Trekking del ghiacciaio del Baltoro - salita al Pastore peak - Campo base K2 - passo Gondogoro
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 118.6 mi
- Elevation gain
- 16,486 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Very difficult
- Elevation loss
- 17,034 ft
- Max elevation
- 20,260 ft
- TrailRank
-
49
5
- Min elevation
- 20,260 ft
- Trail type
- One Way
- Coordinates
- 1114
- Uploaded
- May 21, 2017
near Surungo, Gilgit-Baltistan (Pakistan)
Viewed 4963 times, downloaded 76 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
|
Trekking report
June 16-17: Italy-Islamabad
Participated by several Italian airports, the members of the group meet in London. At 17 we leave for Islamabad, arriving at 6 o'clock the following day. The air route flies over the Himalayan area at dawn: it is an unforgettable sight. Formalities in the Ministry of Tourism are scheduled in the morning in Islamabad.
June 18: Islamabad-Chilas
Equipped with all necessary permits and accompanied by the staff of a local agency, we leave early morning cars to the Kashmir region, on the Karakoram Highway, arriving in the evening in Chilas (km 472 in about 12 hours). The Karakoram highway, beyond the name, is not a highway as we are used to thinking: it is two-way traffic and a little more than a lane wide, passes through villages, where people cross constantly, in many places it is passable alternately, in addition there is a lot of heavy traffic; the trucks are a real attraction: very old models (I think they do not go beyond the sixties) and all completely decorated with bright colors (red, yellow, green ...).
June 19: Chilas - Skardu
The journey continues to Skardu, along the banks of the Indus and passing under the spurs of the Nanga Parbat 8125 meters (281 km in about 8 hours), we pass at the confluence point of the three large mountain ranges of the Himalayas, Karakorum and Indu Kush. The road gets worse as you enter the Baltistan region. Numerous checkpoints are encountered. We arrive at Skardu (about 2000 meters high and capital of the region) at sunset, in a suggestive and wide loop of the Indus.
June 20: Skardu - Askole (2800 meters)
The journey continues in jeep (about 7 hours) and along the route, truly breathtaking, even regrets the previous road. There is no lack of moments of apprehension, when, due to the strong wind, we are hit by a discharge of small pebbles that detach themselves from the detrital wall above, fortunately without any consequence. Following the valley of Shigar, we enter the valley of the Braldu up to Askole in the afternoon, where we meet the large group of porters and we find already set up our first camp. At sunset we visit the village of Askole: they strike the extreme poverty and the conditions of life that seem to belong to centuries ago. The population survives by cultivating small plots of land obtained from terraces with rudimentary means, you can see a few livestock. The houses are an indistinct agglomeration of multi-storey huts, built with mud bricks and covered with mud and straw: at the bottom the cattle are hospitalized, the upper part is inhabited by people, above the final covering they are put to dry the crops. Progress in this lost corner of the world is slow, but some positive signs are met: active, by the Italian association Lorenzo Mazzoleni, a dispensary for medical care, and there is a school attended by many boys and girls.
June 21: Askole - Jula (3200 meters) Start the trek. Leaving Askole, you go up along the Braldu and you reach Jula in about 7 hours. Contrary to what was imagined, during the day it is very hot and the environment looks like a strange rocky desert surrounded by mountains with snowy peaks.
June 22: Jula - Payù (3500 meters) It is a long journey of about 7 hours that, still along the river Braldu, arrives at the tree oasis of Payù: four trees and three bushes, but the landscape that you admire is exceptional! From Payù you can see the front of the Baltoro glacier, dominated by the Baltoro cathedrals, Payù Peak (6600 meters), Towers of Trango (6617 meters), Uli Biaho (6527 meters).
23 June: Payù Day of rest and acclimatization. In Jula, Payù and Urdukas the camp is almost like a campsite, with prefabricated toilets, running water, sinks and waste collectors. The construction of these fields is part of the program to protect the mountain environment, very sensitive to pollution resulting from the growing number of visitors. We take advantage of the stop to do the laundry and experience the thrill of a shower complete with water at temperatures close to zero.
June 24: Payù - Urdukas (4050 meters) Long stage of about 20 km, traveled in less than 10 hours, takes place on the detrital glacier of Baltoro (it is a so-called black glacier), amidst a gigantic scenery of rocky spiers. The water that forms the Braldu gushes out from the front of the glacier. The front and the glacier can not be identified immediately because they are covered by a relatively thin layer of debris: if it were not for the crevasses, the rivulets and small lakes that form on the surface from where you can see the ice below, it seems to walk on a morena more than on a glacier (to deepen: http://users.unimi.it/glaciol).
The Urdukas camp is on a vast grassy slope littered with huge granite boulders.
June 25: Urdukas - Gore (4500 meters) The route continues on the glacier for about 5 hours with the wonderful view of the peaks of Masherbrum (7821 meters) and Mustagh Tower (7237 meters), while in the background in front of us you always see the larger the Gasherbrum IV.
June 26: Gore - Concordia Circus (4750 meters) Finally we arrive, after a short stop of less than 5 hours, at the Circo Concordia where a superb 360 ° view opens up on the peaks of Karakorum: the powerful ridges of Gasherbrum IV (7980 meters ), Broad Peak (8048 meters), and K2 (8611 meters). On the right is the Miter Peak, less tall but particular for the brilliant black color. Between Miter Peak and Gasherbrum you can see the mountains bordering India, the so-called disputed area.
The incomparable beauty of the landscape contrasts with the degraded state in which the camps area is located, where organic and non-organic waste accumulated in the last century are clearly visible. It is evident that the sensitivity for the protection of the environment is a very recent and not completely assimilated thing.
The Concordia Club is the area where several glaciers meet to form the Baltoro glacier. The frozen mass is very tormented, rich in corrugations, with crevasses, lakes and shallow streams, whose orography changes from year to year.
June 27: Concordia - Khalkhal glacier camp (4900 meters) In the morning we leave to conquer our peak, Pastore Peak (6206 meters). After leaving the Baltoro glacier, the Godwin Austen runs for a while, then, at about the base of Broad Peak, turn left onto the Khalkhal Glacier, where the camp is set up, with a wonderful view of the Ciogolisa (7654 meters) ).
June 28: Khalkhal glacier - Shepherd Peak (6206 meters) You wake up at 2 and leave in the middle of the night, with the light of the headlamps. After a first section with little difference in level, the progression in the rope begins. Towards 8 am we arrive at a hill at about 5900, from which we see in all its grandeur the granite peak of K2 and in front of which the candor of the Anghelus stands out. Resumption of the climb to the summit, shortly after me and my tent partner we stop and return to the hill. At first I think more about my physical state than about the beauty of the place, then as the conditions normalize I look around and can not hide the emotion. The companions who manage to get to the top describe the impressive view from the summit: we are right in front of the impressive walls of Broad Peak and K2 with incredible views of the peaks and glaciers: Baltoro, Godwin Austen and Savoy.
June 29: Camp Khalkhal glacier Rest day.
June 30th: Khalkhal glacier - K2 base camp - Concordia Up to the day before the weather has always been splendid, but in the morning we wake up with the snow-covered field and with a copious snowfall still in progress. We decide, reluctantly, to give up the sight of the K2 base camp to return directly to the Concordia. Shortly after departure, it stops snowing, so we all decide together to head for K2. Arriving at the base camp, we can barely see the low part in front of us while the top is completely enveloped in the clouds. Even if no one seems to want to manifest, tangible feeling is felt and no one gives up a picture, even if you see little or nothing. We are hosted at the official Polish expedition field, where we take tea with biscuits and hot soup, while our guide and the Polish manager recall past companies on K2. Leaving the Base Camp of K2, with a long and exhausting march we return to the camp set up at the Concordia, arriving at sunset. Given the accumulated fatigue we decide a day of rest. Time seems to have broken down, and we discuss the opportunity to proceed towards the Gondokhoro or to return along the route of the outward journey, postponing the decision to the following day.
July 1: Concordia After the rest, even if the weather does not improve, we decide to continue towards the Gondokhoro.
2 July: Concordia - Ali Camp (4600 meters) After crossing the Miter Peak, we follow the Vigne glacier to reach Ali Camp. Parties at 4 in the morning we arrive at Ali Camp around 10. We try to rest as much as possible. We go to sleep at 5 pm and at 11.30 we get up to prepare for the crossing.
July 3: Ali Camp - Gondokhoro Pass (5650 meters) - Khispang (4500 meters) We start roped at one in the morning with the headlamps, while it has never often snowed from the day before. Two Rescue Team guides mark the path, but the fallen snow has completely covered the traces of the passage, so that it seems to wander aimlessly. In fact, just before 4 o'clock, they admit they have lost the path. We wait a few minutes and, at the first light of the morning, with a temporary improvement in visibility, we can see on the right a well-defined rock wall that clearly indicates the direction to follow.
We continue and we begin to glimpse the characteristic seracs and the fixed ropes that protect the climb. The weather worsens and visibility is reduced again, we get to the pitch in full blast and unfortunately the beauty of the landscape and the place has remained a mystery.
To face the steep descent, always in two ropes, we put the crampons and make sure of the fixed ropes. The weather is so hostile that some porters come back, leaving their luggage in step. After the first stretch the route becomes easier and finally at noon (after about 12 hours of walking) we are at Khispang camp. Some porters come back in the afternoon in an attempt to recover some of the lost baggage: overnight at 4500 meters, with bad weather without a sleeping bag and without being able to change the wet clothing is quite uncomfortable. Unfortunately, you can not recover everything.
July 4: Khispang - Dalzampa (4300 meters) - Shayechu (3600 meters) Given the discomfort caused by the loss of luggage and the persistence of bad weather, we decide to hurry back by joining two stages. We therefore aim to reach Skardu a day ahead of schedule. It starts around 9.30 in the morning. In the first section you quickly descend along the glacial moraine, with a wonderful view of the Masherbrum glaciers (7821 meters); then the descent continues in the beautiful valley full of cedars, tamarisks and rose roses along the way that leads to the base camps of K6 and K7. We arrive at the Shayechu camp in random order between 4pm and 5pm.
5 July Shayechu - Hushe (3200 meters) - Skardu The last stretch of trekking follows the riverbank between green fields and small villages and ends in Hushe in about 4 hours. After visiting the local school and dispensary, in the afternoon we transfer by jeep to Skardu.
July 6: Skardu Rest day.
July 7th-8th: Skardu - Chilas - Islamabad Slowly retraces the route already taken in the first leg. Although satisfied with the success of the adventure, we leave Skardu with a bit of melancholy.
July 9: Islamabad The day passes slow and sad for the news of the London massacre. The great heat discourages the visit of the city. In the morning Martino, our guide, goes to the Ministry of Tourism for the "debrifing": it seems that nobody has recorded the conquest of the peak Shepherd Peak, and so gives the task to the local agency that has supported us in the journey to open the practice for official registration.
July 10th: Islamabad -London- Rome We arrive in Italy in the late evening.
June 16-17: Italy-Islamabad
Participated by several Italian airports, the members of the group meet in London. At 17 we leave for Islamabad, arriving at 6 o'clock the following day. The air route flies over the Himalayan area at dawn: it is an unforgettable sight. Formalities in the Ministry of Tourism are scheduled in the morning in Islamabad.
June 18: Islamabad-Chilas
Equipped with all necessary permits and accompanied by the staff of a local agency, we leave early morning cars to the Kashmir region, on the Karakoram Highway, arriving in the evening in Chilas (km 472 in about 12 hours). The Karakoram highway, beyond the name, is not a highway as we are used to thinking: it is two-way traffic and a little more than a lane wide, passes through villages, where people cross constantly, in many places it is passable alternately, in addition there is a lot of heavy traffic; the trucks are a real attraction: very old models (I think they do not go beyond the sixties) and all completely decorated with bright colors (red, yellow, green ...).
June 19: Chilas - Skardu
The journey continues to Skardu, along the banks of the Indus and passing under the spurs of the Nanga Parbat 8125 meters (281 km in about 8 hours), we pass at the confluence point of the three large mountain ranges of the Himalayas, Karakorum and Indu Kush. The road gets worse as you enter the Baltistan region. Numerous checkpoints are encountered. We arrive at Skardu (about 2000 meters high and capital of the region) at sunset, in a suggestive and wide loop of the Indus.
June 20: Skardu - Askole (2800 meters)
The journey continues in jeep (about 7 hours) and along the route, truly breathtaking, even regrets the previous road. There is no lack of moments of apprehension, when, due to the strong wind, we are hit by a discharge of small pebbles that detach themselves from the detrital wall above, fortunately without any consequence. Following the valley of Shigar, we enter the valley of the Braldu up to Askole in the afternoon, where we meet the large group of porters and we find already set up our first camp. At sunset we visit the village of Askole: they strike the extreme poverty and the conditions of life that seem to belong to centuries ago. The population survives by cultivating small plots of land obtained from terraces with rudimentary means, you can see a few livestock. The houses are an indistinct agglomeration of multi-storey huts, built with mud bricks and covered with mud and straw: at the bottom the cattle are hospitalized, the upper part is inhabited by people, above the final covering they are put to dry the crops. Progress in this lost corner of the world is slow, but some positive signs are met: active, by the Italian association Lorenzo Mazzoleni, a dispensary for medical care, and there is a school attended by many boys and girls.
June 21: Askole - Jula (3200 meters) Start the trek. Leaving Askole, you go up along the Braldu and you reach Jula in about 7 hours. Contrary to what was imagined, during the day it is very hot and the environment looks like a strange rocky desert surrounded by mountains with snowy peaks.
June 22: Jula - Payù (3500 meters) It is a long journey of about 7 hours that, still along the river Braldu, arrives at the tree oasis of Payù: four trees and three bushes, but the landscape that you admire is exceptional! From Payù you can see the front of the Baltoro glacier, dominated by the Baltoro cathedrals, Payù Peak (6600 meters), Towers of Trango (6617 meters), Uli Biaho (6527 meters).
23 June: Payù Day of rest and acclimatization. In Jula, Payù and Urdukas the camp is almost like a campsite, with prefabricated toilets, running water, sinks and waste collectors. The construction of these fields is part of the program to protect the mountain environment, very sensitive to pollution resulting from the growing number of visitors. We take advantage of the stop to do the laundry and experience the thrill of a shower complete with water at temperatures close to zero.
June 24: Payù - Urdukas (4050 meters) Long stage of about 20 km, traveled in less than 10 hours, takes place on the detrital glacier of Baltoro (it is a so-called black glacier), amidst a gigantic scenery of rocky spiers. The water that forms the Braldu gushes out from the front of the glacier. The front and the glacier can not be identified immediately because they are covered by a relatively thin layer of debris: if it were not for the crevasses, the rivulets and small lakes that form on the surface from where you can see the ice below, it seems to walk on a morena more than on a glacier (to deepen: http://users.unimi.it/glaciol).
The Urdukas camp is on a vast grassy slope littered with huge granite boulders.
June 25: Urdukas - Gore (4500 meters) The route continues on the glacier for about 5 hours with the wonderful view of the peaks of Masherbrum (7821 meters) and Mustagh Tower (7237 meters), while in the background in front of us you always see the larger the Gasherbrum IV.
June 26: Gore - Concordia Circus (4750 meters) Finally we arrive, after a short stop of less than 5 hours, at the Circo Concordia where a superb 360 ° view opens up on the peaks of Karakorum: the powerful ridges of Gasherbrum IV (7980 meters ), Broad Peak (8048 meters), and K2 (8611 meters). On the right is the Miter Peak, less tall but particular for the brilliant black color. Between Miter Peak and Gasherbrum you can see the mountains bordering India, the so-called disputed area.
The incomparable beauty of the landscape contrasts with the degraded state in which the camps area is located, where organic and non-organic waste accumulated in the last century are clearly visible. It is evident that the sensitivity for the protection of the environment is a very recent and not completely assimilated thing.
The Concordia Club is the area where several glaciers meet to form the Baltoro glacier. The frozen mass is very tormented, rich in corrugations, with crevasses, lakes and shallow streams, whose orography changes from year to year.
June 27: Concordia - Khalkhal glacier camp (4900 meters) In the morning we leave to conquer our peak, Pastore Peak (6206 meters). After leaving the Baltoro glacier, the Godwin Austen runs for a while, then, at about the base of Broad Peak, turn left onto the Khalkhal Glacier, where the camp is set up, with a wonderful view of the Ciogolisa (7654 meters) ).
June 28: Khalkhal glacier - Shepherd Peak (6206 meters) You wake up at 2 and leave in the middle of the night, with the light of the headlamps. After a first section with little difference in level, the progression in the rope begins. Towards 8 am we arrive at a hill at about 5900, from which we see in all its grandeur the granite peak of K2 and in front of which the candor of the Anghelus stands out. Resumption of the climb to the summit, shortly after me and my tent partner we stop and return to the hill. At first I think more about my physical state than about the beauty of the place, then as the conditions normalize I look around and can not hide the emotion. The companions who manage to get to the top describe the impressive view from the summit: we are right in front of the impressive walls of Broad Peak and K2 with incredible views of the peaks and glaciers: Baltoro, Godwin Austen and Savoy.
June 29: Camp Khalkhal glacier Rest day.
June 30th: Khalkhal glacier - K2 base camp - Concordia Up to the day before the weather has always been splendid, but in the morning we wake up with the snow-covered field and with a copious snowfall still in progress. We decide, reluctantly, to give up the sight of the K2 base camp to return directly to the Concordia. Shortly after departure, it stops snowing, so we all decide together to head for K2. Arriving at the base camp, we can barely see the low part in front of us while the top is completely enveloped in the clouds. Even if no one seems to want to manifest, tangible feeling is felt and no one gives up a picture, even if you see little or nothing. We are hosted at the official Polish expedition field, where we take tea with biscuits and hot soup, while our guide and the Polish manager recall past companies on K2. Leaving the Base Camp of K2, with a long and exhausting march we return to the camp set up at the Concordia, arriving at sunset. Given the accumulated fatigue we decide a day of rest. Time seems to have broken down, and we discuss the opportunity to proceed towards the Gondokhoro or to return along the route of the outward journey, postponing the decision to the following day.
July 1: Concordia After the rest, even if the weather does not improve, we decide to continue towards the Gondokhoro.
2 July: Concordia - Ali Camp (4600 meters) After crossing the Miter Peak, we follow the Vigne glacier to reach Ali Camp. Parties at 4 in the morning we arrive at Ali Camp around 10. We try to rest as much as possible. We go to sleep at 5 pm and at 11.30 we get up to prepare for the crossing.
July 3: Ali Camp - Gondokhoro Pass (5650 meters) - Khispang (4500 meters) We start roped at one in the morning with the headlamps, while it has never often snowed from the day before. Two Rescue Team guides mark the path, but the fallen snow has completely covered the traces of the passage, so that it seems to wander aimlessly. In fact, just before 4 o'clock, they admit they have lost the path. We wait a few minutes and, at the first light of the morning, with a temporary improvement in visibility, we can see on the right a well-defined rock wall that clearly indicates the direction to follow.
We continue and we begin to glimpse the characteristic seracs and the fixed ropes that protect the climb. The weather worsens and visibility is reduced again, we get to the pitch in full blast and unfortunately the beauty of the landscape and the place has remained a mystery.
To face the steep descent, always in two ropes, we put the crampons and make sure of the fixed ropes. The weather is so hostile that some porters come back, leaving their luggage in step. After the first stretch the route becomes easier and finally at noon (after about 12 hours of walking) we are at Khispang camp. Some porters come back in the afternoon in an attempt to recover some of the lost baggage: overnight at 4500 meters, with bad weather without a sleeping bag and without being able to change the wet clothing is quite uncomfortable. Unfortunately, you can not recover everything.
July 4: Khispang - Dalzampa (4300 meters) - Shayechu (3600 meters) Given the discomfort caused by the loss of luggage and the persistence of bad weather, we decide to hurry back by joining two stages. We therefore aim to reach Skardu a day ahead of schedule. It starts around 9.30 in the morning. In the first section you quickly descend along the glacial moraine, with a wonderful view of the Masherbrum glaciers (7821 meters); then the descent continues in the beautiful valley full of cedars, tamarisks and rose roses along the way that leads to the base camps of K6 and K7. We arrive at the Shayechu camp in random order between 4pm and 5pm.
5 July Shayechu - Hushe (3200 meters) - Skardu The last stretch of trekking follows the riverbank between green fields and small villages and ends in Hushe in about 4 hours. After visiting the local school and dispensary, in the afternoon we transfer by jeep to Skardu.
July 6: Skardu Rest day.
July 7th-8th: Skardu - Chilas - Islamabad Slowly retraces the route already taken in the first leg. Although satisfied with the success of the adventure, we leave Skardu with a bit of melancholy.
July 9: Islamabad The day passes slow and sad for the news of the London massacre. The great heat discourages the visit of the city. In the morning Martino, our guide, goes to the Ministry of Tourism for the "debrifing": it seems that nobody has recorded the conquest of the peak Shepherd Peak, and so gives the task to the local agency that has supported us in the journey to open the practice for official registration.
July 10th: Islamabad -London- Rome We arrive in Italy in the late evening.
Waypoints
Campsite
14,154 ft
Gore2 (4380)
Campsite
13,570 ft
Gore1
Campsite
13,159 ft
Urdukas (3990)
Campsite
12,497 ft
Liligo (3842)
Campsite
11,109 ft
Payu (3785)
Campsite
10,220 ft
Jula
Campsite
16,257 ft
Campo base
Summit
Campsite
14,774 ft
Ali camp
Mountain pass
0 ft
Passo del Gondogoro
Campsite
10,335 ft
Hushe
Campsite
9,944 ft
Askole
Campsite
15,387 ft
Khispang
Campsite
14,035 ft
Dalzampa
Campsite
11,070 ft
Shayechu
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....... partirò mercoledì 19, le tue parole sono un abbraccio per me. Per favore. Se leggerai in tempo. Scrivimi
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