Mashabrum Base Camp Hushe Valley Thale La Trek

The trekking season for this Base Camp runs from mid June to September. July and August is traditionally the most popular time for this trek, when the views are good and the temperatures are not too extreme. But we also get many travelers enjoying the colder season (May/Sep) when numbers on the trail are lower, and views can be crystal clear.

Yes. Definitely purchase travel insurance and make sure it will cover you at high altitudes. If you need to be airlifted down you will want to be covered by your insurance.

It is a moderate level hike. There are easy afternoons of rolling flats and difficult steep climbs but overall it is manageable for someone with little or no trekking experience. With proper training you should be able to complete the trek to K2BC as well as Gondogro La. However, even with proper training you can get altitude sickness which means you must return to a lower elevation.

Unless you live at a high altitude it is impossible to truly train for the altitude. Altitude sickness (AMS) can strike anyone no matter your fitness lever. The key is to take your time and walk slow. A good rule of thumb is to climb high and sleep low to help with acclimatization. In groups of trekkers there are people who do not make it but my group of 6 all made it. Our most impressive trekker, Bob, was 70 years old and often leading the way. Anyone can make it but take your time on the way up.

You should consult your doctor at home before you leave to go over the benefits. Many people chose to take it as a preventive measure against altitude sickness. One side effect is it does make you urinate more than usual. This means there will be some cold wake up calls in the middle of the night to use the restroom.

During the peak seasons the trails can get a little congested in some stretches. Many guided groups are around 10-15 people. You will pass animals, porters, and locals along the way as well. However, there are plenty of stretches where it will feel like it is just you and the Karakorum.

Altitude can kill but it isn’t likely. If you take your time and acclimatize properly you should be fine.

If you are traveling with a group like I did you will not need as much money as those trekking solo. Your group should handle paying for meals. You will need to budget for snacks, water (bottled), WiFi and charging devices.
Also, bring cash to tip your porters and guide at the end of the trek.

You can save money (and plastic bottles) by packing iodine pills to purify your water. This was my method of choice every morning before the trek.

Water is very important while trekking and at high altitudes. Getting out of your warm sleeping bag isn’t fun. recommend drinking at least 4 liters a day.

Training should start well before you make the trek.
The best way to train for a trek is to do some trekking. If you are fortunate enough to live in a place with hiking trails nearby there is no better way to train. Lace up your boots, strap on your pack, and hit the trails. Mix these hikes in with your strength and conditioning routines and fully prepare yourself for the trek.

Unless you live at altitude there is no way to truly train for this. You can use the altitude mask to simulate your lung capacity and stamina but there you can’t properly train your body at sea level for high altitude trekking.

The best thing you can do is get in top physical shape. Your body will adjust as you trek to Base Camp. The key is to walk slowly even when your body can push you further. The strongest athletes are often the ones who race too quickly each day and feel the symptoms of altitude sickness. Train hard. Trek slow.

Here is a list.

Day-pack

The sun is brutal at that altitude thake plenty of strong sunscreen.

Original Passport

Short sleeve shirts

Long sleeve shirts

Lightweight fleece/jacket

Big zip lock bag for dirty socks/clothes

Sleeping Bag –

Sleeping Bag Liner -

Zip-off hiking pants

Wool sweater or Warm Jacket

Gore-Tex shell or some form of waterproof jacket

Winter Hat and Gloves

Wet ones wipes (bring lots of these!)

Hiking Boots

Sandals/comfortable shoes to wear around the campground

Long sleeve/long pants fleece pajamas or something else to sleep in if gets cold

Small pillow

Hat for sun

Socks

Flashlight or Headlamp (extra batteries)

Water Bottle/Camelback

Camera and batteries

Hand Sanitizer Gel

Toilet paper

Bug spray

Toiletries

Personal Medication

Band-Aids in case get blisters

Small Packets to flavor water (I saw these in EMS)

Power Bars or other energy snacks that travel well

Extra Money (crew tips)

If you have international cell service you will have service upto Skardu. There are two main cell companies and you find 2G and 3G service along the way. But not beyond Skardu or trailhead at Askole.

Only up to Skardu. Some will have free WiFi in Shigar. The WiFi prices go up with the altitude.

Few Camps have charging stations and they charge by the hour for the most part. This price goes up with the altitude just like everything else on the trail.

These will vary a lot depending on your budget for accommodation. As you go up you will encounter everything from a hole in a shack to a frozen squat toilet. Be prepared for it all and bring your own toilet paper and hand sanitizer.

Most people go when they have to go on the trail and it is a very common sight.

There are no nights at Everest Base Camp on this trek. Instead you will stay at Concordia from where you walk to Base Camp.

Our groups are between 6 to 12 fellow travelers. The K2 Base Camp & Gondogoro La trek is a popular trip so most of our groups go fully booked. The groups comprise of people from all nationalities.Our groups typically are a mix of individuals, couples or friends travelling together. The ages differ and trekkers can be in their 20’s to 70’s.

We don’t specify detailed training programs, as it is difficult to recommend one general programme that applies to each individual. We suggest that you exercise a minimum of 5 times per week for one hour each time doing activities such as hill walking, cycling, running and strength work. The training you should do to prepare for your this Base Camp trek depends on your current level of fitness and any medical conditions.

You will spend three nights in total in Skardu, two at the beginning of your trek and one upon your return. If you’d like to spend more time in Northern Areas, we can help arrange this.

If a fellow trekker in your group has to descend, then an assistant guide would go with them. We have lots of support staff on the trek, so the person descending would be well looked after and it wouldn’t impact on the rest of the group’s experience. Emergencies are dealt with by the guide, and depending on the severity, in a serious case evacuation would be by helicopter.

No, there is no age limit for K2 Gondogoro La and K2 Base Camp trekking but, you need to be in good physical shape and have positive attitude. We also suggest you to prior to the excursion though we suggest you to please see your doctor and obtain necessary permission and advice, as well as medications for travelling in extreme altitude prior to the excursion.

Our unique style of off the beaten track, face-to-face travel is the only way to really experience a destination, but it also serves to keep the costs down. We spend your money providing an authentic experience, instead of on lavish hotels and expensive western-style meals. We pass these savings on to you with our low prices. Another thing you'll notice are the inclusions. While we don't include everything, we do throw in the major highlights of a destination, the things that everyone goes to see. On every trip page we show you the 'Included Highlights' of your trip, things that many other companies charge locally for. We leave many other activities as options, to provide you the freedom and flexibility to choose what you want to do on a daily basis.

Most of our trips do not have a single supplement. This means that the accommodation is on a twin share basis and, if you are travelling on your own, you will be sharing a room with another Expert Treks & Tours traveller of the same sex. Some tours have an optional single supplement

Basically taking snaps of some scenario won’t reward any problem but when taking photos of anyone or any places, especially of women it is advised to take permission prior actually taking. Always grant for request before taking photos at a religious site or ceremony, or of people bathing on the river banks. It is prohibited to photograph military installations, which can include some the train stations, bridges and airports also.

Pakistani cuisine has several variations, with each region famous for its own techniques, ingredients and spices. In northern regions, meat dishes are very popular, which are usually made with chicken, mutton or lamb whereas in southern part vegetarian cuisine is most favored. In addition, seafood is also readily available, particularly at the coast. While Pakistani cuisine tends to be spicy, most restaurants will gladly prepare a milder variation of the meals on the request of their customer. Almost all restaurants offer the western dishes in most towns and cities and large centres serve a wide selection of cuisine from Pakistani to Mediterranean and Chinese.

It’s best to avoid drinking the tap water. Bottled water is easily available, but it’s a good idea to check that the seal on the bottle is undamaged or not before you purchase it. In every area for the tourists packed bottled water is recommended. Though, local brands are also available but it's recommended to use the some popular and major brands like Nestle, Murree Sparklet and Kinley to save you from the unwelcomed problem.

Remember to dress on a little more conservatively while planning to visit religious sites. Also, you may need to take off your shoes and wear scarf while entering any Mosque, temples and monasteries. But you need not to worry as our guide will alert you when such situation arises. Moreover, confirm that photography is allowed or not before taking any snaps. Keep in mind that some sites might not admit women or might be reserved for followers of that faith

The electricity supply is 230 – 240 volt, with three round pin plugs. Most western visitors will require an adaptor. If you plan to travel a lot in the future, it is better to get a combination voltage converter and a plug adapter.

In brief a customized itinerary is an itinerary prepared according to your personal needs. After all, you would have requested this to us as part of the process of customization. Your specific interest, preferences and needs are weighted with our knowledge of logistics and highlights of the area.

Pakistan is generally considered safe country for travelers for any corner of world. We will always be there to take care of you every step of your tour. In addition to this there are certain basic precautions to be taken during tour like it is a good idea to lock away your spare currency, travellers cheques, passports and precious jewelry in the hotel safe. Try not to walk around alone late at night, particularly in deserted areas or small towns, where everything closes early. To the possible extent, avoid travelling on the roads after dark. As anywhere else, never leave your luggage unattended or in custody of unknown person at an airport, train station, bus stands etc. Do not disclose your travel plans to strangers. Keep pretty cash in separate to meet frequent small expenses, tips etc.

In Pakistan, scope for tourism activities prevails through out the year. The best time to visit Pakistan depends on your tour theme or purpose of visit. Winter (Nov-Dec-Jan-Feb) is the most preferred time for Heritage tourism, cultural tourism. The Central Pakistan & Southern regions are good destinations in the winter months (November to March), as temperatures are mild. Winter temperatures in the north can be harsh, but this is an excellent time for bird watching, as migrant species arrive.
Summers are good for adventure tourism and hill station visits of North Pakistan and North East areas. For trekking it is the ideal time.

There is no need of any vaccination except for travellers coming from Africa, South America need yellow fever vaccinations.

Yes. It is advisable that you buy a comprehensive medical / travel insurance in advance from your country before travelling to Pakistan.

We shall do our best to make changes as per your request and shall not charge you anything unless there is penalty charged by principal suppliers for making these changes.

Currently, it is recommended that visitors to Pakistan are injected against typhoid, paratyphoid, tetanus, polio and hepatitis A. During the dry season, few mosquitoes are seen north-west Pakistan, and malaria is rare, nevertheless, many may wish to take precautions. Seek advice on the current situations some weeks before leaving from a pharmacy or a general practitioner. Drugs such as chloroquine and proquanil offer 70 percent protection, but take insect repellent -and use it. If visiting the remote areas, insect repellent coils may prove useful. The majority of visitors to Pakistan return home with perfect health having had no problems at all.
The most common complaint is a stomach upset for a day or two-usually the result of a change of diet, different Beer, or simply the change of lifestyle, most case are rarely serious and recovery is swift. Most stomach upsets in Pakistan are caused by an excess of chillies, and quickly disposed of by proprietary medicines, such as Immodium. It is best that these are brought by the visitors so that action can be taken as soon as discomfort is experienced. Tap water should be rigorously avoided outside the luxury hotels, as should any fresh fruit and salad vegetables that many have been rinsed in it. Check with the establishment to ensure that the water that they provided has been purified. Ice made from unpurified tap water can also be dangerous, as the freezing process does not kill the microbes which caused the problems. Pakistanese have developed the immunity to them and can drink most water without fear. Bottled mineral water is readily available in tourist area, but should be brought in advance if travelling elsewhere. It is recommended that teeth are brushed in purified or mineral water whenever possible. Purification tablets should be brought for use in an emergency.