We can offer you different outings, at all levels here in Spain, in case you feel like embarking on an adventure without leaving home. You can more information here.
Due to its great complexity and hardness, the Karakorum has become the most challenging trekking route in the world. To get there it is necessary to hire the services of specialized agencies.
The Karakorum is located in Pakistan and is one of the most spectacular mountain ranges in the world. The Karakorum extends for 500 km and is 200 m wide. In this area, more than half of the highest peaks on the planet are located. 60 of the 110 highest mountains in the world are located in the Karakoram mountain range. Among these, 4 of them exceed 8,000 meters in height, and one of them is K2, the most inaccessible summit in the world.
As if that were not enough, Karakorum stands out for other things such as being the region with the most glaciers outside the poles.
You can get to Karakorum from Pakistan, from its capital, Islamabad, and you will have to do it by plane or by bus to Skardu. Once there, you will have to continue by 4x4 along a dangerous track that runs along the course of the Braldo River, up the Shigar Valley until you reach Askole.
Here the town ends and the adventure begins.
Beginning of the trekking, about 14 days of travel await you through areas where there is no population, so it is completely necessary to hire porters to transport food and other belongings. To give you an idea, a group of 5 people will need about 30 support people that Pakistan Tourism will put at your disposal, and they are very strict.
From May to October you can trek in the Karakorum, although we especially recommend the months of July and August, which is when there is greater atmospheric stability. In any case, these data are generic, but you will always have to consult the specific weather conditions of the date you are going to go, because we are talking about nature in mountain areas, where the weather can vary at any time.
To tour the Karakorum, the star route is that of Baltoro. Starting from Askole and arriving at Concordia.
- It is a route of 4,600 meters and through it you will see the confluence of 3 glaciers: the Baltoro, the Vigne and the Godwin-Austen.
- This specific route runs through the first, the Baltoro glacier. Sometimes you will advance on it and other times alongside it, along its slope and its valley.
- Guarding this glacier are the Muztagh Tower mountains, 7,273 meters high, the Trango Tower with 6,251 m, the Masherbrum with 7,821 m, the Gasherbrum with 7,929 m, the Chogolisa with 7,665 m and the K2 with 8,611 m (the highest peak in the Karakorum and the second highest in the world).
- When you arrive at Concordia, continue the route towards the Gondogoro Pass, a hill located between 2 glaciers (Vigne and Hustre) at 5,600 meters high. This is the most complicated point of the trek and it will be necessary to use crampons and ice axes to overcome it.
- The route ends in the town of Khapalu, and to get there you have to go down a steep road with exposed sections. This section can be avoided by opting for the alternative of returning to Askole along the initial route, down the Baltoro glacier.
To carry out these trekking routes, it is essential to be in perfect health and have good mountain equipment, since they are not easy and the altitude and cold make the task even more difficult.
