Tying up loose ends in the Karakorams (Aug 2021)
Sept 6, 2021 3:08:00 GMT -8
rebeccad, panatomicx, and 4 more like this
Post by GaliWalker on Sept 6, 2021 3:08:00 GMT -8
Tying up loose ends in the Karakorams (Aug 2021)
Part I: Insertion
In 2013 I made my first foray into the Karakorams and fell in love with the place. The mountains are stark and forbidding, the glaciers huge and intimidating, the air thin and intoxicating, and the hiking sublime. It is hands down the finest mountain scenery on the planet. That 2013 trip had been a trek to the basecamp of K2, for the most part along the massive Baltoro Glacier corridor. We had had to retrace our steps the way we came, because the traditional exit option, a crossing of the 18,325ft high Gondogora La, had been deemed out of bounds for trekkers that year.
In 2016 I made a second, no less rewarding, trip to Snow Lake, a bowl of snow-covered ice 1mi thick, ringed by mountains, and from whence flow numerous glaciers.
With all thoughts of a potential Nepal trip now banished from my thoughts, I was busy plotting another Karakorams trek when my father passed away. A couple of years later, my mother passed away. And then the COVID-19 pandemic hit. By now panic was beginning to set in, since I could feel my body protesting during longer hikes the way it had never done before. The clock was ticking.
Pandemic or no pandemic, I knew I had to pull the trigger on a final Karakorams trip this year. That 2013 trip had allowed me to catch sight of three of the five Pakistani 8000m peaks. Those remaining two – Gasherbrums I and II – had been tantalizingly close but hidden from view behind other mountains. If I were to repeat my 2013 trek, but this time with the Gondogoro La crossing, I'd be all set, since the wayward Gasherbrums would be laid out before me from the pass. Loose ends needed to be tied up.
Aug 10-12: Islamabad to Skardu – "Driving in"
One of the worst parts of a Karakorams trip is the road journey to and from Skardu. The scenery is great, but it's just so tiring. There is also danger from rockfall and landslides if one happens to encounter rain along some stretches of the Karakoram Highway.
For the third time, I'd booked my trip with the local Pakistani trekking company, Vertical Explorers. My previous two treks with them had gone extremely smoothly, so there was absolutely no reason for me to switch. They were responsible for the transportation to Skardu. Due to the somewhat late arrival of the other two members of my trekking party, a couple from Germany, we left Islamabad at the advanced hour of 5pm. It was nighttime before we staggered into our hotel in the town of Besham, in the Swat Valley. (On my previous two trips the Swat Valley had been a no-go zone due to a Pakistani Taliban infestation, but this had been dealt with by now.)
The next morning at 5am, we set off on our 19hr drive to Skardu (8,000ft). Yes, 19hrs! During the drive, one particularly lawless stretch had us provided with a police escort. Also during the drive, Nanga Parbat, the second highest of Pakistan's five 8000m peaks, made an appearance. I've blocked the rest of that exhausting drive from my memory.
Escort
Nanga Parbat from the road
We were supposed to leave Skardu on the 12th. Unfortunately, delays with getting the requisite trekking clearances sorted out meant that we were forced to spend this day sightseeing. Skardu isn't a bad place to be stuck in though. We began by visiting Sadpara Lake and the Manthal Buddha Rock, both of which I'd seen before on my previous trips. We followed that by hiking up to Kharphocho Fort (350ft elevation gain), situated on a hill overlooking Skardu and its surroundings. The view from the fort was great!
Sadpara Lake
Sadpara Lake inlet stream
Manthal Buddha Rock
Kharphocho Fort
Skardu Valley from Kharphocho Fort
A little tired from the hike up to Kharphocho Fort, we ended the day by having the most succulent chicken kebobs imaginable at the Mondoq Place restaurant.
Aug 13: Skardu to Jola – "Jeep journey"
On both of my previous trips the hike had begun from the charming, rustic town of Askole. No more. In the past 5yrs, the jeep road had been extended to Jola (10,250ft), which should have been the first day's hiking destination. I found this quite disheartening, because Askole is a lovely little town, and bypassing it just seemed wrong.
We left Skardu at 7:30am, now in a jeep. The vehicle was a full house, because in addition to the driver and us three trekkers was our guide, Ehsan, our cook Ehsan – yes, we would have two Ehsans on our team, both of whom would end up being great company – our assistant cook Nabi, one of our three porters and one of the two people in charge of the mules. Yes, we would have mules transport some of our stuff on the hike, and no, the mules did not accompany us in the jeep.
Loading up
The jeep journey began by vending its way north through the pretty Shigar Valley. After an army checkpoint, where we registered, we took a right turn and headed east along the Braldu River. This little monster was being directly fed by the Baltoro Glacier, atop which we were to spend many days.
Shigar Valley
About halfway into our journey we came upon one of the multiple swaying rope bridges that we'd had to drive over. This particular one was being repaired due to some recent damage, so the passengers all piled out and crossed it on foot. Our driver then drove the jeep through the stream being spanned and rejoined us on the other side, where we all dutifully piled back in.
Near the little settlement of Apiligon, a little before Askole, the Braldu River gorge narrows significantly. It makes for an incredible sight: seething water and geysers of spray, somehow tamed by a corridor of polished rock.
We decompressed for a bit at Askole over lunch. I tried to let the peaceful surroundings soak into me, as much as was possible, but far too soon it was time to leave for Jola. It was weird to not have to hike this section, since the jeep road pretty much followed the path of the original trail.
Magpie at Askole
Jola has a great view of 19,058ft tall Bakhor Das Peak. That evening's sunset was spectacular, the best of the entire trip, with lots of dramatic clouds swirling about Bakhor Das Peak.
Aug 14: Jola to Paiyu – "Let's start hiking"
Finally! It was time to begin hiking. We had shared our campsite with a number of other trekking groups, two of whom were quite large (16 and 18 trekkers!), but by the time we left at 7:45am, everyone else had already cleared out.
My tent is the yellow/red one
On my 2013 trip, this particular day had been one of my toughest ones, mainly due to its length and 90°F heat, so I was a bit nervous. My fears about the heat ended up being unfounded since the day was cool, overcast, and spitting rain. Unfortunately, it was also extremely windy. A 50-60mph gale force wind, fanged with sand and rain, blasted my back. It was strong enough that I was pushed along even while leaning backwards. Basically, it was the polar opposite of 2013.
2hr 50min after starting I was at our lunch spot, the campsite of Bardumal, complete with a hut in which to take shelter from the still brutal wind.
Porter
The final 2.5hrs to Paiyu was quite exhausting. Particularly cruel was the finish: a never-ending series of ups and downs, some of which were quite steep.
Paiyu is the splash of green at center
Stats: 13.7mi, 1,900ft gain, ending elevation 11,200ft
Aug 15: Paiyu to Kho-Burse – "Atop the Baltoro"
On another dreary, overcast morning we set off from Paiyu at the relatively late hour of 7:45am. I prefer earlier starts to my day, but on this trip would end up having to settle for maddeningly lazier departure times. That morning, I spent the extra time taking photographs of the gorgeous peaks that were on display. While the light was monochromatic, the clouds swirling around the peaks had made for great theater.
Cathedral and Shipton Spire
After an hours or so of hiking, we were at the snout of the Baltoro Glacier. The Braldu River gushed out of a mud-encrusted icy maw, with little streams spewing out to the sides. We spent a bit of time taking in this sight, before beginning the climb up to the deck of the glacier. The glacier's entire surface sported a patina of scree and talus, which had an alarming tendency to move, since the layer wasn't deep enough to allow the rocks to interlock.
The wall of the Baltoro Glacier
Checking out the maw (selfie)
Once atop the Baltoro Glacier, the Trango Towers took center stage. The slightly lesser monolith of Cathedral bulked large to their right, while further right Shipton Spire lay wrapped up in cottonwool clouds. We angled away from these guardians, towards the southern edge of the glacier. It was mostly smooth going, despite the rocky nature of the hiking. Lunch was taken at 12:15pm near Liligo, on the edge of the glacier and just before our climb up onto the lateral moraine.
On the Baltoro
Nameless Tower (aka Trango Tower)
Trangos, Cathedral and Shipton Spire
Shipton Spire
Trango Towers
The Liligo to Kho-Burse section was on a tiring up and down trail along the lateral moraine. Views of the Baltoro Glacier were quite interesting. I got a shock just before Kho-Burse, where I recalled having to cross a troublesome side glacier. That side glacier had been cleaved by a stream, which meant that said stream needed to be crossed. By now it had become quite cool and had begun to rain. By the time I was done taking off my boots I was downright miserable. The stream crossing didn't look very appetizing either: it was long, and the water looked frigid and fast. Our porters, who'd preceded us, had already run a handline across for safety. We watched one of them cross, and then it was our turn. It ended up being a bit better than I'd anticipated, but only because the water was just over knee height. Anymore and it could have been a real problem. In all the detour added an additional mile to our day. We reached Kho-Burse at 4pm.
Kho-Burse was a cold and inhospitable place, much less welcoming than what I'd experienced on my first trip. The weather cleared a bit for a while, but then went back into sulk mode.
Pulpit Trango
Uli Biaho Tower
Stats: 10.5mi, 2,500ft gain, ending elevation 12,300ft
Aug 16-17: Kho-Burse to Urdukas – "Along the lateral moraine"
When I woke up the next morning, I thought I might be coming down with something, since I felt unusually cold. I then realized that it was snowing lightly, and it was in fact cold. Thankfully, by the time we started hiking the snow had stopped and bright sunshine had begun to play amongst the otherwise thick cloudscape.
Cathedral
Pulpit and Castle Trango
It ended up being a short 3hr walk from Kho-Burse to Urdukas, once again along the lateral moraine. We did have to cross a couple of side glaciers as we approached our campsite at Urdukas, but nothing too difficult.
Urdukas is one of my favorite campsites on the trek. The views are fantastic up and down the Baltoro. The slopes are a soothing green; the last greenery one sees for a while. I was surprised to see that a multitude of new glacial lakes had sprung up in the surface of the Baltoro Glacier, a sad testament to this age we are living through.
Great Trango and Nameless Tower
Stats: 6mi, 1,300ft gain, ending elevation 13,500ft
We ended up taking one of our three rest days at Urdukas, to help our acclimatization efforts. (One member of our party would begin taking Diamox from this point on.) I spent the day having pushup competitions with our porters and exploring all the new lakes in the Baltoro Glacier. I even managed to convince our guide that it would make for some nice photography if he could possibly work his way down to the lakes, while I shot from high above.
Trango Towers from the Baltoro Glacier
Bial Peak
Alpine chough
Part I: Insertion
In 2013 I made my first foray into the Karakorams and fell in love with the place. The mountains are stark and forbidding, the glaciers huge and intimidating, the air thin and intoxicating, and the hiking sublime. It is hands down the finest mountain scenery on the planet. That 2013 trip had been a trek to the basecamp of K2, for the most part along the massive Baltoro Glacier corridor. We had had to retrace our steps the way we came, because the traditional exit option, a crossing of the 18,325ft high Gondogora La, had been deemed out of bounds for trekkers that year.
In 2016 I made a second, no less rewarding, trip to Snow Lake, a bowl of snow-covered ice 1mi thick, ringed by mountains, and from whence flow numerous glaciers.
With all thoughts of a potential Nepal trip now banished from my thoughts, I was busy plotting another Karakorams trek when my father passed away. A couple of years later, my mother passed away. And then the COVID-19 pandemic hit. By now panic was beginning to set in, since I could feel my body protesting during longer hikes the way it had never done before. The clock was ticking.
Pandemic or no pandemic, I knew I had to pull the trigger on a final Karakorams trip this year. That 2013 trip had allowed me to catch sight of three of the five Pakistani 8000m peaks. Those remaining two – Gasherbrums I and II – had been tantalizingly close but hidden from view behind other mountains. If I were to repeat my 2013 trek, but this time with the Gondogoro La crossing, I'd be all set, since the wayward Gasherbrums would be laid out before me from the pass. Loose ends needed to be tied up.
Aug 10-12: Islamabad to Skardu – "Driving in"
One of the worst parts of a Karakorams trip is the road journey to and from Skardu. The scenery is great, but it's just so tiring. There is also danger from rockfall and landslides if one happens to encounter rain along some stretches of the Karakoram Highway.
For the third time, I'd booked my trip with the local Pakistani trekking company, Vertical Explorers. My previous two treks with them had gone extremely smoothly, so there was absolutely no reason for me to switch. They were responsible for the transportation to Skardu. Due to the somewhat late arrival of the other two members of my trekking party, a couple from Germany, we left Islamabad at the advanced hour of 5pm. It was nighttime before we staggered into our hotel in the town of Besham, in the Swat Valley. (On my previous two trips the Swat Valley had been a no-go zone due to a Pakistani Taliban infestation, but this had been dealt with by now.)
The next morning at 5am, we set off on our 19hr drive to Skardu (8,000ft). Yes, 19hrs! During the drive, one particularly lawless stretch had us provided with a police escort. Also during the drive, Nanga Parbat, the second highest of Pakistan's five 8000m peaks, made an appearance. I've blocked the rest of that exhausting drive from my memory.
Escort
Nanga Parbat from the road
We were supposed to leave Skardu on the 12th. Unfortunately, delays with getting the requisite trekking clearances sorted out meant that we were forced to spend this day sightseeing. Skardu isn't a bad place to be stuck in though. We began by visiting Sadpara Lake and the Manthal Buddha Rock, both of which I'd seen before on my previous trips. We followed that by hiking up to Kharphocho Fort (350ft elevation gain), situated on a hill overlooking Skardu and its surroundings. The view from the fort was great!
Sadpara Lake
Sadpara Lake inlet stream
Manthal Buddha Rock
Kharphocho Fort
Skardu Valley from Kharphocho Fort
A little tired from the hike up to Kharphocho Fort, we ended the day by having the most succulent chicken kebobs imaginable at the Mondoq Place restaurant.
Aug 13: Skardu to Jola – "Jeep journey"
On both of my previous trips the hike had begun from the charming, rustic town of Askole. No more. In the past 5yrs, the jeep road had been extended to Jola (10,250ft), which should have been the first day's hiking destination. I found this quite disheartening, because Askole is a lovely little town, and bypassing it just seemed wrong.
We left Skardu at 7:30am, now in a jeep. The vehicle was a full house, because in addition to the driver and us three trekkers was our guide, Ehsan, our cook Ehsan – yes, we would have two Ehsans on our team, both of whom would end up being great company – our assistant cook Nabi, one of our three porters and one of the two people in charge of the mules. Yes, we would have mules transport some of our stuff on the hike, and no, the mules did not accompany us in the jeep.
Loading up
The jeep journey began by vending its way north through the pretty Shigar Valley. After an army checkpoint, where we registered, we took a right turn and headed east along the Braldu River. This little monster was being directly fed by the Baltoro Glacier, atop which we were to spend many days.
Shigar Valley
About halfway into our journey we came upon one of the multiple swaying rope bridges that we'd had to drive over. This particular one was being repaired due to some recent damage, so the passengers all piled out and crossed it on foot. Our driver then drove the jeep through the stream being spanned and rejoined us on the other side, where we all dutifully piled back in.
Near the little settlement of Apiligon, a little before Askole, the Braldu River gorge narrows significantly. It makes for an incredible sight: seething water and geysers of spray, somehow tamed by a corridor of polished rock.
We decompressed for a bit at Askole over lunch. I tried to let the peaceful surroundings soak into me, as much as was possible, but far too soon it was time to leave for Jola. It was weird to not have to hike this section, since the jeep road pretty much followed the path of the original trail.
Magpie at Askole
Jola has a great view of 19,058ft tall Bakhor Das Peak. That evening's sunset was spectacular, the best of the entire trip, with lots of dramatic clouds swirling about Bakhor Das Peak.
Aug 14: Jola to Paiyu – "Let's start hiking"
Finally! It was time to begin hiking. We had shared our campsite with a number of other trekking groups, two of whom were quite large (16 and 18 trekkers!), but by the time we left at 7:45am, everyone else had already cleared out.
My tent is the yellow/red one
On my 2013 trip, this particular day had been one of my toughest ones, mainly due to its length and 90°F heat, so I was a bit nervous. My fears about the heat ended up being unfounded since the day was cool, overcast, and spitting rain. Unfortunately, it was also extremely windy. A 50-60mph gale force wind, fanged with sand and rain, blasted my back. It was strong enough that I was pushed along even while leaning backwards. Basically, it was the polar opposite of 2013.
2hr 50min after starting I was at our lunch spot, the campsite of Bardumal, complete with a hut in which to take shelter from the still brutal wind.
Porter
The final 2.5hrs to Paiyu was quite exhausting. Particularly cruel was the finish: a never-ending series of ups and downs, some of which were quite steep.
Paiyu is the splash of green at center
Stats: 13.7mi, 1,900ft gain, ending elevation 11,200ft
Aug 15: Paiyu to Kho-Burse – "Atop the Baltoro"
On another dreary, overcast morning we set off from Paiyu at the relatively late hour of 7:45am. I prefer earlier starts to my day, but on this trip would end up having to settle for maddeningly lazier departure times. That morning, I spent the extra time taking photographs of the gorgeous peaks that were on display. While the light was monochromatic, the clouds swirling around the peaks had made for great theater.
Cathedral and Shipton Spire
After an hours or so of hiking, we were at the snout of the Baltoro Glacier. The Braldu River gushed out of a mud-encrusted icy maw, with little streams spewing out to the sides. We spent a bit of time taking in this sight, before beginning the climb up to the deck of the glacier. The glacier's entire surface sported a patina of scree and talus, which had an alarming tendency to move, since the layer wasn't deep enough to allow the rocks to interlock.
The wall of the Baltoro Glacier
Checking out the maw (selfie)
Once atop the Baltoro Glacier, the Trango Towers took center stage. The slightly lesser monolith of Cathedral bulked large to their right, while further right Shipton Spire lay wrapped up in cottonwool clouds. We angled away from these guardians, towards the southern edge of the glacier. It was mostly smooth going, despite the rocky nature of the hiking. Lunch was taken at 12:15pm near Liligo, on the edge of the glacier and just before our climb up onto the lateral moraine.
On the Baltoro
Nameless Tower (aka Trango Tower)
Trangos, Cathedral and Shipton Spire
Shipton Spire
Trango Towers
The Liligo to Kho-Burse section was on a tiring up and down trail along the lateral moraine. Views of the Baltoro Glacier were quite interesting. I got a shock just before Kho-Burse, where I recalled having to cross a troublesome side glacier. That side glacier had been cleaved by a stream, which meant that said stream needed to be crossed. By now it had become quite cool and had begun to rain. By the time I was done taking off my boots I was downright miserable. The stream crossing didn't look very appetizing either: it was long, and the water looked frigid and fast. Our porters, who'd preceded us, had already run a handline across for safety. We watched one of them cross, and then it was our turn. It ended up being a bit better than I'd anticipated, but only because the water was just over knee height. Anymore and it could have been a real problem. In all the detour added an additional mile to our day. We reached Kho-Burse at 4pm.
Kho-Burse was a cold and inhospitable place, much less welcoming than what I'd experienced on my first trip. The weather cleared a bit for a while, but then went back into sulk mode.
Pulpit Trango
Uli Biaho Tower
Stats: 10.5mi, 2,500ft gain, ending elevation 12,300ft
Aug 16-17: Kho-Burse to Urdukas – "Along the lateral moraine"
When I woke up the next morning, I thought I might be coming down with something, since I felt unusually cold. I then realized that it was snowing lightly, and it was in fact cold. Thankfully, by the time we started hiking the snow had stopped and bright sunshine had begun to play amongst the otherwise thick cloudscape.
Cathedral
Pulpit and Castle Trango
It ended up being a short 3hr walk from Kho-Burse to Urdukas, once again along the lateral moraine. We did have to cross a couple of side glaciers as we approached our campsite at Urdukas, but nothing too difficult.
Urdukas is one of my favorite campsites on the trek. The views are fantastic up and down the Baltoro. The slopes are a soothing green; the last greenery one sees for a while. I was surprised to see that a multitude of new glacial lakes had sprung up in the surface of the Baltoro Glacier, a sad testament to this age we are living through.
Great Trango and Nameless Tower
Stats: 6mi, 1,300ft gain, ending elevation 13,500ft
We ended up taking one of our three rest days at Urdukas, to help our acclimatization efforts. (One member of our party would begin taking Diamox from this point on.) I spent the day having pushup competitions with our porters and exploring all the new lakes in the Baltoro Glacier. I even managed to convince our guide that it would make for some nice photography if he could possibly work his way down to the lakes, while I shot from high above.
Trango Towers from the Baltoro Glacier
Bial Peak
Alpine chough