… 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.