Visit the Throne Room of the Mountain Gods on a trek to K2 Base Camp in 2026.
Visit the Throne Room of the Mountain Gods on a trek to K2 Base Camp in 2026.
DIFFICULTY: Strenuous
MAX ALTITUDE: 7,027 meters / 23,054 Feet
TOUR DURATION: 28 days
LODGING: Mix of hotels + camping
GROUP SIZE: 5-10 people
*We need a minimum of 5 climbers to confirm this trip
Locally known as both “Golden Peak” and “Spantik Peak”, this beautiful mountain deep in the Karakoram Range in Pakistan is an accessible challenge for climbers looking to bag a 7000-meter peak.
Come with Epic to attain new heights, challenge yourself in a pristine alpine environment, and become part of an international team of like minded adventure travelers.
The Epic team has the skills and local knowledge to help you achieve your Spantik Peak climbing objectives.
If you have done some 5000 and 6000 meter trekking and climbing before, then Spantik Peak is a great place to take it a level up.
Our team of skilled guides, high altitude porters, and cooks ensure professional support throughout the expedition, while also giving you the freedom to truly get to know the Karakoram Mountains without the big crowds or busyness of ultra-popular trekking routes.
Become part of a team with a shared objective, experience legendary Pakistani hospitality, sharpen your climbing skills on one of the most beautiful 7000-meter peaks in the world, and gain experience from industry professionals in a challenging, but jaw dropping setting.
Dates | Places | Deposit | Full |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 14th - August 10th, 2026 | $1000 | $8350 |
Epic will accept new team members onto the 2026 expedition given that you have previous experience on 5000 and 6000 meter peaks.
A minimum criteria of experience is necessary.
Spantik is suitable for climbers with some snow and alpine climbing experience to Scottish Grade II and Alpine PD+. You also should have previous experience on glaciated mountains above 5,500m. Each team member is expected to carry some personal gear on the mountain and should expect the backpack to weigh up to 10-15 kg – depending on the day. Extra high-altitude porters can be hired in advance.
We will interview all team members and make sure you are up for the challenge.
*If you have traveled with us before, you do not need to do an interview with our staff.
We need a minimum of 5 people to run this trip – because there is safety in numbers and because of the complex logistics involved.
Please contact us to arrange a call so we can get to know you better!
Arrive at Islamabad airport where you will be met by one of our staff.
Head to the hotel where you can chill out and freshen up. We recommend arriving in Islamabad at least one day early so that you can settle in and be ready to go on the morning of day one of the trip.
Note: accommodation pre-tour is not included.
The plan is for our whole group to catch an early morning flight to Skardu (50 minutes), the largest city in Baltistan. If the weather is clear, we can catch some truly epic views of Nanga Parbat and other massive peaks in the area.
Once in Skardu guests will have free time throughout the day to rest and to explore the city and the bazaar. Today, we will finalize our trekking permits at the local government office and have dinner together as a group.
Today, the team is busy food shopping and packing all of the group supplies. Team members have free time in the city during the morning and early afternoon. In the late afternoon (time permitting), we will visit the Kharpocho Fort as a group for those who want to come. We will have dinner again as a group before setting off in the morning.
*If the group is arriving overland from Islamabad, the entire schedule is bumped back a day, to allow for a day of rest in Skardu (that is why we schedule in buffer days!)
Today, it is time to head to the mountains! Our team will assemble early at the hotel and after breakfast, we will load up the 4×4 jeeps and begin the drive to Arandu Village – the last town before we start our trek to Spantik Base Camp. The journey from Skardu to Arandu takes around 7-8 hours depending on road conditions. We will eat lunch en route.
We will arrive at Arandu in the late afternoon and camp out near the village.
It is also possible that we will need to spend an extra day in Skardu finalizing our permits if they are not ready the day before (again, this is why we schedule buffer days!).
Today we start trekking! We follow the North side of the Chogolungma Glacier to Choco Brangsa camp at 3,300m.
Trek time: 5-6 hrs
Day 2 of our trek to Spantik base camp features a long walk along the North side of the Chogolungma Glacier. Pass through patches of alpine wildflowers on a mix of trail and walking on the glacier itself.
We make camp near a grassy knoll, which serves as local sheep grazing lands.
Trekking time: 7-8 hours
Today we arrive at our home for the next few weeks: Spantik Peak Base Camp.
Today our team settles in and builds the camp which can take the majority of the afternoon.
After the local poeters drop our gear, they will return to Arandu Village and leave us to the task at hand over the coming weeks: climbing Spantik Peak.
The block of time is our climbing window.
As a team, we will do at least one rotation up the mountain for acclimatization (to camp ii or iii and back to base camp) and one summit push rotation.
The exact climbing schedule depends mostly on the weather – the key to high altitude climbing always involves a fair bit of patience!
Today we leave our mountain home at base camp and follow the same route back down the Chogolungma Glacier.
Trek time: 7-8 hours
After an early start, the goal is to arrive at Arandu Village for lunch.
After lunch, we will depart for Skardu – maybe even stopping off at a local hot springs spot along the way!
Early Morning Flight to Islamabad from Skardu (weather pending).
We will have a chill day in Islamabad and an epic feast all together OR we will be driving the KKH en route to Islamabad if we have flight delays.
We booked in an extra day in Islamabad in case of travel complications getting back from Skardu.
Since you have just completed the most epic climb of your life, we do not want to add any group stress by making the departure window tight.
Today will be a free day in the city with group breakfast included.
After a final meal together, our epic journey of a lifetime has come to an end and the time has come to say goodbye.
We arrange for transfers to the airport for those who are flying out over the next 12 hours.
Check-out of the hotel is around 11 am on Day 21. You can choose to stay on at the same hotel if you are not flying home right away, though any additional nights at the hotel are not covered.
Note: Since the mountains do not work on our schedule – it is possible that we finish our trip earlier than planned if we have the right weather window. We recommend that you book a flexible flight ticket so that you can modify your departure date in the event we conclude this trip early.
Trip participants need to be in great physical shape and capable of trekking and climbing over mixed terrain for long periods of time.
Participants should feel comfortable carrying their own personal gear to high camps on the mountain.
The biggest day will be summit day; when the climb will take between 12-16 hours depending on conditions and your fitness level from camp iii to summit and back to camp iii. So you will need to be saving some energy for this day for sure!
The highest point on the trip is the summit of Spantik at 7,029 meters / 23,058 feet.
You will a Pakistani tourist visa to enter Pakistan to join this trip.
Epic provides you with all of the paperwork you need to apply for visa – which is usually done 3 months in advance of the start of the trip.
Yes. You should have some basic expereince using a jumar, rappeling, wearing crampons, snow travel, and climbing at or above 5500 meters.
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.
If you wish to bring your own tent for base camp, 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: If a client would like to reserve a single hotel room for the trip, the cost is $600.
You will need to book your round trip flights into/out of Islamabad International.
We advise that you arrive in Pakistan one day before the expedition 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 (around $20 USD).
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!
On the mountain, we will be eating a mix of instant noodle soups, dehydrated meals, tea, and energy filled snacks.
Each team member has a 25 kilo (55 pounds) porter allowance to get to base camp.
Members are only required to carry their daypack while trekking to case camp – which just has what you need for the day in it, IE water, snacks, layers, suncream, etc.
If your duffle bag weighs more than 25 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.
There is no Wifi available once we leave Skardu.
We carry a petrol generator and or solar panels, so that the team can charge batteries, power banks, phones, etc while at base camp. Each night, we run the generator for 3-4 hours.
Trip Leader
Noemi grew up in the mountains of German-Speaking Switzerland where she naturally developed a deep love and respect for mountain environments.
She is a talented photographer, aspiring climber, and speaks at least 5 languages fluently including Arabic (and probably a few more that we don’t know about), which she taught herself in a matter of months by watching YouTube videos.
Noemi has spent the last several years traveling, hiking, and photographing her way around many different countries in the Middle East, South and Central Asia, and Europe, and we could not be more stoked to welcome her to the Epic team!
Meet her during : Discover the Celestial Mountains | Island Peak Climbing Expedition
“Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem.
Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?”
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Our flagship Pakistani adventure tour. Road trip with some hiking and cultural immersion.
A trekking-style tour that features some very remote locations, inlcuding a K2 viewpoint.
Get exclusive trip updates, be the first to know when we launch a new itineraries and offer discounts, and stay up to date with what’s happening at Epic Expeditions!
