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Skardu and jeep ride to Askole (April 16-18, 2016) 30 Images
Starting from Grenoble, we reach Skardu in less than 24 hours --- with a morning flight from Islamabad with wonderful weather, magnificent sights on Nanga Parbat and all the Karakoram still under a lot of snow. The change of scenery is complete: we are now in a typical noisy and dusty Asian town with its crowded bazar … just the trucks are missing, the road up here has been closed till now because of bad weather conditions. In the morning, I visit the quiet areas of the city far away from the road, and in the afternoon we visit the bazar and a beautiful viewpoint on the Indus River.
Next morning we leave Skardu (around 2000m, where apricot blossom is almost over) for a 100km jeep ride on a progressively worsening, finally almost scary road to the ends-of-the-earth village Askole (at 3000m) where spring has barely started and people live all winter in a windowless rooms, isolated enough from the cold outside to allow survival … as in Ladakh many years ago. In summer, it is a busy place, plenty of mountaineers and trekkers come to admire and climb the local peaks even if in recent years the crowd decreased; now there are only the locals, and before two months no other trekking group will come up here.
We spend a full day around the village, we have time to visit the school in Korphe (built by the Italians), on the other side of the river, to observe the spring farm work, and some of us even experience the direction of a plow yak …
Men and kids look and behave just as everywhere else, but women wear colorful local dresses … and are completely scared by all these cameras that we tourists carry around. Poor girls, they (have to?) hide as soon as one of us is approaching.
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Trek from Askole up the Baldur valley until we find snow (April 19-22, 2016) 40 Images
On the next day, we start a 4-day trek to reach the snowline. We are accompanied by almost 50 porters, cooks … we are the first and unique group before (end of) June, and everyone wants to work. It is a cheerful, hard working group. We are supposed to pitch our tents ourselves, but they are always put up when we reach the camp. The first day is pretty grey but all the following ones are sunny at least for a few hours. Note that we gain at most 3-400m altitude per day but the GPS indicates at least an additional 300m due to the endless ups and downs (confirmed by my gpx analysis tools, which also checked the distances).
First tests of the solar panel which performs excellently: it charges at 100mA with very grey sky and 300, even up to 500mA when the sun comes out; no problem to keep everything charged all the time, the AA batteries even suffer a bit from being too often overcharged.
The map showing this trek is
Here.
Day 1: 18km from Askole (3040m) to Jula (3050m)
A day with little altitude gain. The lunch break is at Korophon at the foot of the Biafo glacier --- where ends the Great Karakorum Traverse (hopefully, my next visit in the region). In the afternoon, the path climbs up to a ledge above the river, sometimes carved into the rock – with a strong smell of sulfur and full of tiny pieces of garnet. There are 2 options for reaching Jula camp: today, we choose to wade through the Dumordo River as it is much shorter, easy, and not even very cold.
Day 2: 21km from Jula to Payu (3400m)
The second day continues on mostly smooth, sometimes a bit stony terrain, sometimes close to the riverbed and sometimes a bit above until we reach Payu which lies in a little forest – the only one of the valley – made from willows, birch and popular trees, and of course there are also roses, juniper and seabuckthorn which is almost everywhere. Towards the end of the day, we get in sight of the famous Trango towers (Castle and Cathedral), Lobsang Spire and their impressive granite walls, just above our head are Paju Peak and Uli Biaho Tower, but we cannot really see them from here, and many more beautiful rocky as well as snow-covered peaks; most of them don’t even a name on the map.
Day 3: 15km from Payu to Khoburtse (3840m)
The day starts with blue sky and wonderful views on (still the same) mountains. After a short flat walk, we reach the foot of the Baltoro Glacier from where it is a steep climb through the moraine with views on the tremendous “mouth” to upper part of the glacier. From there, we can also see the famous Nameless Tower in the Trango Group. Looking back, we have now excellent views on Uli Biaho Tower and Paju Peak.
All afternoon, we follow the mainly sandy left bank of the glacier; the greyish sand together with the now completely grey sky provide us with a somewhat gloomy atmosphere, especially at the glacier lake just below the camp; the lake has almost disappeared, letting behind a strangely carved sandy ground.
Day 4: 12km from Khoburtse to 1st camp on snow (4150m)
After some moments of moonlight in the early night, in the morning everything is beautifully white, covered by (a bit of) snow. From now on, the path is increasingly snow-covered, and as the night was warm, at every step there is a risk of sinking knee-deep into it. It takes us 3 instead of 2 hours to reach the Urdukas military camp where we are welcomed with tea --- which we appreciate a lot. During the break at the camp, the sky starts clearing up, and we continue with beautiful views and sun. Soon, there is enough snow for our pulkas, and it is time to say good-bye to the porters, who have to go all the way back before the night …
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Exploring Baltoro and Abruzzi Glaciers (April 23-26, 2016) 66 Images
… we are now on our own, each of us tracts a pulka weighing 30-35kg. We have food and petrol for 13 days (at least), and 2 persons share a tent and a stove … which has more problems with altitude than we. We have all we need and the adventure can now start.
It is much more easy-going to walk on the snow-covered glacier than on the scree, but also here, every day is a permanent succession of ups and downs so that at the end of the day we climb much more than the net altitude gain … which is small enough to avoid problems with altitude to most of us.
The map showing this trek is
Here.
Day 5: 8km (only) to camp close Goro 2 (4320m)
We can guess Concordia, our first “goal” right from the start: it’s just up the valley, below Gasherbrum 4. We pass below the characteristic summits of Masherbrum and Muztagh Tower on opposite sides of the valley, but the summits quickly hide behind the clouds so that we more guess than really see them.
This allows us to better admire the famous “ice sails”, a specialty of the region. We meet them almost all the way up to Concordia.
Day 6: 11km to 1st camp at Concordia (4590m)
Again, the sky is perfectly blue in the early morning --- which allows us to admire Masherbrum --- but very quickly we get again the hazy atmosphere of the previous day. Towards mid-day it’s the heat and the sticky snow that makes progress a bit difficult, in the afternoon, we have moments with very little visibility so that finding our way is not always easy.
Nevertheless, we get an increasingly closer view of Mitre, dominating Concordia and impressively beautiful from all sides; and at the end of the day, the sky clears up discovering Gasherbrum and Broad Peak just above our heads, and of course Mitre, each time from a new angle, each time a bit more beautiful.
Day 7: 7km short morning walk to camp at Shaqring (4700m)
A wonderful day for our first “K2 viewpoint” which we reach after short walk --- only on our way back, we notice that is it is not the first, but that one can see K2 from a place much further down during the second day, a bit below Paju camp (see waypoint on the maps). An impressive place: 360 degrees of famous peaks: of course K2 (8611m) with his “mother”, the snow-white Angel Peak (6858m only), Broad Peak (8051m), Gasherbrum 4 (almost 8000), above the Upper Baltoro Glacier, there are Snow Dome (7150) and Chogolisa (7668), then the Vigne Group with its impressive granite triangles, Mitre, the needles of Biarchedi, and finally Marble Peak … in the days to come, we will see them from different angles and discover new ones.
For now, we just walk a few km up the Upper Baltoro Glacier.
Day 8: Excursion (23km) on Abruzzi Glacier and viewpoints on Hidden Peak (highest point 5030m)
A long day without the pulkas with beautiful weather until almost noon, then the usual afternoon haziness hiding the summits but offering different views on the closer environment … the “official aim” of the day is to admire two more 8000ers, Gasherbrum 1 or Hidden Peak (8080m) and Gasherbrum 2 (8035m), but we will only see the first one, just before it disappears behind the haze.
Despite our absolute “failure”, a wonderful day with wonderful views on the glaciers, Vigne Peaks, the snowy peaks above Chogolisa Glacier, the (lower) Gasherbrum range just above our heads and looking backward, we can finally admire the famous Muztagh Tower which so far we have more guessed than seen.
At the main military camp of the glacier (our highest point of the day), we have the opportunity to discuss with the major who speaks excellent English and provides us with some insight in local life. There is another camp, higher up, almost at the Conway Saddle, the border to Kashmir, and the guys up there have badly suffered in March when there was heavy snowfall almost for a month. Of course we get tea and food which goes without saying. It has been told that we would not be allowed to take pictures … but that’s not true, everyone takes pictures of everyone (they with their smart phones) and of everything, no problem.
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Exploring the faces of K2 on Savoy and Godwin Austen Glaciers (April 27-30, 2016) 58 Images
During the following days, we get closest to K2 and reach our highest points … which after all are not that high: the highest camp is at Broad Peak BC (4875m), and the highest points we reach are the viewpoints on K2 on Savoy and Godwin Austen Glacier (a bit over 5300m) … overall not much higher than Mont Blanc … but here, the peaks tower up another 3000m above our heads.
The map showing this trek is
Here.
Day 9: 7km back to Concordia (4600m) and afternoon excursion on Godwin Austen
A short walk in a greyish morning. Without our own old traces it might have been pretty difficult to find our way. We reach Concordia well before noon but the weather doesn’t encourage us to go any further. Later in the afternoon, the weather brightens up a bit and we leave for a walk, to explore Godwin-Austen Glacier and to enjoy the views on Mitre and the Vigne Peaks. Finally, the sky clears up for real, and we can admire sunset on K2 and Broad Peak.
Day 10: 9,5km up to camp at Broad Peak BC (4875m)
On Godwin Austin Glacier there is no military camp, here the neighbor is China, not India.
Again a day with the typical weather schema: bright blue sky in the morning, haze (and sometimes a bit more) coming up towards noon, and towards sunset, the sky clears up again for a beautiful sunset.
Today, it is an easy walk: after crossing the bediere that marks the separation between the Baltoro and the Godwin-Austen Glacier, we climb on the first ridge (or is it the second) on which we continue until the lunch break. After that point the ridge is dry and we continue for a short time in the bediere. We discover the north side of the Marble Peak, Pastore Peak and finally the heavily crevasses Savoy Glacier and the peaks surrounding it. Shortly after the start, we are “woken up” by a strange noise: a tremendous avalanche coming down a glacier in the Biarchedi group. Impressive. It somehow cools down our ambition of skiing on one of these steep slopes.
Day 11: Excursion (14km) on the heavily crevassed Savoy Glacier and viewpoints on K2 (highest point 5320m)
Great weather all day. In the night, we have to use our Gamow bag (a portable hyperbaric chamber fitting a person), and luckily this treatment is sufficient. It seems that everyone was out there pumping, but I didn’t hear anything, I just continued sleeping. That’s why we start late, it’s already pretty warm. Up to the altitude of the K2 BC it’s quick and easy-going. Then the headache starts. We have to wind ourselves through the labyrinth of crevasses of the Savoy glacier which takes us more than 3 hours for not even 200m altitude gain. Then, we must hurry to progress enough on the now flat Savoy Glacier to get a good view of K2 west face … it’s tempting, and in fact it would be easy to continue to (just below) Savoia Pass, but it would mean to pull the pulkas through the labyrinth which doesn’t sound very practical.
We are late, snow already freezes. We reach the labyrinth within half an hour, it takes us 1h to traverse it following our own trace, and then a few minutes to the camp. It’s freezing cold already.
Day 12: Excursion (9km) in direction of Windy Gap and viewpoints on K2 again (highest point 5360m)
Luckily, the weather remains again great all day. We explore the upper part of Godwin-Austen Glacier in direction of the Windy Gap (border to China) to admire the K2 east face and the northern faces of Broad Peak which are just as stunning. The appearance of this glacier is completely different from the one of the previous day. There are no deep crevasses and we can walk all the way long on a kind of “quiet ridge” on which the bare ice shines through almost everywhere but yet with enough snow to climb easily on skis. Today there is no need to rope up, not all of us; only the first 2 do, the others follow, it’s enough precaution. The glacier is at its best in the glare of the end-of-afternoon sun.
Also today, continuing up to Windy Gap is a plausible option that would require pulling the pulkas a bit higher up … or walking quite a bit faster than we do.
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Skiing down on Baltoro Glacier to end of snow (Mai 1-4, 2016) 47 Images
From now on, we are “on our way back” which may sound sad. But it gives us the opportunity for a “second look” at all the places seen on our way up, from a different angle, mostly at a different time of the day, different light, … and also at a different season: when we started, it was still winter, now one starts to feel spring everywhere. We have to stop early now, on the last days before noon, in the afternoon the snow gets insanely soft, water starts to flow in the bedieres which makes crossing them a bit trickier than so far.
The map showing this trek is
Here.
Day 13: 8km back to Concordia (4615m) just before crossing back on Baltoro
A wonderful day for this walk down to our last camp on Concordia, all day facing an awesome panorama, of course different from the one on the way up – facing K2. Now we face the marvelous Marble Peak, Mitre of course, Vigne, Chogolosa and also the summits further down on the Southside of Baltoro: Biarchedi Peaks and Ghondogoro Ri.
Day 14: 10km back to the foot of Muztagh Tower (4405m)
Again a wonderful day without clouds, the last one. We are looking for some skiable slope. As those in the shadow still produce impressive avalanches, let’s forget them … but there are some tempting slopes running down from Crystal Peak, the problem is that alone crossing Baltoro to its foot would take too much time. Then, there is the Younghusband Glacier which of course is far too long for a single day, but still, let’s take home some dreams for another year …
Again, the scenery is great, we have time to admire Muztagh Tower from quite close now, and also Masherbrum, a bit further down on the left side of the valley.
Day 15: not even 7km back to camp with Masherbrum view (4230m)
The night is particularly warm and the snow particularly bad already quite early in the morning, and the stony moraine covering the glacier in summer gets more and more visible. We stop early because of the snow conditions, the place is beautiful, a bit hidden among the ice blocks --- not really “sails” here --- and we have running water close by, which makes the camp life easier. The afternoon haze gives them a mysterious look.
Day 16: not even 6km morning walk to end of snow (4108m)
We get up very early hoping that this would improve the snow conditions for our short walk, but it barely does, it has been cloudy and “warm” all night. The snow is soft even in the early morning, the bedieres are still frozen, but after a short time they start thawing, and crossing them is more and more a headache … especially for the last one.
We reach the end of the snow about 1km above our starting point 13 days ago. We unmount the pulkas and explore a bit the snow-free glacier, but towards the end of the afternoon it starts snowing, nothing serious barely some cm until the next morning.
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Trek down the Braldu to Askole (Mai 5-8, 2016) 45 Images
The trek back to Askole follows (almost) the same trail --- there is no real alternative --- and with the same camps. Despite this similarity, it’s a quite different trek. It is now spring, and from the second day on, we see an increasing number of young plants growing even on the glacier. A few flowers a bit further down.
The map showing this trek is
Here.
Day 17: 10km from end of snow to Khoburtse camp (3824m)
The morning is grey, even a bit of snow in the early morning, later it lightens up a bit, but not much. We never see the peaks above the glacier, only the granite walls up to some height, but we are rewarded with beautiful views on the glacier surrounding us which is now really free of snow and shows its colorful scree, marble, beautiful conglomerate, both breccia and puddingstone; later in the ground is mainly greyish, a mix of more or less disaggregated granite and schist (if I remember it well).
The only day on which take a different route than on the way up, it leads us through an interesting terrain consisting of more or less steep slopes made of ice and gravel above a series of glacier lakes.
Day 18: 12km from Khoburtse to Payu Camp – now green (3420m)
Since several days already we can guess the sound of the Himalayan tetra, this morning we hear them very clearly starting from four in the morning. I never see them, but I have taken plenty of pictures in Nepal where in the early morning they came for food right around the tents.
Today the weather is wonderful, and we continue with brownish terrain, partly on sand, especially around the lake below the camp --- which has filled up again and looks now very different. Sometimes we have to cross fields of white or white and black granite blocks, and when we cross the glacier towards its end, we get some of the colors of the previous days again.
The trees at Payu Camp are covered by catkins, the leaves are still rather burgeoning, but they look green, and it is spring. Also, there are now many more insects than on our way up.
Day 19: 20km from Payu to Jula Camp (3155m)
A long day, partly on painful terrain. Spring is more and more present, there are now plenty of flowers, not our typical early spring flowers for which it may be too dry, too sandy, but different kinds of flowers (photos to come later). We also see for the first time a local lizard, larger than the ones back home. The willows at Jula Camp are green.
Shortly after departure from Payu, we discover a spot from which one can see K2 (there is a long discussion, but it is K2, the photo combined with the maps show it clearly) so that we can say a last good-bye. An hour later, we spot a huge caravan of fully packed mules coming up the river … tourists now, at that season? No, it’s the supply for the military camps up there.
Day 20: 19km back to Askole (3055m)
Another long day but on easier going terrain. This time, we must cross the Dumordo River in the morning, and we pass on the bridge, a few hundred meters upstream. This gives us the opportunity to admire some magnificent polished rocks.
Korophon (at the foot of the Biafo Glacier) is now a green oasis, and the yaks already moved up here to their grazing grounds (for the time being, they have to content themselves with pretty little … as far as I can judge).
In Askole, it’s the cherry and apricot trees that are blossoming, and the fields that have been plowed three weeks earlier are now light green.
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Back to Skardu and 3 days in Islamabad (Mai 9-12, 2016) 23 Images
A few pictures taken on the jeep ride back to Skardu (this time with beautiful weather), on the flight back to Islamabad, again on a wonderful day, which allows us to discover that Skardu is indeed a kind of green Oasis in the middle of a desert. We have again amazing views on Nanga Parbat which from up here looks still covered by white snow just as in winter …. Finally, a very small selection of pictures taken during 3 days in Islamabad (more to come)
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Collection of maps and GPS traces 4 Images
Finally, a few maps. At some point I may add a zip-file with all the GPS traces. For the moment, there are
- Some pictures of different maps showing projections of the GPS traces (created using Oziexplorer) … they are the “pictures” here. I made these maps a long time ago, meanwhile I changed the way of nimbering the days, and the naming of the way points
- An interactive map showing the trace of the entire trip on a google hybrid map. You may zoom on parts as usual, using the maps and waypoints menus, you may “go to” a given trace (by clicking on the arrow beside the trace) or waypoint (by clicking on the icon in the menu), or display/undisplay them by clicking on the name. You also may project the traces onto different backgrounds using the small menu on the top right (the background that make sense are mainly “OpenTopoMap” or “World topo” which show contour lines. The maps have been created with GPSview, you may go to their website and check how it works.
It is
Here.
- Finally, each album contains a link to a map showing only the traces of the days related to its pictures.
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