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Gasherbrum II expeditionJune-July-August -- Pakistan -- normal route If you want to climb an 8000m mountain without attempting suicide then your choices are Cho Oyu, Shishapangma (both climbed from Tibet) or perhaps Gasherbrum II climbed from Pakistan. Gasherbrum II is the 13th highest mountain on the planet and is attributed with an altitude of 8035m. We offer the best balance of quality and value. We run safe expeditions with a good staff ratios, have radios that always work and have AC power and email-internet at BC; everything you would expect and more! ItineraryFor a more detailed itinerary see the K2 Concordia trek itinerary. Note that we have friends trekking with us and so will slightly adapt the itinerary on the way in to Gasherbrum Base Camp to stay together. For more insight into our Pakistan expeditions read Jamie's 2004 Broad Peak dispatches and the 2007 Gasherbrum dispatches.
Once we have summitted we clear the mountain of our gear and rubbish and head out. We are likely to summit prior to Day 47 but have quite a bit of time to wait out for suitable conditions. See Mike Farris' 2006 climb diary for a photo of the route. 45-46 - cleaning the mountain and packingIt takes several days to clear all the camps, and bring all our rubbish down and pack everything ready for the porters. 47-51 - trek out to Askhole / HusheWe trek out over 4-5 days, the route depends on snow conditions. We may return to Askhole, we may cross the Gondogoro La to Hushe. 52 - drive Skardu53 - fly Islamabad / drive BeshamAgain we see if we can fly - fingers crossed - or we will be driving down over two days, probably staying in Besham on the way back. 54 - rest Rawalpindi / drive Rawalpindi11 August 2007 (latest date) - day 55 - departBasically our expedition lasts as long as it takes to summit. We should be back to Rawalpindi by this time and so plan your departure around this time. |
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L-R: Gasherbrum II 8035m, Gasherbrum I 8068m and Gasherbrum III 7952m (#15) from the true summit of Broad Peak - Jamie |
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Security warningIslamabad and Rawalpindi are safe for tourists, yes, even Americans and Brits. Skardu and the trek are also safe, as long as you are not a Bush voter; many Pakistanis don't like their leader either and will sympathize! Driving to/from Skardu is OK but we don't want to run over a chicken; anything could happen! I can discuss more. WarningWe have run many successful and safe expeditions however you must understand this is as real as it gets. We try our best with safety and gear within the limits of the expedition budget but this is 8000m and anything can happen. Even with good gear, good everything, the risk of death is small BUT REAL. There is UNAVOIDABLE avalanche and serac danger. If you haven't climbed to 8000m before you will find the mountain bigger and scarier than you ever imagined. We try our best and we are very responsible, caring people HOWEVER we are not liable for anything, full stop. AttitudeMentally, you should not be on this expedition unless you think you can climb to the summit, there is a lot of power is positive thinking. At the same time you must be prepared for disappointment; conditions may not be perfect, you may struggle at extreme altitude etc. This is a professionally lead expedition. Your guide and crew are there to manage the logistics of the expedition not to haul you up the mountain or be personal servants. Your guide is there because he is familiar with the mountain and big expeditions, to assist in being a climbing partner, to make difficult judgment decisions and to generally manage the expedition. Your guide will accompany the team on the majority of the acclimatization trips and will endeavor to summit with you, but this is not a guarantee. We live together for more than a month so please have consideration for your fellow team members, crew and guide, and other mountaineers. Being polite and reasonable goes a long way, even minor dehydration makes almost anyone surprisingly irritable and intractable). Experience and fitnessDespite the relatively non-technical nature you MUST have some mountaineering experience and MUST have been to 6000m before. The fitter you are when you arrive the better. You must be at least moderately fit, your fitness will build remarkably on the trek in. Don't underestimate the difficulty and strength of will required to climb at over 7000m. InsuranceThis is your choice. It is sometimes possible to get insurance for 8000m peaks thru your national alpine club - the British Mountaineering council (BMC) has a great policy, although getting more expensive all the time. The cost of emergency evacuation and associated care is not included in the cost of the expedition. Please read the information and links in the contacting us section on the main expeditions page.
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