Skardu in preparation for our next big adventure.

These are my favorite moments from the week. I hope you had a good one also.