2023 K2 Trekking From China Side

•  Your Safety Guaranteed During Trekking
• We are experts on Mountaineering ,Especially on Chinese Karakoram
• Provide world class mountaineering cooks and  service
• Highly professional Guiding Team with Tender Loving Care
• We are only Company in China to Collect individuals for fixed date departures

• Liaison with chinese government for issuance of trekking permits.
• Invitation letters for chinese visa.
• English speaking guide/liaison officer during a whole trip
• Cook, assistant cook, camel man,
• Enough camels to carry luggage from yilik to base camp and back
• All land transfers by four wheel drive,van,buses, truck if needed to transfer the people and equipments to yilik and back to kashgar ,and kashgar –karakul and karakul –kashgar
• All the entrance fees for the sites when visiting kashgar city.
• 5* standard hotels with breakfast in kashgar ,best availiable hotels in other places
• Yurt accomodation in karakul ,koqkaqi and yilik,
• Good quality of tents shared by two people with mattresses,
• Ecological protection fees.
• Porterage of luggage during trek upto Chinese base camp(suget jungal ) and back. and also porterage of important equipments from Chinese bc to karatash
• Insulated mats, cooking and eating utensils, toilet tents, mess tent with table and stools. nest coffe , tea and other daily use of stuff
• All meals while trekking to chinese base camp/ back and hotels (breakfast, lunch and dinner), meals in kashgar
• Kyrgyzstan Part of the Trip
• Private transportation with driver from bishkek –torugat and back  to bishkek at the end of trip
• Meals ,mentioned as B=breakfast,L=Lunch ,D= dinner
• Hotel accomodations with two bed shared by two people ,
• Yurt accomodation in tashrabat
• English speaking driver or  guide

• International flight tickets/ travel for arrival and departure from Kashgar and Bishkek
• Chinese visa fees ,Airport and departure taxes
• Sleeping bags, personal equipment and Personal Travel Insurance.
• Medications ground evacuations and rescue charges of any kind.
• Bottled water, aerated and alcoholic drinks.
• Items of a personal nature such as phone calls, laundry, bar bills etc.
• Tips of guide, drivers, porters etc.
• Porterage or shipment of any excess baggage 25kg.
• Any kind of costs in higher altitude part above the Chinese BC
• Extra room charges for earlier check-in and late check-out. (check out is 1200 hrs)
• Extra days beyond the specified itinerary.
• Charges incurred as a result of delays ,health issues beyond the control of our company
• Single supplement.

DETAILED ITINERARY

DAY 1 /Sep 1 / ARRIVE BISHKEK

Arrive Bishkek by flight and meet with our Kyrgyz guide and driver at the airport to transfer to the hotel in Bishkek INCL: D

Accommodation type: Asia mountain hotel in Bishkek

DAY2 /AEP 2 /BISHKEK – TASHRABAT

After breakfast in hotel , drive to Tashrabat town near the Chinese border  and arrive in the afternoon , stay overnight in yurt to acclimatize the first altitude in 3000m, INCL: BLD, accommodation type: Kyrgyz yurt

DAY 3 /SEP 03 /TASHRABAT- KASHGAR

Today start from Tashrabat and arrive at the Kyrgyz – Chinese border Torugat pass around the 11AM  and meet with our Chinese guide and driver at the border ,change the vehicle and  to transfer to the immigration and customs to officially enter China ,after border formalities , transfer to the kashgar  city to stay in  hotel , INCL: BLD   , accommodation type: chinibagh hotel in kashgar

DAY 4 /SEP 04 /KASHGAR –KARAKUL LAKE

Today we will drive on adventurous famous karakoram highway to karakul lake for 5hrs ,stop[ along the way for photos  , this trip would be our acclimatization trip to prepare the high altitude trekking for k2 , some of you might be coming from sea level , so for those , trekking around the karakul lake ,Muztagh ata and kongur mountain range area in Pamir’s would help so much for acclimatize the weather in karakoram ,and you will have chance to explore the Pamir ranges and enjoy the landscape and view of dozens of 7000m peaks including muztagh ata 7546,kongur 7719 and kongur tupe 7200m,  we will drive back to kashgar in the afternoon ,

INCL: BLD accommodation type: hotel

DAY5 /SEP 5/KASHGAR -KAGHILIK

Today we drive to Karghilik in a four wheel drive taking the Southern Silk Road. This leads us to Karakoram, stopping for lunch in former imperial capital of Yarkand belonging to the Uyghur people few centuries ago. We arrive in Karghilik in the afternoon transfer to our hotel.  (INCL: BLD),

Accommodation type: Delong hotel 3* in Karghilik

DAY6 /SEP 06 /KAGHILIK –YILIK/RASKAM/TATLIGU

Drive to Yilik(raskam village) which is the last point that we can reach by vehicle and start our trek with camels from there . first we need to  reach Mazar village so that we have to drive on the Xinjiang – Tibet highway, then turn further west direction to go  through northern Karakoram to reach Yilik by crossing the Yarkand River ,We will spend the night in  Kyrgyz House in Yilik  (INCL :BLD) ,

Accommodation type: Kyrgyz yurt/Hut

DAY 07 /SEP 07 / YILIK – SUKOSHULUSH/RIVER CONFLUENCE

Today we load the all camels with our equipment in the morning and start our breathtaking trekking expedition to K2. After 5hrs trekking we will arrive our campsite at the junction of the Surakwat rivers. Today’s trek is smooth – just walking on the stones in the narrow valleys and walk on the side of the Surukwat River. We will camp overnight in little oasis at the river junction of surukwat . INCL: BLD,

DAY 08 /SEP 08 /SU KOSHULUSH –QOKUROTAK/SHEEPFOLD/KOTAZ

Today we will trek up to small campsite qokur otak (4300m) at the foot of Aghil Pass (4900m). Today’s trek will be preparation for higher altitude and our crossing of Aghil pass next day. We will have an overnight camp at the foot of Aghil pass, INCL: BLD

Accommodation type: camping, walking hours: 9AM -4 PM,

DAY 9 /SEP 9 /QOKUROTAK/SHEEPFOLD- KERQIN

The trek today is bit  difficult compared to the other days because we cross 4900m Aghil pass with all of our equipment loaded on the camels gain considerable higher altitude up to the pass and we will lose 1100m altitude from the pass until we arrive Kerqin and  it takes another 3 hrs to be in kerchin from the pass. It takes 4 hrs to be at the top of the pass. From the top of the pass we have a great view of the Karakoram Mountain range, possibly we can see the Gashirbrum 1,2 and hidden peaks  and we will camp on the other side of the pass beside the Shaksgam river at a spot named Kirqin at the elevation of 3800m. INCL: BLD

Accommodation type: camping   walking hours: 8AM -5 PM 

DAY 10 /SEP 10 /KERQIN –KIZIL BALGHUN (SHAKSGAM VALLEY)

The trek today is very smooth, we will pretty much keep the same elevation for next two days until we arrive Chinese base camp  , but slightly downward in altitude following the Shaksgam River downstream and arriving at the overnight campsite in Ottur Jangal(kizil balghun) , but we cross the river quite few times today with camels on the way, when we cross wide streams , we will get on camels , but we will cross the small streams on our own under the instruction of the guide, so that sandals are very useful when we cross the rivers and wet land    , so we need to stay with  the camels and camel man to be on the camel back when we need to cross wider river , INCL: BLD

Accommodation type: camping, walking hours: 9AM -4 PM,

DAY 11 /SEP 11 / SHAKSGAM VALLEY –CHINESE BC/SUGET JUNGAL

After a few hrs  trek today we will have our first view of the giant mountain K2 after we start from kizil balghun , ,  We will make the shortcut walk over the small hill  altitude little bit and get back to sarpo lago river side ,from the top of the hill ,we will have first view of K2 , and we need to cross the river few times today before we arrive Chinese base camp  ,We arrive in Sughet Jungal by following the Sarpo Lago River. Sughet Jungal (Chinese BC) is one of the greenest parts of Karakoram with grass, trees and bushes on the delta of the K2 Glacier stream and Sarpo Lago glacier stream, as soon as we arrive Chinese BC, K2 is not visible,so that we need to hike three hrs to see it more closer again next day  ,Overnight camping in Sughet Jangal, INCL: BLD ,

Accommodation type: camping    , walking hours: 9AM-4 PM 

DAY 12 /SEP 12 /  REST AT CHINESE BC

This expedition takes place in March/April, May, Late August, September and October before and after the intense heat of the summer and the water levels in the Shaksgam Rivers are reduced

Where to Start: you can either join group at Bishkek or in Kashgar,

Best time to do this Expedition: April ，May, until mid-June, September and October

Trip Overview: if have your own planned schedule to start and would like to do this expedition more privately and if you would like to have a detailed price quotation please feel free to contact us,  If you let us know what you would like to change we can adjust the Itinerary

The North base camp of K2 lies in a remote south western corner of China’s Xinjiang province. Only a handful of people have ever travelled to this isolated mountain wilderness on the north side of the Karakoram Range. Recently opened to foreigners, this is one of the most unspoiled and least visited parts of the entire Himalayas. The mighty Yarkand and Shagskam rivers drain the waters flowing north from the great Karakoram peaks and carve deep channels through the mountainous landscape. The valleys here are at a much lower altitude than those on the Pakistan side of the range, giving a greater vertical height gain to the high summits. Many thousands of trekkers and climbers have seen the majestic Karakoram 8000m peaks from the Pakistan side, but few have ventured on the long trek through China to view K2, Broad Peak and the Gasherbrum from the north.

Sir Francis Young husband became the first western explorer to see the north side of K2 during his epic 1887 journey to cross the Old Muztagh Pass.

This trek follows the same route, approaching the mountains along the valleys of the Yarkand and Shagskam rivers. The area was first explored in detail and mapped by members of Eric Shipton’s 1937 ‘Blank on the Map’ expedition. Even a hardened traveler like Shipton was overwhelmed by the scenery. He wrote “The cliffs and ridges of K2 rose out of the glacier in one stupendous sweep to the summit of the mountain 12,000 ft above. The sight was beyond my comprehension and I sat gazing at it with a kind of timid fascination…”The highest point reached on the trek to base camp is the 4,900m Aghil Pass. From here, there is a magnificent view of the high peaks like Gasherbrum 1,2 and hidden peaks. The Shagskam River cannot be forded safely in the summer months; therefore travel in this area is restricted to the spring and autumn.

ABOUT THE TREKKING

Most of the hiking is at altitudes between 12,000 and 15,825 feet en route to the K2 Base Camp, with rough trails winding through long stretches of river rock and soft sand along the rivers, There are occasional fast-moving streams to ford or hop over by wading or jumping from rock to rock, which requires some agility and good sense. For the wide river crossings, we will ride on the camels. During the day, we should have sunny skies and fairly pleasant temperatures from 15-28C. Night time temperatures will rarely drop below freezing, except during the three nights at high elevation in Italian BC when they may be as low as -5C. Rain is unlikely in this high dry desert region, but snow is a possibility while we’re beside the K2 north glaciers,

. We hike on loose screed with no established trails when we ascend beside the glacier on moraine. On trek, the average hiking day will be 6-8 hours, with ascents and descents. There is one 15,800-foot pass to cross. Beyond the Italian Advance Base Camp, there is an optional ascent to 17,075 feet for spectacular views of K2.After the Chinese Base camp, three-night trek onto the K2 north Glacier, you must be fit enough to carry a 8-to 12 kg pack at altitudes of 13,000 to 15,350 feet on the trek up to the Italian BC , This section will be bit strenuous due to the altitude as well as the fact that we are crossing hills of loose glacial moraine and mostly stay beside the mountain rather than walking on the glaciers, if You have previous backpacking experience ,that would be very helpful ,. There is no climbing involved, but glacier side walking involves hiking over jumbled, uneven layers of pebbles and rock debris and sometimes on areas covered with snow. Crampons and ice axes are not necessary but your boots should have excellent tread on them.

ACCLIMATIZATION FOR THE WEATHER IN KARAKORAM

In order to Acclimatize to the altitude for the K2 area and to avoid the altitude sickness , we have arranged three night /four days preparation trekking in Karakoram mountains along the Karakoram highway in Karakul lake and Muztagh Ata before we officially start the trekking ,average altitude in that area would be from 3600m– 4400m with 6hrs trekking per day so that will definitely help to acclimatize the similar altitude in K2 North ,for those who might come from Sea level ,it would be best and important to be in  that kind of altitude before the start of the trekking  . Please also note that individuals vary widely in both their physical response to high altitude and the ability to acclimatize and, since physical fitness does not confer any protection or facilitate acclimatization, it is impossible to predict how you will adapt to the altitude. The greatest protection is avoiding rapid ascents and allowing time for acclimatization. Your body can adapt to altitude if given time. We feel this itinerary specifically provides that option, but you must individually pace yourself to go slowly and drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration. Do not push too hard regardless of how physically fit you may be or feel. Early symptoms of high altitude sickness include: headache, nausea, loss of appetite, sleeplessness, vomiting, dry cough, irregular breathing, shortness of breath, fatigue, swelling of ankles and eyelids. It is not uncommon to experience some of these symptoms when you first arrive at high altitude and then to have them decrease in severity within a few days. It is important that you inform your Trip Leader immediately of any symptoms or discomfort, however minor, so that they can help you monitor the situation. Medical conditions that are aggravated or complicated by high altitude include heart diseases, lung diseases, pregnancy, anemia, and sickle cell disease. It is imperative that anyone with any of these Conditions consult their physician in detail before attempting this trekking expedition., however having spent few days in karakul lake area in advance  could make sure that  you acclimatize the weather and  you have very little chance of having altitude sickness during trekking to K2.