K2 Gondogoro La Circuit Trek: A Mesmerizing 20 Days Journey Across Baltoro Glacier and Concordia
4.7
48 Ratings
Embark on the challenging and rewarding K2 Gondogoro La Circuit Trek, a 20-day journey across the breathtaking Baltoro Glacier and Concordia. Experience the beauty of K2 and other majestic peaks along the way.
Duration: 20 days
Cancellation: 6 days learn more
Highlights

Arrive at Islamabad International Airport, Islamabad

F-6 Markaz - Your flights will normally arrive in Islamabad in the afternoon. Our guide(s) will receive you from the airport. Soon the participants will be transferred to hotels. This day the participants can relax and recover from the journey.

Fly to Skardu

Spend free day in Skardu

Drive to Askole village

Trek to Jhola via the snout of Biafo Glacier

Shigar Valley - After completion of necessary supplies list and equipment the porters will load up for the trek ahead to Jhola. The valley is gateway to Biafo glacier that flow over fifty kms from Hispar La to Braldu. The participants will experience the moraine walking as the snout of the glacier is crossed and they will descend to lunch spot beside the Korofon river.

The route will take us the confluence of rivers of Braldu and Domordo. The former trail is not taken for the trek and instead a newer trail will lead us to go upstream where the participants will cross the river by bridge. On the other side of the bridge the participants will descend to the edge of Braldu river and will follow the river bank to reach the camp at Jhola.

Trek to Paiju

Shigar Valley - On this day of our K2 base camp trek the participants will follow the Braldu gorge, along the bank of Braldu river. The participants will be able to view astonishing rocks of Trango Tower and Cathedral Peak. The participants should prevent themselves from possible sun burns and during this day as the walking conditions can be very dry and hot.

Several streams from glacier flow down into the valley and on the way the participants will have to use river crossing shoes depending on the water levels. The participants will be able to spot the snout of Baltoro Glacier on a clear day. On this day the participants will end their day by climbing away from the river to camp at Paiju, the last camp where you will see trees until for a while.

Acclimatize and rest in Paiju

Shigar Valley - The participants will spend the day at Paiju Camp for acclimatization and rest. However the porters will take their time to bake themselves bread for next week on the glacier. Acclimatization walk can also be taken towards Paiju Peak base camp on this day.

Trek to Khoburtse

Shigar Valley - On this day the walking will get tough however the scenery will become amazing with each step taken onto the snout of Baltoro Glacier. The trail has continuous up and down climbs on the glacial moraine, although the trail is quite safe but it is highly recommended to be careful at all times. The participants will experience the stunning views as they move ahead; the views of Trango Tower and Uli Biaho. The participants are required to go across the glacier to Liligo. From this point the participants will follow a rocky trail which is along the edge of the Baltoro or sometimes to Khoburtse, the side of the glacier where camp will be made.

Trek to Urdukus

Trek to Goro II

Shigar Valley - On this day of our K2 base camp trek, the participants will be walking in the middle of the glacier. The medial moraine will be followed, to the south we will get the views of Masherbrum (7821m). The participants will be climbing up and down on the rocky moraine and as the participants move ahead they will walk pass massive ice seracs.

This will be the first night stay camp on Baltoro Glacier at Goro II, it is the confluence of Baltoro Glacier and Younghusband. The temperature may drop dramatically. Masherbrum and Muztagh Tower will be uncovered for the sight.On this day of our K2 base camp trek, the participants will be walking in the middle of the glacier. The medial moraine will be followed, to the south we will get the views of Masherbrum (7821m). The participants will be climbing up and down on the rocky moraine and as the participants move ahead they will walk pass massive ice seracs.

This will be the first night stay camp on Baltoro Glacier at Goro II, it is the confluence of Baltoro Glacier and Younghusband. The temperature may drop dramatically. Masherbrum and Muztagh Tower will be uncovered for the sight.

Trek to Concordia - first view of K2

Shigar Valley - On this day of the K2 base camp trek, the participants will reach Concordia after continuously walking up the moraine, on the way more and more high snowcapped peaks will appear, the culmination for the sighting of K2 will be experienced on this day. Other peaks that can be seen include Broad Peak, Mitre Peak, Gasherbrum, Sia Kangri and many more.

Trek to Broad Peak BC, Gilkey Memorial & K2 Base Camp

Trek back to Concordia and rest

Trek to Ali Camp

Trek to Khuispang over Gondogoro La

Trek to Saicho

Trek to Hushe and drive to Skardu town

Fly to Islamabad

Islamabad - On this day the participants will take a flight from the airport in Skardu to Islamabad airport. You will have a good time to relax at the hotel in Islamabad.

The domestic flights sometime get cancelled due to weather conditions. Incase of flight cancellation, you will drive to Chilas for overnight. It takes eight to ten hours by a vehicle.

Contingency days for flight cancellation

Islamabad - This day is allocated for any potential delays in case the domestic flight does not operate the previous day. Our guests will depart early morning from Chilas to Islamabad which can take up to ten hours. However it will be a free day in case the participants make it to Islamabad on the domestic flight. This time can be utilized for sightseeing in Islamabad.

Fly to home country

Islamabad - One of our staff will transfer all our guests to the airport.

What's Included
  • First aid medicine kit (basic)
  • Support staff (cook, assistant(s) etc)
  • All hotel accommodation in Pakistan (twin sharing room)
  • Central Karakoram National Park (CKNP) waste management fees
  • Lunch
  • All domestic flights and road transfers including airport transfers
  • Dinner
  • Trekking map and trip achievement certificate
  • Breakfast
  • Islamabad and Skardu city tours including all entry fees
  • Snacks including dry fruits and tea/coffee during the trek
  • Satellite phone for emergencies
  • All trekking accommodation in Pakistan (twin sharing dome tent)
  • All trekking logistics (all tents, non-personal equipment and tools etc)
  • All camping site fees and bridge fees
  • Government trekking permit fees and paperwork
  • Free refills of boiled drinking water on the trek
  • Insurance of porters, cook, guide and staff (government requirement)
  • Licensed professional guide (government requirement)
  • Porter for personal luggage (14kgs) and mountaineering equipment (8kgs)
What's Not Included
  • Personal travel insurance
  • Visa to Pakistan (five supporting documents will be offered)
  • International airfare
  • Personal equipment (e.g. trekking shoes, down jacket, walking sticks etc)
  • Tips/gratuities for guides, porters, staff etc
  • Miscellaneous (minibar, drinks, phone calls, laundry, souvenir etc)
  • Extra nights in Islamabad (hotel check in/out is 12pm)
  • Personal mountain equipment (crampon, mountaineering boot, ice axe, harness, two carabiners, helmet)
Additional Information

K2 and Gondogoro La Trek is considered to be one of the toughest and most rewarding treks in the world. The beautiful circular trek presents an experience of a lifetime covering the journey upto K2 base camp via Baltoro Glacier and Concordia. The highlight of the trek is Gondogoro La pass which is a high mountain pass allowing visitors to view four eight-thousander peaks of the Karakoram range from one point. It presents mesmerizing views of the beautiful mountains in the region like K2, Broad Peak, Masherbrum, Gasherbrums, Trango Towers, Muztagh, Chogolisa and many others en route Gongodoro La Pass down to Hushe Valley.

Cancellation Policy

If you cancel at least 7 day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.
If you cancel between 3 and 6 day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a 50% refund.
If you cancel within 2 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.

Customer Ratings
4.7
(48 Ratings)
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Gustav_13
Dec 11, 2023
An absolutely amazing and unforgettable trek to K2 base camp and over Gondogoro La - An absolutely amazing and unforgettable experience. Not only were the views probably the best you can get anywhere in the world, but the food was phenomenal as well. Nisar is a very experience and good guide and generally the team did an excellent job. I had only two complaints (plus one small one): we were supposed to overnight at K2 base camp, and this was a BIG issue for me, but the guides decided that we would not overnight there, despite several of us complaining. When the itinerary specifically says you are staying in K2 base camp, and that's what I paid for, I expect to stay there. Not staying there, was a real disappointment, as I have been looking forward to that for more than 3 decades. The second issue is that when we did Gondogoro La pass, our assistant guide was sent out ahead to book accommodation at Saitcho, which means that when the group encountered problems after the crossing, there was nobody to assist (the lead guide, Nisar, had to stay with one of the team members that was struggling). Not having any guide on arguably the most difficult section of the whole trek was not acceptable. The third (small) complaint is that the staff that took our group photos really have no idea how to take photos and in all the photos they took, you can only see the team members but none of the mountains. The whole purpose of the group photos was to see us in the mountains/in front of K2. However, don't let these few complaints throw you. The trip was life-changing and if I ever had the opportunity to hike in Pakistan again, I would have no problem choosing Apricot Tours again.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
477asada
Dec 5, 2023
Excellent. Thumbs Up. - A great lifetime experience. Apricot team managed our trek professionally and the accompaying guides / porters were diligent and knew thier business. We were a group of 10 foreign and local trekkers. Apricot group has excellent local connections and linkages and provide te greatest value for money. I recommend Apricot for expedition tours in Pakistan. Full points.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Q7962bxjoej
Oct 29, 2023
The Greatest Vacation of My Life - This had to be the best trip I have ever been part of in my well traveled lifetime. Keep in mind the outdoors and backpacking in wild places are my type of adventure. The views and environment were astounding unlike anything I had ever seen or experienced. K2 was fantastic and mind-blowing as well as the Trango towers. In fact every day you are surrounded by peaks that are breathtaking. As for the food, I was never a curry fan before this trip and perhaps less-so now but in reality the food was good and kept us all alive. It's not the trip for those wanting something easy, this is a challenging trip. Even so, if you're willing to put up with the backpacking lifestyle for 20 days (no hot showers, zero phone service and crazy temperature swings) it is something that will change your perspective on the sheer size of mountains and what it really takes to hike 8,000+ meter peaks. This is something I never dreamed I would do given my professional lifestyle of work but I would definitely leave my job again if it meant going back and reliving this experience. The porters and our guide were some of the kindest and most wonderful people I have ever met and I stay in contact with them to this day. The one most negative part was that our group of 13 got sick, all of us, extremely bad. Do not drink anything that isn't bottled or purified by you. We were out for 4 days beginning at our hotel and into the trek. I'm not saying you won't get sick but those that are foreigners should always be extremely cautious of what you ingest.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
R1537tfstephenw
Oct 26, 2023
Fantastic experience - The trip was great. The guides, porters, drivers, support staff all did a wonderful job. The camps are fairly primitive but seem to be well maintained. It was a strenuous trek for an older guy like myself but well worth the effort. I recommend Apricot Tours, their prices are reasonable and their service is excellent.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
92sarah
Sep 8, 2023
Beautiful experience - I am glad I gave my trust to Apricot Tours. All the experience has been so reassuring. Kindness and professionalism have been present before, during and after the trip, always making sure we get all we need and more than what we need. Apricot Tours is definitely a trustworthy company.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Elenat706
Sep 7, 2023
The best K2 base camp trip - What an incredible experience, meeting the giant K2 and the Gondogoro pass! It is not for everyone, but Apricot Tours made it doable for all of us! I miss the Apricot team, starting with the administration and going all the way to the guide, the cooks, the high porters! It is a lifetime experience and certainly a challenging journey that brings more smiles than sweat! Come and meet, the kindest and nicest people on earth - the hardworking and caring - high mountain crew of Apricot (Azhar, Cedrick, Irshad, Faisal, Mohammed Yaqoob, Amid, Kamal, Ali and everyone else) ! Wish I can start the journey all over again! Thank you, Apricot. I will forever cherish you in my heart and soul! Thank you for making my dream come true!
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Thomasgv5562vh
Sep 6, 2023
Fantastic experience in the Karakorum - Apricot Tours is the perfect company to get around the north of Pakistan. The trip to K2 Basecamp and Gondogoro La Pass was perfectly organized, the staff was helping with the official documents even before I landed in Pakistan. The experience you get during the trek is unique. The whole staff (kitchen, guides, porters) are amazingly kind, hospitable and experienced. It was an emotional moment to leave the team after more than 2 weeks together. I can recommend Apricot Tours for your trip to the Karakorum mountains. They bring the necessary experience, hospitality and kindness. Thanks a lot Apricot!
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Sonovento
Sep 12, 2023
Very good but you can improve more! - After lot of time dreaming this trekking, finally we did it with Apricots Tours. Their organization is very good and they are helpful while planning the trip and to obtain visa. All the logistic during the trek was great and the group of porters, the kitchen staff and guides were excellent and well organized. We had a beautiful time with them! Anyway I think that something can be improved as for example the communication in English of the guides. I suggest also to be more clear that K2 base camp trek and GGLA are not for everybody! It is not enough to be fit but you need to be used to walk on mountains ground , high altitude and fit crampons . Safety is very important ! Pakistan is beautiful and people very friendly. I have been happy to see with my eyes how big those mountains are and really I hope to come back for trekking and visit other valleys.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rgnovelli
Sep 13, 2023
Almost perfect, until the disappointing ending... - I bought a place on a trek to the K2 base camp, extending to the Gondogoro Pass. This extension cost me an additional 400 dollars. The trekking was spectacular and all the logistics worked perfectly until the day of climbing the pass. During breakfast on the day we started the climb to Gondogoro Pass, the guide informed the group that we would no longer go due to the weather conditions, which was very strange because until the previous day the news about the weather was very favorable. The group rebelled, we discussed the situation a lot, but the guide was irreducible. We had no alternative but to return the same way, quite disappointed and to a certain extent revolted by our guide's attitude and lack of transparency. Once the trip was over, I explained the whole situation to Apricot Tours and requested a refund of the amount paid (400 dollars) because we hadn't even had the opportunity to climb the pass. I sent several emails and messages, and Apricot Tours simply ignored me. I spent 1 month trying to contact them and got no response, no explanation, no satisfaction about what happened. Here's my warning. It is an agency that only cares about selling its trips and, in my specific case, it directed a guide who was not prepared to lead the group with clear communication and transparency in his decisions. After the trip is over, they do not care about opinions and problems reported by customers. This problem didn't make the trek any less spectacular than it really was. But Apricot Tours really should have common sense and be fair in terms of returning the 400 dollars that were paid for an activity that was not carried out. Disappointing...
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Getaway798828
Sep 7, 2023
GGLA Fed Review - Amazing trekking with spectacular views on baltoro glacier, k2, broad pick, trango towers, G4, G1, G6, etc...Amazing also the Huche valley, after the descent from GGLA. Very good logistic organization and team commitment, with the ability to easily respond to challenges/ unpredicted changes during the trekking (well managed the split of the group before ggla). To improve the communication with the team both pre-departure on the website and on a daily basis during the trekking. Communication on the difficulty of the trekking and the preparation required to do it, on the daily program, on tips for porters and guides, on possible inconvenience/ issues and contingency plan. Last but not least, to pay always attention at security and make sure, since the start, that all the participants have the right equipment and they kbow ho to use it. I'm general very recommended, but to be considered that it's not for everyone, the length of the trekking can represent a big challenge together with possible issues with food/ water.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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