Baltoro and K2 Basecamp Trek E-Book

Bo Belvedere Christensen

• Herausgeber: Books on Demand
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Serie: Trekking around The World
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 30

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

The trek up the Baltoro glacier to K2 Basecamp, and maybe even crossing the high Ghondogora La pass, is probably one of the toughest treks, you can do. But the challenges are fully rewarded by the breathtaking views of some of the worlds most beautiful mountains. This book is an image based narrative by mountain climber and guide Bo Belvedere Christensen. It is based on several treks over a long period, and the experiences that he has had during this beautiful trek through one of the worlds most amazing mountain regions. All images in this book are shot retro style on film based analog cameras.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Route diagram

Local transportation

Route to Skardu

Passing Nanga Parbat

The plains of Skardu

Skardu

Route to Askole

Road blocks

Askole

Porter hiring

Trek to Paiju

Trek to Paiju

Porters break in Paiju

Baltoro Glacier

Trango group

Urdukas

Porters on glaciers

Temperamental weather

Gasherbrum IV

Concordia

K2 basecamp

Gilkey memorial

Vigne Glacier

Small and large structures

Gondogoro La

Gondogoro La crossing

Down from Gondogoro

The iconic Laila peak

Masherbrum

Back to Skardu

Resting in Skardu

Places to stay and sleep

Acclimatization

Route diagram

This is the images and stories from the trekking trip to K2 Basecamp.

The route described will take you from the the city of Skardu by jeep to Askole, from where the trek to the mountains start. You will be going up the Braldu valley, Braldu being the river that flows from the Baltoro glacier, and afterwards following the Baltoro glacier to Concordia. Concordia is a large glacial area where several large glaciers unites to form the Baltoro glacier. From here you take the northern glacier arm to K2 basecamp.

The route out could be the same, but if the possibility is open, you should take the Vigne glacier, cross the Gondogoro La and trek down the Hushe valley. This is the route described in this book.

Partly, the route follows well developed trekking trails with lots of bridges and stairs across steep hillsides. But most of the distance you travel on glaciers most of all the huge Baltoro glacier.

The route is detailed in the map on the next page.

Travel possibilities to the starting point are either by road from Islamabad to Skardu following the Indus river for a long distance, or flying directly to Skardu. The latter is often prohibited by the weather, I still haven’t flown a single time although it was planned every time.

From Skardu transport is most often by jeep to Askole, as is the trip out from Hushe and back to Skardu at the end of the trip.

In the back of the book you will find a day by day listing of the places where I have slept on my visits, an outline of the daily distance together with an altitude diagram.

The image below shows the author on the summit of Barres des Ecrin, French Alps.

Map of the inner Karakoram showing the trekking route from Askole to K2 basecamp and return via Gondogoro La to the village of Hushe. From the main city of Skardu to Askole, you go by jeep or other 4x4 off-road worthy cars. The same goes for the trip from Hushe back to Skardu. At least that was the case on my last visit, but they are expanding the paved roads, and might be reaching the Hushe valley in a few years. Apart from a short description of the trek up to Gasherbrum basecamp, his book only describes the main trek to K2 basecamp. Nevertheless, the side treks are both challenging and very rewarding, with close encounter with the step walls towering over you, and spectacular views especially of mountains opposite the ones you are visiting. There are actually a lot more side treks, than the ones outlined in this map. Almost al the major glaciers joining up with the Baltoro has treks going up them. Some even lead across a pass to other glacier bassins.