K2 Base Camp Trek

We get this question a lot, so let us set the record straight. 

It is possible to find a better offer elsewhere for cheaper than our price. But as with most things in life, you get what you pay for.  

Epic Expeditions simply won’t compromise on the level of service we offer, the wages we pay our staff, and we try to never cut corners at the expense of our clients’ experience. 

When you join Epic on a trek to K2 Base Camp, the differences in how we do things, the kind of services we provide, and the general vibe we cultivate for our international community of travelers become obvious from day 1.

Please check out our full article covering the cost of trekking to K2 Base Camp and how our company values and ethics impact our pricing. 

Our trip costs more for a few reasons, but here are a few of the main points:

1. We pay our staff and porters a higher than average wage.  
2. Our cooks strive to prepare quality meals outside the box of the standard Baltoro fair. We put our own twist on hearty trekking food. 
3. Comfortable camp set up: After a long day of hiking, we want our camp sites to feel as comfortable as they possibly can be and we believe that the little details are what makes this possible. Tables, comfy chairs, a massive mess/dining tent, a proper toilet tent for privacy, a generator for charging electronics, endless pots of French press coffee, tea, and plates of cookies when you arrive at camp; these are some of the little details that provide a second to none camp-life experience. 
4. We have a minimum of two trip leaders on each trek – one Western leader and one local leader.  
5. Group size: you will NEVER see an Epic Expeditions team numbering more than 12 people.
6. Safety plans and protocols: a big difference between Epic Expeditions and the competition? We have a professional and comprehensive safety plan and the tools we need to manage any emergency situation. All of our guide staff have received wilderness first aid and risk management training. 
7. Your trip leader is equipped with a satellite communication device (Garmin Inreach) and one Thuraya satellite phone.
8. Pre trip one on one phone calls. Before the start of every trip we embark on, team members will have one on one phone calls with your western trip leader so that you can be as prepared as possible to have a successful and rewarding trip.
9. Check out our full blog article: 10 reasons why you should choose Epic for an expedition to K2 Base Camp.
10. We are one of the few companies to use high quality, imported tents from the USA. 

Because the Central Karakoram National Park crosses some restricted military zones (within the park are natural boundaries with China and India), you must have a guide and obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC), which only tour companies can issue for this region.

Epic Expeditions sorts out all of your permits well in advance of the trip. We check in with park police when we enter Central Karakoram National Park.

Trekkers without an organized guide will not be allowed into the park to attempt the trek.

The weather in the Karakoram mountain range can be highly variable. We will be traversing through a number of different climatic zones so it is a good idea to be prepared for a variety of temperature conditions. 

Islamabad – Hot and humid with the potential for monsoon rain events. Average temperatures: High: 35°C / 95° F Low: 24°C / 76° F.

Skardu – Warm to hot during the day, but not humid. Dusty, especially along the main bazaar road. Cooler and pleasant at night. Potential for wind and dust storms. July is the warmest month in Skardu. High: 23°C / 73.4° F Low: 10°C / 50° F. The sun is stronger in the mountains so temps. feel hotter than they actually are.

3,000 – 3,500 Meters – Hot, dusty, exposed during the day. Cooler at night, but not freezing typically. Potential for snow around 3500 meters, but very unlikely. Possible cloud cover developing at any elevation.

3,500 – 4,500 Meters – Daily temperatures remain warm, though mornings and evenings are cooler. Above 4000 meters temperatures can easily drop below freezing at night and in the early morning. Rain, snow, cloud cover are all possible at any time. More ice present on the Baltoro Glacier.

4,500 – 5,600 Meters – Freezing temperatures at night and cool to cold temperatures during the day with periods of warm sunshine possible. Rain, snow, cloud cover are all possible at any time. Deep snow is likely on the trail between Concordia and Ali Camp. Trekking on gritty ice and snow the whole way to K2 Base Camp from Concordia. Potentially heavy snow pack on the ascent/descent of Gondogoro La. The coldest possible temperatures to expect hover around -10° C / 14° F.

The K2 Base Camp Trek carries a certain amount of risk since we are traveling DEEP into the mountains in a developing country. 

That said, member safety is EBT’s #1 priority and our experienced ground team does everything within their power to set our group up for a safe adventure. The name of the game is safety first and injury prevention.

Epic Expeditions goes above and beyond to ensure that we are fully prepared in case of emergency by bringing the tools we need to manage emergency situations.

This is the reality on the ground in Pakistan:, other local (budget) tour operators won’t bring a satellite phone because they are expensive to own and operate. For us, not being prepared with the right tools to deal with emergencies is unacceptable  – and a big reason why our clients decide to go with us – and why they keep coming back to do different adventures with us year after year. On average, 1 in 5 Epic customers is a return client from a past adventure. The feedback from our clients speaks for itself. 

Check out our full article covering the question Is Pakistan Safe for travelers here.

Your trip leader is equipped with a satellite communication device (Garmin Inreach) AND at a Thuraya satellite phone. Both of which have communication capabilities to contact outside emergency first responders from any place in Pakistan.

Guests are able to use the satellite phone for personal calls on occasion for a set rate per minute.

Strenuous: Trekking to K2 Base Camp is a challenge even for experienced hikers. As a group, we spend 12 days trekking deep into one of the world’s wildest mountain ranges. Unlike in Nepal, there are no villages beyond Askole or Hushe. This an expedition style trek, meaning we carry all of our gear with us. We employ many local porters and mules to help us carry the supplies that will make the trek to K2 a comfortable and rewarding experience.

At altitude, every person’s body is different, but having a comfortable fitness level will only benefit you in the mountains. Ideally, our guests will have already spent some time at or above 4,000 meters. Epic will ensure that our group has proper time to acclimatize en route to higher elevations. Our trekking days will certainly not be “death marches” and all trekking days are of reasonable distance and intensity.

Trip participants need to be in good shape and capable of trekking over mixed terrain for long distances (maximum 8 hours). On average our trekking days are 5 hours per day. We employ many local porters and mules to help us carry the supplies that will make the trek to K2 a comfortable and rewarding experience.

The best way to prepare for the K2 Base Camp Trek is to – you guessed it – hike as much as possible in the months leading up to the trip. 

Even if you won’t be doing any actual mountaineering on this trek, people still need to be in shape before embarking. The distances can be long, the terrain unforgiving, and the oxygen thinner than you’re used to  – you need to be ready and able to handle all of these environmental factors. 

Physically preparing yourself for the expedition is somewhat similar to what you might have done for other multi-day backpacking trips. Endurance is crucial as is strength, particularly in your legs, glutes, back, and joints. Having these will ensure that you can not only complete the day’s walk without exhaustion but also avoid unnecessary injuries like sprains. 

When you’re not out on the trail, do workouts that hit the key bodily areas. Squats, lunges, sleds, burpees, stairs, and anything involving a box e.g. step-ups are good exercises to start with. Don’t forget to work on your stability and stretch when you’re finished as well.

The total trek covers about 160 kilometers over the course of 12 days – with the highest max altitude on the trek being 5,600 meters (Gondogoro La). 

All guests who intend to visit K2 Base Camp MUST apply for a Pakistani Trekking and Mountaineering Visa. The trekking visa is different from the standard tourist visa, thus you will NOT be applying for a tourist visa. 

Epic Backpacker Tours provides you with all of the documentation needed to apply for the visa including the Letter of Invitation (LOI). 

Since 2017, we have had a 100% success rate when it comes to our clients getting their visas on time – a record we are very proud of! 

No it is not. To travel on this tour, you must buy travel insurance. We will provide recommendations closer to the start of the trip. If you don’t buy travel insurance, you will not be allowed to come on the trek.

It is Mandatory for every trip participant to take out a travel membership with Global Rescue. This is because they are one of the few companies who organize helicopter evacuation in Pakistan in the case of an emergency. Note that this is NOT full medical travel insurance. Global Rescue also offers full medical travel insurance, but the important policy to take out is a Global Rescue Membership. If you don’t want to go with Global Rescue for medical travel insurance, that’s fine – but again, all members MUST have the Global Rescue Membership that covers helicopter evacuations. 

No you do not. There is only one section of this trek where a harness is needed (crossing Gondogoro La). No ice tools are used and no technical climbing experience is required. 

The K2 Base Camp Trek is a great introduction to being at high altitude if your goal is to eventually climb some 6000 or 7000-meter peaks. 

Crossing Gondogoro La is a real challenge that is not be under estimated – however, our staff is with you every step of the way to ensure your safety and to make sure you feel comfortable. We have had people as old as 74 successfully tackle crossing Gondogoro La – so if you are fit and able to push your own personal comfort zone, crossing Gondogoro is achievable for you. 

Check out the trip packing list here

The big important items are a good sleeping bag, rain gear, down jacket, sturdy hiking boots, water filter bottle, day backpack, sun protection, etc). You will need to bring your own climbing harness, crampons (or micro spikes), and helmet.

Tents and other group gear are provided.  

Islamabad: 4-star accommodation in a central part of Islamabad 

Skardu: 3-star accommodation located near the main market street of the city. 

Trip prices are based on the sharing of rooms/tents and single (same sex) members of the group will typically be put together.

In Skardu will be using nice guesthouses/hotels that offer very comfortable, but simple, facilities without air-conditioning (although the rooms in Islamabad will definitely have AC). In Skardu the rooms have fans, but no AC.

Once we arrive in Askole to start the trek, our accommodation will be in tents until we return back to Skardu. The tents are high quality, waterproof, and comfortable. Two large men over six foot tall can easily be comfortable and have enough personal space in our tents

If you wish to bring your own tent, make sure it is sturdy enough for rocky glacier terrain, potentially high winds, and snowfall.
NOTE: Any item(s) that you do not want to bring on the trek can be safely stored with our team in Skardu before leaving for the trek.

Single Room Supplement Costs: please inquire for current rates if you would like to reserve a single hotel room and a private tent for the trek.

You will need to book your round trip flights into/out of Islamabad International Airport.

Islamabad (the capital of Pakistan) is a major city in Pakistan and as such is very well connected.

We advise that you arrive in Pakistan one day before the tour starts. This is so that clients can shake off any jet lag they may be experiencing, and also to give all clients more of a time window in case of schedule changes or flight delays.

We will organize our driver to pick you up at the airport and shuttle you to to hotel if you are arriving within 24 hours of the start of the tour. If you are arriving earlier, we can still arrange the airport pickup for you at cost. 

Food in Pakistan is pretty repetitive – there’s a lot of daal, chicken, and rice. We will try to mix this up where possible (especially in the cities) by taking you to some great restaurants.

Food whilst camping will be the best possible quality, but please have realistic expectations of what our camp cooks can deliver. There won’t be any lasagne and red wine (unless you bring the wine), but the food will be healthy and tasty.

Breakfast: Typically includes an omelet/fried eggs, fried Pakistani bread (paratha), pancakes, jam, Nutella, honey, etc + green tea/French press coffee. 

Lunch: Every day, each member is issued a packed lunch. This keeps it easy while hiking as you can stop whenever you want to eat your lunch. A typical packed lunch includes a boiled egg + potato, a few chapatis (local flat bread), cheese, dried nuts/chocolate, and a few sweets. 

Dinner: The main event! We pride ourselves on hiring the same cooks every year because they know how to deliver our custom, top-notch food menu!

After our nightly soup course, dinner will be a mix of curry vegetables, rice, noodle dishes (like chow mein or pasta with red sauce, daal (lentils), meat (mutton or chicken), French fries, and, salad.

Dessert is something different every night, but for the first week of the trek, expect to have fresh mangoes and melon!

Note: Vegetarians/vegans/gluten/lactose-free can be accommodated as well! 

Note: In general, the food in Pakistan is SPICY (especially in Punjab). Again, we always try to accommodate dietary needs but keep in mind that options can be limited at times if you can’t do spicy food. There will ALWAYS be some decent vegetarian and non-spicy items, but you also need to have realistic expectations regarding Pakistani cuisine, which can be meat-heavy, and SPICY. Please let us know early on if you have any diet restrictions/preferences. If you are vegetarian/vegan, you might want to consider bringing some of your own food (for snacks/breakfast stuff), as it can be very difficult to cater to individuals in a big group, though we always do our best.

On day two of the trip, the plan is to fly to Skardu from Islamabad. This is one of most scenic flights in the world, highlighted by beautiful views of the world’s 9th highest mountain, Nanga Parbat and the greater Karakoram/Himalayan ranges.  

Once we finish the trek, we will also catch a flight back to Islamabad from Skardu. Internal flights are included in the trip price of course!

If bad weather cancels the flight, we will go to Skardu by road via the famous Karakoram Highway. The drive takes significantly longer than the flight option, but that is why we have contingency days built into the itinerary. Over the past three seasons, we have had a 90% success rate when it comes to catching our flights. 

Each team member has a 20 kilo (44 lbs) porter allowance. This is for your luggage that will be carried to each camp each day of the trek. Members are only required to carry their daypack while trekking – which just has what you need for the day in it, IE water, snacks, layers, suncream, etc. 

If your duffel bag weighs more than 20 kilos, you will need to pay for the additional weight. Cost for additional weight will be determined on the ground as prices for porters vary by the season.

Most other companies give a porter allowance of 12.5 kg, but with all of the gear required for this trip to be comfortable, we want to give you guys a little bit extra weight so you are not having to leave behind things you really want to bring

We carry a petrol generator and/or solar panels, so that the team can charge batteries, power banks, phones, etc while on the trek. Each night, we run the generator for 3-4 hours.

We have the generator with us the whole time except for the few days after we cross Gondogoro La (the mules who carry the generator can’t cross the pass). 

Once we leave Islamabad, fast WiFi as we know it in the west is basically non-existent. Whilst there may be small amounts of phone coverage on the trip, you should view this adventure as a chance to unplug. In the mountains, there is zero phone signal so there is no point in buying a SIM card as it will only work in a few places. There is slow wifi in the hotels in Skardu, but it hardly works and there are often power outages.

Our staff are able to provide hot bucket showers in a private shower tent. While nothing fancy, the hot bucket shower can go a long way in improving how one feels at the end of the way of trekking in the sun and dust. 

Cold showers at the lower camps are also possible (when the temperatures are warm).

Roughly 50% of our clients are female. Most hail from the USA, the UK, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand – but we have had in total over 20 different nationalities of solo women join us on the K2 Base Camp Trek over the years. 

You will always be paired to be hotel/tent mates with another solo woman and if there is no other female to pair you with due to odd numbers, then you will not be required to share a tent. 

Northern Pakistan is a very safe part of the world – and we often say, you are safer traveling in Northern Pakistan as a woman than you are walking alone at night in Paris or New York City!

If you are over our 55 years old age limit but think you are up to the physical challenge of hiking to K2 Base Camp, please email us to book a call with our adventure consulting staff to see if you qualify for this adventure. 

Once you have secured your spot, we will arrange a call so that we can have a short trip debriefing and interview. The interview is a chance for your tour leader to get to know you better before the start of the tour. If we don’t think you’re quite right, we will refund 100% of your money.

This call is also part of our one on one pre-tour preparation. Other companies don’t do this – which is one more reason why we pride ourselves in going above and beyond for our clients before, during, and after the trip. 

The upper age limit is 55 and we ask that our guests be a minimum of 20 years old.

Potential guests looking to join us on this trek need to have prior experience trekking in the mountains, to have decent fitness as mentioned above, and a positive attitude to join an awesome group of people from around the world.