Karakoram, Pakistan · August 2025
K2 Base Camp, a group trip
160.8 KM · 12 DAYS · 3,400 M
12 days up the Baltoro Glacier and out over the Gondogoro La.
Watch the film 14:00 · 192K viewsAt a glance
- Where
- Karakoram, Pakistan
- Distance
- 160.8 km (99.9 miles)
- Days
- 12 days on foot
- Climbing
- About 11,150 ft (3,400 m) up and 10,860 ft (3,310 m) down
- Season
- Summer. I walked August 18 to 29, 2025
- Difficulty
- One of the hardest things I've ever done. Short days, but high, cold, remote, and a pass with ropes
- Route
- Askole to Hushe
- When I went
- August 2025
Day 1235679101112Highest 17,940 ft (5,467 m)
Elevation, start to finish: highest 17,940 ft (5,467 m), lowest 9,750 ft (2,972 m).
My GPS recording on a relief map. The numbers are where each day starts. The GPX files come with the guide.
Everything I made about it
The films
Hiking film · 202612 Days Hiking 100 Miles to K2 Base Camp in Pakistan14:00 · 192K views
Ambient film · 202512 Days Hiking 100 Miles to K2 Base Camp in Pakistan (Ambient Footage)36:35 · 266K views
Photos
Rain on Day 1, and the umbrella came out. 
Gasherbrum IV at the head of the Baltoro Glacier on Day 5. 
On the moraine of the Godwin-Austen Glacier on Day 8. 
Hushe and its fields at the end of Day 12.
The guide · 74-page PDF + GPX files · 2027 season edition
Do it yourself
12 days up the Baltoro Glacier and out over the Gondogoro La.
- All twelve days
- My GPX files
- How this trek works
- Altitude, explained
- The Gondogoro La
Free sample
Try Day 6 free
The whole Day 6, Goro II to Concordia page from the guide as a PDF, plus my camping packing list: the 42 things I carry, with a note on each. Both come by email. You'll also get my emails about new guides and trips, a few a year.
Gear on this trip
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What I carried in 2025
- PackHyperlite Mountain Gear Unbound 55
- Tentmy tentThe team provided it.
- QuiltHyperlite Mountain Gear 20° QuiltNights were below freezing: our water bottles froze at Goro II.
- Sleeping padTherm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXTI slept on two pads.
- PillowKlymit Pillow X
- Pad inflatorAlpenBlow Micro Inflator
- Sun hoodiePATH Projects Pyrenees T19 Hoodie
- FleeceSenchi Designs A90 Half Zip HoodieSimilar now: PATH Projects Lomond Hoodie
- PuffyArc’teryx Cerium Hoody
- Rain shellArc’teryx Beta AR Jacket
- PantsPATH Projects Killam PX Pant
- ShortsTerritory Run Co. Long Haul ShortSimilar now: PATH Projects Sykes PX Short
- SocksPATH Projects Joyner Crew Sock
- Shoestrail runnersThey got holes on the glacier and made it to the end thanks to Aziz's patch.
- UmbrellaSix Moon Designs Silver Shadow CarbonThe reflective umbrella, the MVP of the trip, for the sun on the glacier and for the rain.
- HeadlampNitecore NU20 ClassicFor the midnight start on the pass.
- Power bankNitecore NB20000The team ran a generator for a couple of hours each evening. Bring a power bank for the rest of the day.
- Water bottleKatadyn BeFree AC · 1L
- Camp shoesa pair of camp shoesThey were essential.
- On the passalpine boots, crampons, a helmet and a harness, plus every warm layer I had
Filming kit
- CameraSony ZV-E1I shot this entire trip on it.
- LensSony FE PZ 16-35mm f/4 GMy tripod fell over on Day 8 and cracked the lens, but the camera survived.
- DroneDJI Air 3
- TripodSmallRig Carbon Fiber Tripod
- Tripod headJoby BallHead 3K (now the 3K PRO)
- Wrist strapPeak Design Cuff Wrist Strap
Music in this films
- AvantgardeAK · Musicbed
- Big CatThe Echelon Effect · Musicbed
- came up (lofi version)skateshop · Musicbed
- Chemistry (with Solar Submarine)Red Licorice · Musicbed
- ConfessShawn Williams · Musicbed
- Dusk, EmbracedAdam Bokesch · Musicbed
- For the Wind to CarryMax LL · Musicbed
- Ghosts in the Stories (Night Cycles Version)Blake Ewing · Musicbed
- In Your Hour of NeedTyler Chester · Musicbed
- Know feat. Michael Lessard - InstrumentalAlaskan Tapes · Musicbed
- Maybe - InstrumentalAlaskan Tapes · Musicbed
- Natyashastra (Night Cycles Version)Blake Ewing · Musicbed
- Out Therelwfi · Musicbed
- Outer Space (Rework)Sarah Watson · Musicbed
- OvertureAlaskan Tapes · Musicbed
- Telescope (Cello Version)TOLO · Musicbed
- Tomorrow, TodayKino · Musicbed
What I'd take now
My current kit
- Camp shoesCrocs Classic Clog
- ShoesOboz Katabatic LT Low GTX
- PolesBlack Diamond Alpine Carbon Z Poles
- CapPATH Projects Muir Cap 2.0
- GlovesUnigear Touchscreen Liner Gloves
- NavigationAllTrails+
Asia bundle
This guide is in Asia Hiking Guide Pack: 8 guides for $39. Or all 62 guides for $59.
Short answers
- How many days does the K2 Base Camp trek take?
- I walked 12 days from Askole to Hushe with no full rest day. With Islamabad, the flight to Skardu, a jeep day each way and spare days, I was in Pakistan for about 19 days.
- Can you trek to K2 Base Camp without a guide?
- No. It's a restricted-zone trek. You need a trekking permit, a trekking visa sponsored by a licensed tour operator, and a licensed guide and porters (checked September 2026).
- What permits and fees does the K2 Base Camp trek need?
- A Gilgit-Baltistan trekking permit, US$150 per person from April to September, and the Central Karakoram National Park fee, US$190 per person (2026). Your operator files the permit, and the visa normally takes about 4 weeks.
- When is the best time to trek to K2 Base Camp?
- The season is June to September. The Gondogoro La is normally crossed from late June to about the end of August, while the ropes are in place. I walked August 18 to 29, 2025.
- How do you get to the start of the K2 Base Camp trek?
- Fly to Islamabad, then take a domestic flight to Skardu or drive about two days by road. From Skardu it's about 5 to 6 hours by jeep to Askole, and the same from Hushe back to Skardu at the end.
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