Welcome to Islamabad, The lush and green capital of Pakistan. After arriving at the Islamabad International Airport, you will be greeted by an Embark representative and transported to the hotel. A welcome briefing and reception will be held followed by a tour of King Shah Faisal Mosque Damanekoh and other places in Islamabad.

Today we already get a test of our patience and flexibility! There are two scenarios for the day: If the weather permits, we will board a scheduled 1-hour flight to Skardu. Upon arrival, a pre-arranged transport will take us to our hotel accommodations. If the flight is cancelled, we will travel to Chilas via land transport. Chilas is about a 13-14 hour drive along the famed Karakoram Highway through some of the most rugged terrain in the world: today's drive will set the bar of adventure for the rest of our trek.

Today is a "choose your own adventure" based on how things went yesterday. If we arrived in Skardu via plane, you are free to explore on your own, rest and prepare for the hike. Alternatively, if we are traveling via the highway, we will depart for Skardu. Bring a book- today's journey will take another 10-11 hours but the fact that this amazing highway was even built will leave you in awe! Along the way, we will glimpse the majestic Nanga Parbat one of the world’s tallest peaks.

Get ready for the mountainous drive from Skardu to Askoli today. We’ll have 5 to 6 hours’ in our mountain-ready jeeps over varied terrain as we work our way deeper into the Karakoram.

We set off early to avoid the heat of the day, but the route is gentle and enjoyable. We cross the Biafo Glacier on the way and get our first sight of the Paiyu pinnacles. We’ve got some distance to cover but today is mostly flat with some undulation. It will be important to carry sunscreen and plenty of water.

This morning we will make an early go of things as we’ve got 7-9 hours of trekking ahead of us. Thankfully, our path today is mostly flat with some slight undulation along rocky and sandy trails as we follow along the river. Typically this day can be a bit of a slog as there is little shade and it is incredibly hot and dusty. However, our efforts are not without rewards- already today the views become better as 23,000ft - 26,000ft peaks appear ever more prominently around every corner. Reaching Paiyu camp we are blessed with some much-appreciated protective shade and the persistance of those spectacular mountain views.

Today is a free day in Paiju Camp. spend the day exploring the nearby landscape as we rest and allow tie to acclimate our bodies to the increase in elevation. The camp is clean and the views are amazing. Watch as the sunset cast a magical glow on the surrounding mountainside. We also get to experience traditional dancing and music by our local guides and porters.

Climbing out of camp this morning we’re met with a challenging ascent of 2,600ft in just 5 miles. Mercifully, however, this climb brings us up to the mighty Baltoro glacier; we will follow the glacier for several days until we reach Concordia. The terrain is uneven, steep in parts and rock-laden; though there are a few parts of proper trail. Meeting up with the glacier means a sharp contrast to the exposed, harsh environment of the previous days as we encounter cool glacial caves, intricate ice formations and ponds. And the views only start to get better from here; with the mountains already looming ever-more prominently as we hike. Khoburtse camp is a bit smaller; but there’s access to a gorgeous waterfall nearby where many campers opt for a cold plunge. Camp is surrounded by peaks in all directions, making it easy to overlook the compact feeling of Khoburtse camp.

Today is an easier day, but be careful to go slow and not overdo it- we are definitely gaining in elevation now. We will trek mostly along the crest of a lateral moraine in our first glacier traverse of the trip, enjoying stunning views of Paiyu Peak. Urdukas is a genuinely epic campsite and a known favorite of the whole trek. We will take advantage of that by getting into camp early, giving us a chance to relax or even have a refreshing glacial shower while taking in the extensive views of Chorich, UliBiaho, and of Trango Towers!

Urdukas is an historic campsite on a grassy outcropping on the side of the Baltoro glacier with cleaning and washing facilities. There are short walks around the camp, where we can meander and enjoy the magnificent panorama view of Gasherbrum and Broad Peak

Today is a 6-8 hour moderately difficult walk on glacier terrain. This is usually where you can expect to start feeling the altitude; but along with that comes a point in the trek where the surrounding landscape begins to feel downright other-worldly with views from your tent of Masherbrum, Basherbrum IV and the summit of Broad Peak. You will be distracted from your challenge with the elevation by crazy ice formations rising from glacier rivers, we have officially entered into the depths of the Karakoram.

Concordia is known as the “Throne Room of the Gods.” We’ will have a more easy-going hike today, trekking over the glacier to amazing views of Gasherbrum IV, Mitre Peak, Broad Peak, Marble Peak, and of course, K2! As we’re getting higher in elevation, we will notice a drop in temperatures in camp, indeed well below freezing at night with a chance of snowfall. Concordia camp is astounding, sitting at the intersection of glaciers and the base of four of the the world’s biggest mountains. If we are lucky with weather you will never forget the sunset from camp on this day.

We have an early start today, navigating over crevasses and small rivers created by melting ice. We follow the glacier named after Austen-Godwin who was the first to record K2’s elevation. After three hours we arrive at Broad Peak base camp where we will have a great sight of the astonishing Karakoram 2nd (K2), Mitre Peak behind us and the Bride Peak.

Views of K2 from base camp today are particularly amazing. After breakfast we have about 3 hours trekking to get to K2 Base Camp. Reaching the base camp, we are confronted with a range of emotions. Outside of our own experiences, we will note a distinctively different vibe around camp, as it becomes clear that we’re at the staging ground for a renowned dangerous and precarious climb up the world’s second highest (and arguably most dangerous) mountain. One can also visit Gilkey Memorial located on the opposite side of the glacier, if time allows. We will return back to Broad Peak Base Camp for lunch and then return to Concordia for the night.

Today we have 5-7 hours of trekking over glacial landscape and the occasional instance of deep snow, especially closer to the upper end of the valley nearing Ali Camp. Today, some members of our porter team will be leaving us with the pack mules, as the mules are unable to cross over Gondogoro La.
Though quite small, Ali Camp is set in an absolutely amazing location, the perfect spot to contemplate the endeavor we're about to take on tonight. We will rest for the majority of the afternoon and early evening before ascending the Gondogoro La around midnight. Early dinner and briefing tonight, so that we can catch a few hours of sleep before commencing the most arduous portion of our trek.

Game time: We begin our pass attempt around midnight with crampons, harness, helmets, and headlamps. From Ali Camp it’s about 4-6 hours of steady upward climbing to reach the top of Gondogoro La pass (18,323ft). Here we enjoy spectacular sunrise views of every major peak in the region. The descent is along a series of fixed lines where extreme care needs to be taken on this steep descent. It will take us about another 5 hours to descend from the top of the pass down to Kuisbang Camp. If the weather is clear, we will have amazing views from our camp of Laila Peak, located just down the valley.

The initial two hours of our hike today follow along glacier moraine after which the landscape changes an easier green, hilly trail. The terrain today is totally opposite of that of Jhola at the beginning; we’ll have a few small river crossings and experience several steep, exposed sections but everything is lush and verdant with no dust as in Jhola. Saichu is a roomy, beautiful campsite dotted with a series of small streams.

We’ve got a mellow 3-4 hours for our final hike today to the picturesque Balti village of Hushe. We will have lunch in Hushe and take a final cup of chai as we part ways with our team of porters before driving back to Skardu. Our jeep ride will take 6-7 hours, depending on road conditions.

Today we fly back to Islamabad; however if weather prevents us from flying, we’ll drive to Chilas and overnight there.

If you were able to make your flight, today is a day to explore in Islamabad. If not, you'll finish the drive from Chilas back to Islamabad.

Depart according to your flight schedule, bringing with you unrivaled memories of the trip of a lifetime in the mountains of Pakistan.