Field guides / Gilgit-Baltistan / K2
Field guide · Nature
K2
K2 is the second-highest mountain on Earth at 8,611 m and, by wide consensus, the hardest and most dangerous of the fourteen 8,000-metre peaks to climb. Known as the 'Savage Mountain', it stands at the head of the Baltoro Glacier on the Pakistan-China border, a near-perfect pyramid of rock and ice, far steeper and more technical than Everest.
K2 is the second-highest mountain on Earth at 8,611 m and, by wide consensus, the hardest and most dangerous of the fourteen 8,000-metre peaks to climb. Known as the 'Savage Mountain', it stands at the head of the Baltoro Glacier on the Pakistan-China border, a near-perfect pyramid of rock and ice, far steeper and more technical than Everest. You do not have to climb it to stand beneath it: the trek to K2 Base Camp at Concordia is one of the world's great walks, and the mountain's south face, rising some 3,000 vertical metres in a single unbroken sweep, is among the most awe-inspiring sights in the Karakoram.
Why go
- ✦The 8,611 m summit pyramid, second-highest on Earth
- ✦K2 Base Camp on the Godwin-Austen Glacier
- ✦Concordia, the 'Throne Room of the Mountain Gods'
- ✦Gilkey Memorial to climbers lost on the peak
- ✦Trekking the Baltoro past Trango Towers and Masherbrum
The Savage Mountain
K2 was first climbed on 31 July 1954 by an Italian expedition led by Ardito Desio, with Achille Compagnoni and Lino Lacedelli reaching the top. Its reputation is built on its fatality rate, historically around one death for every four summits, and on the fact that it resisted a winter ascent until January 2021, when a Nepali team made the first. There is no easy route: every line involves sustained steep ground at extreme altitude, in some of the most volatile weather on the planet.
Trekking to Base Camp
For non-climbers, the prize is the walk in. The Baltoro Glacier trek from Askole is a procession of giants, Paiju Peak, the Trango Towers, Cathedral, Masherbrum, building to the moment Concordia opens out and K2 finally reveals itself. Trekkers use porters and a full camp crew; nights are spent on glacier moraine. From Concordia it is one more day to K2 Base Camp and the poignant Gilkey Memorial.
K2 Base Camp vs Concordia
Many travellers conflate the two. Concordia is the glacial junction with the famous four-8,000ers panorama and is where most trek itineraries turn around. K2 Base Camp proper is a further day north along the Godwin-Austen Glacier, directly under the south face. GreenPak can route either as a guided expedition with Skardu logistics, permits, and porter teams, talk to us with your dates and fitness level.
Planning tip
When to go, June to August, the only window when the Baltoro is passable and base camp is established. July is the prime climbing and summit month. Outside summer the glacier and high camps are inaccessible.
Getting there, Fly or drive to Skardu, then jeep 6-7 hours to Askole, the last village on the road. From Askole it is a 6-7 day trek up the Baltoro Glacier through Paiju, Urdukas, and Goro II to Concordia, with K2 Base Camp a further day north along the Godwin-Austen Glacier.
Allow, A K2 Base Camp trek runs 14-21 days round trip from Skardu; climbing expeditions occupy 6-8 weeks. Serious acclimatisation and prior Karakoram trekking experience are essential.
