Gasherbrum I & II Base Camps Extension overview
Most people turn around at Concordia or K2 Base Camp. This carries on up the Abruzzi glacier to the Gasherbrum base camps, where two more eight-thousanders sit at the head of the ice.
It adds days rather than difficulty — the ground is the same glacier walking, there is simply more of it, and you spend longer at altitude.
The shape of it: The classic trek, continued past Concordia to the Gasherbrum I and II base camps.
Why choose the Gasherbrum I & II Base Camps Extension?
Who it suits: Trekkers who want the whole amphitheatre, not only the K2 side of it.
K2 Base Camp is all we do. One trek, six ways to walk it, and nothing else on our books.
- Grade — Strenuous · longer. Technical ground: none — no ropes, crampons or climbing on this route.
- Season — Jun–Sep. 25 days, 24 nights from Islamabad and back.
- The furthest any of our routes goes up the Baltoro.
- Same non-technical glacier walking as the classic — it adds days, not difficulty.
- A rest day at Concordia before pushing further.
- Run privately on your own dates, 25 days, from $2,900 per person.
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.
Gasherbrum extension price
The Gasherbrum I & II Base Camps Extension 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)
$6,380
Fully private extension with a dedicated guide all the way to the Gasherbrums.
2–3 persons
$4,640/pp
Semi-private, for partners or close friends.
4–6 persons
$3,625/pp
Small private group with full guiding past Concordia.
7–10 persons
$2,900/pp
Best value. Full support team, guide, porters and all permits for 25 days.
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 Gasherbrum extension trek
Concordia 4,500 m
Junction of the Baltoro and Godwin-Austen glaciers, and the turning point of the classic trek. Here it is the halfway mark.
K2 and Broad Peak base camps 5,150 m
Up the Godwin-Austen to the foot of K2 and Broad Peak, as on the classic route.
Abruzzi Glacier
Named for the Duke of the Abruzzi, whose 1909 expedition explored these glaciers. It lies north of Baltoro Kangri and feeds into the Baltoro, with views back to K2 from its upper reaches.
Gasherbrum I and II base camps
At the head of the glacier, under Gasherbrum I (8,080 m) — Balti for “beautiful mountain” — and Gasherbrum II.
Gasherbrum extension itinerary — day by day
Draft itinerary — base-camp altitudes beyond Concordia are confirmed with the guides before departure.
Day 1: Arrive Islamabad 540 m
Welcome and briefing in Islamabad for the longest of our six routes.
Day 2: Fly to Skardu 2,500 m
Fly to Skardu if the weather allows; otherwise the Karakoram Highway by road.
Day 3: Skardu preparation 2,500 m
Permits and gear checks — with extra attention to warm layers for the nights beyond Concordia.
Day 4: Skardu to Askole 3,000 m
The jeep road through Shigar and the Braldu gorge to Askole.
Day 5: Askole to Jhola 3,050 m
First stage on foot, along the Braldu to Jhola.
Day 6: Jhola to Paiju 3,420 m
To Paiju and the last trees before the glacier.
Day 7: Rest at Paiju 3,420 m
An acclimatisation day — on a 25-day trek, pacing early matters even more.
Day 8: Onto the Baltoro 3,795 m
Onto the ice and across the moraine to Khoburtse.
Day 9: Urdukas 3,930 m
Up to Urdukas, the grassy terrace above the glacier.
Day 10: Goro II 4,295 m
A long day on the Baltoro to camp at Goro II.
Day 11: Concordia 4,500 m
Concordia — the halfway point of this trek, where the classic route turns round.
Day 12: K2 and Broad Peak base camps 5,150 m
Up the Godwin-Austen to the base camps of K2 and Broad Peak: the first two of the trip’s four eight-thousander base camps.
Day 13: Rest at Concordia 4,500 m
A day to rest at Concordia before going further up the Baltoro than the classic trek ever goes.
Day 14: Onto the Abruzzi Glacier
East from Concordia up the upper Baltoro and onto the Abruzzi Glacier, with K2 behind you and the Gasherbrums ahead. Camp on the ice.
Day 15: Gasherbrum base camps
Up to the base camps of Gasherbrum I (8,080 m) and Gasherbrum II, at the head of the glacier.
Day 16: Day at the Gasherbrums
A full day at the base camps — the fourth and fifth eight-thousanders of the trip in front of you.
Day 17: Back to Concordia 4,500 m
Down the Abruzzi and the upper Baltoro to Concordia.
Day 18: Concordia to Goro II 4,295 m
Turn for home down the Baltoro.
Day 19: Goro II to Urdukas 3,930 m
Back down the glacier to Urdukas.
Day 20: Urdukas to Paiju 3,420 m
Off the ice to Paiju.
Day 21: Paiju to Jhola 3,050 m
Down the Braldu valley to Jhola.
Day 22: Askole and Skardu 2,500 m
Walk out to Askole, trek complete, then drive to Skardu.
Day 23: Skardu rest day 2,500 m
Rest, gear return and a celebration dinner — or the buffer day the flight sometimes needs.
Day 24: Fly to Islamabad 540 m
Fly from Skardu to Islamabad.
Day 25: Departure 540 m
Onward departure.
Packing list for the Gasherbrum extension trek
The classic list, built for four more nights on the ice beyond Concordia: an extra warm layer, spare gloves and more sun protection than you think you need.
- 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
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.
Gasherbrum extension 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.
Can you see K2 from the Gasherbrum base camps?
The views of K2 on this extension come on the way: from Concordia and from the Abruzzi Glacier, looking back west. At the Gasherbrum base camps themselves the view is the Gasherbrum massif at the head of the glacier.
Is the Gasherbrum extension harder than the classic K2 trek?
Not technically — it is the same glacier walking. It is longer, at 25 days, and you spend more nights at altitude, so it asks more of your endurance than the classic does.
Which four base camps do you visit?
K2 and Broad Peak base camps up the Godwin-Austen Glacier, then Gasherbrum I and Gasherbrum II base camps at the head of the Abruzzi Glacier.
How many days does the Gasherbrum base camp trek take?
Twenty-five days Islamabad to Islamabad: the classic route to Concordia and K2 Base Camp, a rest day, four days out to the Gasherbrum base camps and back, then the walk out down the Baltoro.
Is this the same as a Gasherbrum expedition?
No. This is a trek to the base camps — no climbing above them. Expedition teams attempting the peaks use the same base camps, and in season you will see their tents.
What does it cost?
The Gasherbrum I & II Base Camps Extension runs privately on your own dates, priced by group size: from $2,900 per person for seven to ten people, $3,625/pp for four to six, up to $6,380 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 classic K2 Base Camp trek if 21 days is the time you have.
- Take the Gondogoro La trek if you would rather finish over a high pass than go further up the glacier.
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
- Short Concordia Trek via Hushe — Severe · short but hard
- K2 Base Camp — Mule and Horse Supported — Strenuous · lighter load
- Fast Trek to Concordia — Severe · athletes only