The trek to K2 Base Camp up the mighty Baltoro glacier is undoubtedly one of the world’s greatest, passing through a savage, glittering tangle of granite spires, granitic peaks and gigantic glaciers.After flying from Islamabad to Skardu, you start your trek from the village of Askole, a brilliant splash of emerald-green in the otherwise stark landscape and gateway to some of the highest mountains in the world. You follow the route taken by expeditions for over a hundred years as they set out to conquer K2. As you head up the glacier into the heart of the Karakoram the snow-clad mountains soar high above the valley floor and each turn of the trail reveals more stupendous vistas. Cathedral Peak, Trango Towers, Masherburn and the twin summits of Broad Peak are just some of the renowned peaks that tower over the trail and make this trek such a classic. You gain altitude at a steady rate, aiding acclimatisation and helping to ensure that you can enjoy the incredible scenery.

After several days of the most stunning trekking, you reach Concordia, 4,650m/15,255ft - the junction of the Baltoro Glacier and the Godwin-Austen Glacier. Clustered around this remarkable place are six peaks over 7,925m/26,000ft high including the awe-inspiring K2. For good reason this magnificent amphitheatre has become known as the ‘throne of the mountain gods’ and nowhere else on the planet will you find a more sensational setting for a campsite!

Trekking out of Concordia, through a maze of moraines, you next reach the base camp of Broad Peak, 5,000m/16,450ft, where you will spend two nights, providing the best opportunity to successfully reach K2 Base Camp. Some other companies try to complete the trek from Concordia to K2 in just one day making for a very challenging and exhausting experience, but by spending the extra night at Broad Peak Base Camp you will enjoy a relatively easy hike to K2 and back with ample time to chat to the K2 climbers preparing for their attempt at conquering the ‘savage mountain’.

Trekking back along the glacier to Askole, you can immerse yourself for a final few days in the awesome scenery of the Karakoram before returning to civilisation and the chance to celebrate a superb and unforgettable achievement.

Mountain Kingdoms started running trips to K2 Base Camp in 1991 and experience has shown us that the very best chance of achieving this goal is by having the last camp at the Broad Peak Base Camp. Trying to make it from a camp at Concordia is a tall order. It is a long way on very tiring terrain. Of course, it is more expensive to take the porters and all the kit to Broad Peak Base Camp but we feel it is well worth it. It gives you a much better chance of doing what you came to K2 for in the first place, and it gives you a night at the Broad Peak Base Camp as well. In addition, an expert local leader, working in conjunction with an experienced local trek crew, maximises the chances of a safe and successful trek.