Short Concordia Trek via Hushe overview
The fastest way to stand at Concordia, and by some distance the hardest. Instead of walking up the Baltoro over a week, you go in from Hushe and cross the Gondogoro La early.
Short does not mean easy here. It means the same altitude with far less time to prepare for it.
The shape of it: Up through Hushe and over Gondogoro La to reach Concordia in far fewer days than the Baltoro approach.
Why choose the Short Concordia Trek via Hushe?
Who it suits: Experienced, genuinely fit trekkers who are short on days — not on ability.
K2 Base Camp is all we do. One trek, six ways to walk it, and nothing else on our books.
- Grade — Severe · short but hard. Technical ground: yes — fixed ropes.
- Highest point — 5,585 m.
- Season — Jul–Aug. 16 days, 15 nights from Islamabad and back.
- The shortest route on our books that still reaches K2 Base Camp.
- An acclimatisation day at Dalsampa and a rest-and-prepare day at Ali Camp before the pass.
- A buffer day in Skardu for the flight or the weather.
- Run privately on your own dates — the group is only people who meet the prerequisites.
K2 trek gallery
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Our mess tent at Base Camp, under the south face. -
A group below the Trango Towers. -
Camp at Concordia, the junction of the Baltoro and Godwin-Austen. -
Broad Peak, 8,051 m, from Concordia. -
A rest stop on the moraine. -
Last light on the Baltoro.
Short Concordia via Hushe price
The Short Concordia Trek via Hushe runs privately on your own dates rather than as a fixed departure. Prices are per person by group size, all-inclusive from Islamabad, and a $250 deposit holds your dates.
Solo (1 person)
$5,280
Fully private, one-on-one with a dedicated guide — the pass on your own schedule.
2–3 persons
$3,840/pp
Semi-private, for a pair or close friends with the experience this route asks for.
4–6 persons
$3,000/pp
A small private team, with full guiding over the pass.
7–10 persons
$2,400/pp
Best value. Full crew, guide, porters, permits and the pass logistics.
Have a question or ready to book?
Whether you are just curious about this trek or ready to hold a place with a $250 deposit, send us the essentials below. We come back with dates, a firm price and an honest read on whether this route suits you.
Who leads The K2 Trek?
Zulfiqar Ali
Founder, Karakoram Venture · licensed mountain guide
Zulfiqar Ali founded Karakoram Venture, the Skardu company behind The K2 Trek, and is a licensed mountain guide with more than ten years of experience in Pakistan's mountains. A product designer by profession, he leads the Balti team that plans and runs these treks.
The K2 Trek exists because one route deserves its own company. K2 Base Camp is usually sold as one line in a long catalogue. Here it is the whole catalogue. Every itinerary we write, every kit list we send and every departure we run is for the same glacier, so everything we know goes into one route.
Highlights of the Short Concordia via Hushe trek
Hushe valley 3,050 m
The last village of the Ghanche valley and the start of the walk, with Masherbrum at the head of it.
Dalsampa 4,150 m
Meadow camp on the Gondogoro Glacier, and the acclimatisation day the route depends on.
Gondogoro La 5,585 m
Crossed on day nine on fixed ropes, with K2 appearing at the crest.
Concordia 4,500 m
Reached the same day, down the Vigne Glacier from the pass.
K2 Base Camp 5,150 m
Day ten, up the Godwin-Austen and back to Concordia.
Short Concordia via Hushe itinerary — day by day
Draft itinerary — the guides confirm camp order for your dates.
Day 1: Arrive Islamabad 540 m
Arrive in Islamabad for the welcome, the pre-trek briefing and a check of your technical kit.
Day 2: Fly to Skardu 2,500 m
Fly to Skardu. If the weather closes the airport we drive the Karakoram Highway instead, which is why the itinerary carries a buffer day.
Day 3: Skardu preparation 2,500 m
Permits, final gear checks and a fitting of crampons and harness with your guide.
Day 4: Drive to Hushe 3,050 m
By road through Khaplu to Hushe, the last village of the Ghanche valley and the trailhead for this route.
Day 5: Hushe to Saicho 3,350 m
An easy first walk up the Hushe valley to the meadows at Saicho.
Day 6: Saicho to Dalsampa 4,150 m
Onto the Gondogoro Glacier and up to camp at Dalsampa, under the Masherbrum group.
Day 7: Acclimatisation day 4,150 m
A day held at Dalsampa so the body can catch up before the high camp. Short walk higher, sleep low.
Day 8: Ali Camp 4,800 m
Up to Ali Camp below the pass. Kit check, an early meal and an early night — the crossing starts in the dark.
Day 9: Gondogoro La to Concordia 5,585 m
Cross the 5,585 m Gondogoro La on fixed ropes at first light, then descend the Vigne Glacier to Concordia. The hardest day of the trip, and K2 in full view from the top.
Day 10: K2 Base Camp 5,150 m
Up the Godwin-Austen Glacier to K2 Base Camp and the Gilkey Memorial, and back to Concordia.
Day 11: Concordia to Urdukas 3,930 m
A long day down the Baltoro past Goro II to the grassy ledge at Urdukas.
Day 12: Urdukas to Paiju 3,420 m
Off the glacier to Paiju, the last trees on the route.
Day 13: Paiju to Jhola 3,050 m
Down the Braldu valley to Jhola.
Day 14: Askole and Skardu 2,500 m
Walk out to Askole, trek complete, then drive to Skardu.
Day 15: Buffer day in Skardu 2,500 m
Held for the flight or the pass. If unused, a rest day in Skardu.
Day 16: Fly to Islamabad and depart 540 m
Fly to Islamabad for onward travel.
Packing list for the Short Concordia via Hushe trek
Technical kit for the Gondogoro La from day one — crampons, ice axe, harness, helmet and ascender — because you reach the pass early. Fit it in Skardu with your guide on day three.
- Broken-in trekking boots, plus camp shoes
- Four-season sleeping bag — nights on the glacier fall well below freezing
- Down jacket and a warm mid-layer
- Waterproof shell, jacket and trousers
- Sun hat, glacier glasses and high-factor sun cream — the Baltoro reflects light like a mirror
- Trekking poles and a 30–35 litre daypack
- Head torch, water bottles and water treatment
- Personal first aid and any prescription medicines
The full kit list for your month is sent when you book; the long version is in our K2 Base Camp packing guide.
What the trip includes
- Balti mountain guide and full local crew
- Porters or pack animals, and all group equipment
- All camping equipment, tents and cooking gear
- All meals on trek, cooked by our own kitchen crew
- Satellite phone carried with the group
- Trekking permits and paperwork, filed by us
- Transport between Skardu and Askole by 4x4
- International flights and Pakistan visa fees
- Travel and rescue insurance — mandatory, and it must cover helicopter evacuation above 5,000 m
- Personal trekking equipment, boots and sleeping bag
- Hotels and meals in Islamabad and Skardu
- Helicopter evacuation costs, if you need one
- Tips for the crew
- Personal technical kit for the pass: crampons, ice axe, harness, helmet and ascender
What people have to say
The K2 Trek is run by Karakoram Venture, rated 4.9 out of 5 from 39 Google reviews. Read the reviews on Google.
Short Concordia via Hushe trek FAQ
Why book with a K2 Base Camp specialist?
K2 Base Camp is all we do. We run all six variations of this one route, so we have no reason to push you onto any of them — we tell you which fits your fitness, your days and your altitude history. And every buffer day, acclimatisation day and turn-around rule in our itineraries exists because of something this particular glacier does.
Is the short route via Hushe easier because it is shorter?
No — it is harder. You reach a 5,585 m technical pass within days of leaving Skardu, where the classic approach gives you ten days of walking first. Short in days, severe in grade.
Who is the Hushe route for?
Fit, experienced trekkers who are short on days, not on ability: people who have already been above 5,000 m and handled it well, and who are competent on fixed ropes with crampons. We ask about both before accepting a booking.
How many days does it take to reach Concordia this way?
Nine, on our itinerary: four to reach Hushe and five on foot to Concordia over the pass. The classic route reaches Concordia on day eleven.
Does the short route still go to K2 Base Camp?
Yes. Day ten goes up the Godwin-Austen Glacier to K2 Base Camp and back to Concordia, before the walk out down the Baltoro.
What happens if I do not acclimatise well before the pass?
You do not cross it. The guide decides on the morning of the crossing, and the alternative is to descend to Hushe. That decision is not negotiable by the person who paid.
What does it cost?
The Short Concordia Trek via Hushe runs privately on your own dates, priced by group size: from $2,400 per person for seven to ten people, $3,000/pp for four to six, up to $5,280 for a solo trek. A $250 deposit holds your dates. The full table is under Price on this page.
What visa do I need?
Trekking in this region generally requires a Trekking and Mountaineering visa rather than an ordinary tourist visa, and the Baltoro is a controlled area with its own paperwork. The exact requirements vary by nationality and they change, so tell us your passport and we will tell you what you actually need before you book flights.
Is there any phone signal or internet?
No. Askole is the end of the network. Past that the satellite phone we carry is the only communication, and it is for operational and emergency use. Tell people at home they will not hear from you for the duration.
What happens if I get altitude sickness?
Your guide watches for it and has the authority to turn you around or send you down, and that decision is not negotiable by the person who paid for the trip. Descent is the treatment. For anything serious we have a satellite phone and established helicopter-rescue contacts for the Baltoro — which is exactly why insurance covering helicopter evacuation above 5,000 m is a condition of joining.
More photos from the K2 trek
K2 the mountain — abridged
K2 stands at 8,611 m on the border of Gilgit-Baltistan and China, second only to Everest. It got its name from a surveyor’s notebook: in 1856 Thomas Montgomerie of the Great Trigonometric Survey sketched the Karakoram’s two most prominent peaks from Mount Haramukh, some 210 km away, and labelled them K1 and K2 — K for Karakoram.
The first ascent came on 31 July 1954, when Lino Lacedelli and Achille Compagnoni of an Italian expedition led by Ardito Desio reached the summit by the Abruzzi Spur. A year earlier an American expedition had lost Art Gilkey on the mountain; the stone cairn of plaques near Base Camp that you walk past on the trek carries his name.
The trek itself follows the Baltoro — in Balti, “bone breaker” — to Concordia, the glacier junction Aleister Crowley named in 1902 after its namesake in the Bernese Oberland. K2 and three more of the world’s fourteen 8,000 m peaks rise within about 20 km of the Baltoro.
Additional resources
Compare this route
- Take the K2 Gondogoro La trek for the same pass with the full Baltoro approach and far better acclimatisation.
- Take the fast trek to Concordia if you want speed without a technical pass.
Plan the trek
- What is the K2 Base Camp Trek?
- What is the Baltoro Glacier?
- How hard is the K2 Base Camp Trek?
- How long is the K2 Base Camp trek?
- Can a beginner do the K2 Base Camp trek?
- How high is K2 Base Camp — and how do you acclimatise?
Other ways to reach K2 and Concordia
- K2 Base Camp Trek Classic — Strenuous
- Gasherbrum I & II Base Camps Extension — Strenuous · longer
- K2 Base Camp — Mule and Horse Supported — Strenuous · lighter load