ITINERARY

WE CROSSED MORE WILDERNESS, MORE RIVERS AND DID MORE REAL CLIMBING THAN IN ALL MY PREVIOUS BIG MOUNTAIN TRIPS COMBINED – COMPARED TO ANY OTHER EXPEDITION LIKE THIS, THERE’S A LOT MORE ‘EXPEDITION’ PACKED INTO IT.

TOM V, UK

AS OF 2022 ALL OUR HIGH ALTITUDE CLIMBING TRIPS TO THE NORTH SIDE OF K2 AND THE REST OF THE KARAKORUM INCLUDE THE PREACCLIMATION PHASE IN TIBETAN AREAS, WHICH STARTS IN CHENGDU. AS THE MAJOR AIR HUB FOR CENTRAL CHINA CHENGDU IS EASILY ACCESSIBLE FROM THE REST OF THE WORLD AND IS EASY TO GET AROUND, FRIENDLY AND KNOWN FOR THE BEST FOOD IN THE COUNTRY.

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DAY 1

IF YOUR IMAGE OF CHINA IS THE COASTAL MEGALOPOLISES BE PREPARED TO BE SURPRISED. EVEN THOUGH KNOWN FOR IT’S HIGH TECH ZONE, CHENGDU IS FAR MORE RELAXED AND LIVABLE WITH IT’S TEMPERATE CLIMATE, GREEN AREAS, FOOD & EASY GOING LIFESTYLE THAN THE REST OF CHINA.

AS OUR BASE IN CHINA FOR OVER A DECADE, THIS IS THE PLACE TO SOURCE ANY FOOD YOU CAN THINK OF, CHINESE OR INTERNATIONAL, AUTHENTIC CLIMBING EQUIPMENT AND CONNECTIONS TO THE REST OF THE WORLD.

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DAYS 2 – 14

COMPLETELY UNIQUE TO FEEDING THE RAT EXPEDITIONS, OUR ACTUAL ON-MOUNTAIN ACCLIMATION PROGRAM CONSISTS OF 12 DAYS OF MONITORED ALTITUDE GAIN & LOSS AMONGST THE REMOTE TIBETAN TOWNS OF THE SICHUAN-XIZANG BORDER. STAYING IN A MIX OF COMFORTABLE TIBETAN HOTELS AND SOME EASY NIGHTS ROADSIDE CAMPING, WE VERY COMFORTABLY DRIVE AND HIKE TO HIGH POINTS AND DOWN AGAIN ACCORDING TO A SCHEDULE WE HAVE USED FOR NEARLY 20 YEARS WITH OUTSTANDING SUCCESS.

REMOVING THE EXERTION AND SPENDING 100% OF OUR TIME AT GENUINE ALTITUDE ALLOWS US TO ACCLIMATE IN A WAY IMPOSSIBLE ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD. BY BEING ON THE SPOT IN REAL TIME, WE CAN MONITOR AND ADJUST PROGRESS IN REALITY, NOT BY ALGORITHMS, TWEAKING TO INCREMENTS OF A FEW METERS IF WE CHOOSE.

OVER WHAT MANY MIGHT CALL THE TRIP OF A LIFETIME, WE IMMERSE IN TIBETAN CULTURE, VISITING THE MONASTERIES, SHRINES, PILGRIMAGE ROUTES, MARKETS AND HIGH PASSES FAR FROM THE TORUIST TRAIL, GAINING ALTITUDE TO AROUND 5500m FOR PHYSIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT PERIODS OF TIME. WITH LOGISTICS THAT LET US PERSONALIZE ACCLIMATION, WE ALSO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF ‘MOUNTAINIZING’ OURSELVES TO THE TEMPERATURES AND DAILY RHYTHMS OF BEING AT ALTITUDE.

DURING THIS PHASE WE SLEEP, WANDER ABOUT, DRIVE TO HIGH POINTS, HIKE EASY TRAILS, DRINK COFFEE, EAT AND TAKE IT AS EASY AS POSSIBLE WHILST USING EASY HIKES TO FEEL OUT HOW WE ARE ADJUSTING TO ALTITUDE. THIS IS EFFECTIVELY THE TIME-PROVEN ACCLIMATION PROCESS USED ON COUNTLESS EXPEDITIONS – MINUS THE NEGATIVES OF SPARTAN CONDITIONS AND HAVING TO EXERT TO PUSH HIGHER. YEARS OF DOING THIS WITH A WIDE CROSS SECTION OF CLIMBERS HAS SHOWN US JUST HOW EFFECTIVE THIS IS, WITH THE ADDITION OF THE SETTING OF EASTERN TIBET TO ENJOY IT.

ALMOST ALL OF THESE DAYS ARE SPENT AMONGST 5000-7000m PEAKS, WITH OUR SCHEDULE INTENTIONALLY TAKING US TO PLACES WE GO TO ON OTHER TRIPS SO WE CAN DISCUSS MOUNTAIN LOGISTICS AND GET A FEEL FOR WHAT’S TO COME.

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DAYS 15 & 16

THANKS TO THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF MODERN CHINA WE CAN EXIT TIBET AND ARRIVE IN XINJIANG IN JUST OVER A DAY THEN TRANSIT TO THE ROADHEAD A DAY LATER. ADMITTEDLY A BIT OF A WHIRLWIND THAT LEAVES THE TEMPTATION OF SEEING KASHGAR TILL AFTER THE TRIP, WE FLY DIRECT INTO THE MIDDLE OF CENTRAL ASIA DURING THE IMPORTANT RECOVERY PHASE AFTER 2 WEEKS DEVOTED TO ACCLIMATION.

ONCE THE ROADS OUT OF KASHGAR MEANT LONELY, SLOW HOURS INTO WILDRENESS, BUT NOW IT’S FAST NEW HIGHWAYS VIA GREENED DESERT AND OASIS TOWNS OUT TO THE TRAILHEAD. IT’S STILL A TRIP DEEP INTO OTHER CULTURES, AND DEPENDING ON THE ROUTE WE USE ALONG THE ‘SILK ROAD’ OF THE SOUTHERN TAKLAMAKAN. WE ARRIVE VIA PLACES EVEN MORE EXOTIC THAN KASHGAR AND MAKE A FINAL FARWELL TO CIVILIZATION BEFORE HEADING INTO THE MOUNTAINS.

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DAYS 17 – 20

NO MATTER HOW MUCH TIME YOU’VE SPENT ON THE BALTORO OR THE KHUMBU, NOTHING COMPARES TO THE NORTH SIDE OF THE KARAKORAM.

THE APPROACH TO K2’S NORTH SIDE IS EXTRAORDINARY AND IT’S HERE YOU BEGIN TO REALIZE YOU’RE NOT HEADED ON A REGULAR 8000m TRIP. UNLIKE THE BUZZ AND SWATHES OF HUMANITY FOUND AROUND OTHER 8000m PEAKS, LEAVING THE ROAD HEAD IT WILL BE JUST CLIMBERS, THE SMALL SUPPORT CREW AND A CARAVAN OF CAMELS, AND THE LAST SIGNS OF CIVILIZATION DISAPPEAR AFTER WE LOSE SIGHT OF THE CAR. THE TRAIL IS FAINT, NIGHTLY CAMPS STUNNINGLY REMOTE AND THE RIVERS WIDE AS WE PASS DOWN THE MASSIVELY ERODED VALLEYS.

BEING PREACCLIMATED WE CAN FORGO THE EXERTIONS OF THE HIGH PASSES, USING THE +5000m HIGH POINTS AS A CHANCE TO RE-ACCLIMATE AND ENJOY THE UNIQUE APPROACH. NOWHERE ELSE ON EARTH CAN YOU ACCOMPANY A HORSE AND CAMEL CARAVAN INTO HIGH ALTITUDE WILDERNESS, SEEING HOW AN AUTHENTIC SEMI-NOMADIC CULTURE WORKS, RIDING THE CAMELS ACROSS THE FAMOUS SHAKSGAM RIVER AND SPENDING NIGHTS IN PLACES THAT QUALIFY AS TRUE WILDERNESS, SEEING ONLY A FEW PEOPLE A YEAR, IF THAT.

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DAYS 21 & 22

FOR ALL IT’S LONELY REMOTENESS SUGHET JANGAL ACTUALLY SITS AT THE CENTRE OF CENTRAL ASIAN HISTORY. WHERE MOST 8000m BASECAMPS ARE RECENT INVENTIONS, SUGHET JANGAL HAS BEEN ON THE NOMADIC ROUTE FROM ONE SIDE OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TO THE OTHER ACROSS THE RISE AND FALL OF DYNASTIES, RIGHT UP TO THE SPIES OF THE EARLY 20th CENTURY AND THE GEOPOLITICKING OF TODAY. AS A GREEN PLAIN BY THE SHAKSGAM RIVER, SUGHET JANGAL IS HOME TO ANIMALS AND A SEASONAL PASTURE OF THE HERDERS OF WHOM WE HAVE TRAVELLED WITH.

PREVIOUSLY THIS WAS THE FIRST REAL REST AN EXPEDITION HAD AFTER CROSSING THE HIGH PASSES ON THE WAY IN, BUT AS WE WENT THROUGH ALL THAT WEEKS BEFORE IN TIBET WE CAN DO HALF-DAY HIKES HIGHER TO AROUND 6000m FOR OUR REACCLIMATION THEN START FERRYING LOADS TO BASECAMP, HALF A DAY UP THE K2 GLACIER.

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DAYS 23 – 28

WITHOUT PREACCLIMATION, ESTABLISHING BASECAMP BY OURSELVES WOULD BE ARDUOUS IF NOT UNFEASIBLE, BUT AS PART OF ADJUSTING TO THE LOCATION WE SPEND SEVERAL DAYS MOVING SUPPLIES AT AN EASY PACE TO OUR CAMP AT 5000m.

UNLIKE ANY BASECAMP ON ANY OTHER 8000m PEAK, K2 NORTH SIDE IS A PRISTINE LOCATION WITH RUNNING WATER, NO SANITATION PROBLEMS AND A COMPLETE AND UNOBSTRUCTED VIEW OF THE ROUTE. UNLIKE MOST BASECAMPS, K2 NORTH SIDE IS NOT A VILLAGE TO CALL HOME, SHARING IT’S DUTIES WITH SUGHET JANGAL WHERE WE RETREAT TO TO REALLY RECUPERATE, AND CAMP 1 / ABC WHICH HABITABLE FOR MEDIUM DURATION STAYS.

WE DON’T PRETEND K2 NORTH BASECAMP WILL BE A PLACE WITH BAKERY, INTERNET HUB, YOGA CLASSES AND PARTIES, NOR WILL IT HAVE HELICOPTERS FLYING OVER, BRANDED COMPANY COMPOUNDS, STRAY DOGS AND TOILET PROBLEMS. ONCE SETTLED, BASECAMP IS THE OPERATIONS BASE FOR SERIOUS BUSINESS OF CLIMBING K2.

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DAYS 28 – 50

THIS IS WHAT WE CAME FOR. THE NEXT 20 DAYS IS THE HIGHLY REFINED LIVING PATTERN 8000m CLIMBING IS KNOWN FOR, MINUS THE BUSTLE & SOAP OPERA OF OUR FRIENDS OVER ON THE SOUTH SIDE. THERE’S THE HOURS WATCHING THE WEATHER AND LAYING IN THE SUN BETWEEN CLIMBING SESSIONS, WITH EVERY TRIP UPWARDS FURTHER ONTO A MOUNTAIN SIDE SHOWING VERY FEW SIGNS OF PREVIOUS ACTIVITY. IF YOU WANT TO KNOW THE MOST SUBLIME CLIMBING EXPERIENCE POSSIBLE, A GOOD WEATHER DAY ON THE NORTH SIDE OF K2 IS PROBABLY IT.

OUR PREACCLIMATION MEANS WE STEP OFF THE GLACIER WITH THE ABILITY TO FURTHER ACCLIMATE ON THE ROUTE – ANOTHER ELEMENT OF THE NORTH RIDGE THAT MAKES IT THE ULTIMATE 8000m ASCENT OPTION. STEEP AND DIRECT, K2’S NORTH RIDGE LOSES NOTHING ON WANDERING ROUTES THAT GAIN NO ALTITUDE FOR TIME SPENT, AND AS THE ROUTE PROGRESSES THERE IS AN EFFICIENT ACCLIMATION TIMELINE BUILT IN.

WE DECICATE TO THE CLIMBING UNTIL MAKING A SENSIBLE HIGHPOINT AND DESCENT, OR WE TURNED AROUND BY CONDITIONS OF EITHER THE WEATHER OR THE TEAM. WE THEN RETURN TO SUGHET JANGAL WITH A DAY OR TWO TO ARRANGE THINGS FOR THE RETURN.

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DAYS 51 – 54

IN THE NORTHERN KARAKORAM, WE LEAVE WHEN THE CAMELS RETURN FOR US, AND THE SOUNDS OF THE CARAVAN COMING AROUND FROM THE SHAKSGAM VALLEY ARE UNFORGETTABLE. SO LONG AS THERE’S NO ISSUES WITH RIVER CROSSINGS, COMING BACK IS MUCH FASTER THAN GOING IN WAS. THE VALLEYS ARE NOTICEABLY GREENER, SOMETIMES WITH ANIMALS AND HERDERS IN THEM, AND MOST PEOPLE FEEL STRONG WITH THE HARD WORK BEHIND THEM.

WE DON’T LINGER BETWEEN THE ROAD HEAD AND KASHGAR. STOPS ENROUTE ARE FUNCTIONAL AND MINIMAL WITH PLENTY OF TIME TO SLEEP IN THE VEHICLES. PULLING INTO KASHGAR AFTER WEEKS IN THE WILDERNESS IS SOMETHING GENERATIONS OF TRAVELLERS AND EXPLORERS HAVE DONE AND THE TOWN IS SET UP FOR IT WITH OPEN MARKETS, FOOD EVERYWHERE, BUSINESSES TRADING TO ALL OVER THE REGION AND AN OBVIOUS CENTRAL ASIAN CULTURE.

THIS IS A TIME AND PLACE TO EAT, RELAX, DECOMPRESS AND REINTEGRATE WITH THE WORLD. IF IT’S YOUR FIRST TRIP TO CENTRAL ASIA THE AMBIENCE IS EXOTIC AND EVOCATIVE WITH GREAT GAME RESIDENCES, VISITORS FROM THE ‘STANS AND GLIMPSES OF THE DESERT. THIS IS NOT THE CHINA YOU SEE ON THE NIGHTLY NEWS.

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DAY 55

THE LIGHTSPEED DEVELOPMENT OF MODERN CHINA MEANS FLIGHT CONNECTIONS HOME FROM DISTANT KASHGAR ARE SIMPLE, WITH MANY CHOSING TO RETRACE VIA CHENGDU. ONCE THE LAST OUTPOST OF CIVILIZATION, KASHGAR IS NOW A SHORT HOP TO MAJOR INTERNATIONAL HUBS INCLUDING BACK TO CHENGDU, AND THE LAST VIEWS OF THE NORTH SIDE OF THE KARAKORAM YOU TAKE OFF OUT OVER THE DESERT ARE MEMORABLE AND IS OFTEN WHERE THE NEXT TRIP STARTS TO FORM.

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YOU MAY ALSO BE INTERESTED IN 10 REASONS TO CLIMB K2 FROM THE NORTH SIDE