Broad Peak Expedition

Fly Islamabad to Skardu: 4 AM hotel departure for the early morning Pakistan International Airlines ATR-72 flight. The 20 kilogram luggage limit is enforced. The one-hour flight northeast to Skardu is one of the finest short flights in the world in clear conditions. Nanga Parbat at 8,126 metres appears on the left side of the aircraft approximately 40 minutes after takeoff. Skardu airport at 2,228 metres above the Indus River is surrounded on three sides by Karakoram peaks. The approach and landing are unlike any other commercial airport in the world.

Transfer to the Skardu hotel. The afternoon is for acclimatization at 2,228 metres and logistics. The expedition's bulk supplies, shipped ahead from Islamabad or purchased at the Skardu market, are sorted and packaged into porter loads at the hotel yard. A typical Broad Peak expedition requires 25 to 40 porters for the Baltoro approach and the logistics of packaging 40 to 50 loads is a multi-hour operation for the sirdar and cook team. You participate if you want to understand the logistics, or rest in the hotel if you need recovery from travel. Tomorrow is a rest day before the Askole drive.

Full rest day in Skardu at 2,228 metres. Acclimatization at this altitude is physiologically meaningful and this day contributes to your performance above 7,000 metres a month from now. Your guide finalises permits at the Pakistan Alpine Club office and confirms the porter team numbers and porter load manifests. Use the day for a slow walk to Kharpocho Fort (150 metre gain, good acclimatization stimulus) or Satpara Lake (400 metres above Skardu, directly useful acclimatization). The Skardu bazaar has expedition-grade dried fruit, nuts, and snacks worth buying if you want personal food supplements beyond the expedition rations for high camps.

Verify your personal technical gear today: crampon fit to boots, ice axe length appropriate to your height, harness fit and buckle function, ascender (jumar) action with gloves on. These checks matter. At 7,100 metres on Camp III of Broad Peak with wind and cold, discovering your crampon bail is too small to engage your boot welt is a serious problem. Resolve all equipment issues at the Skardu hotel, not on the mountain.

Drive Skardu to Askole: 4 to 5 hours by jeep convoy through the Braldu Valley gorge road. Departure at 7 AM. The expedition convoy may span multiple jeeps carrying clients, guides, the liaison officer, and expedition staff. The Braldu Valley road is carved into cliff faces above the emerald green Braldu River. Tea stop at Dassu village. Arrive at Askole at 3,050 metres in early afternoon. The full porter team assembles and receives load assignments. Tonight the cook team sets up the kitchen and prepares the first full camp dinner. Askole is the last permanent settlement. From here to base camp every gram is carried by human and occasionally pack animal. Whatever you forgot to buy in Skardu stays forgotten until the exit.

Day 6: Askole to Jhola Camp, 14 kilometres, 5 to 7 hours. Leave at 6:30 AM. The trail heads east from Askole above the Braldu River and reaches the terminal moraine of the Baltoro Glacier after approximately 2 hours. Cross the wire bridge over the Braldu River and begin the lateral moraine walk northeast. Moraine is rough, rocky, and demands continuous foot placement attention. There is no smooth path on the Baltoro lateral moraine. Trekking poles are essential for balance and knee protection from the first metres of the moraine. Jhola Camp at 3,170 metres is a flat sandy site reached in mid-afternoon. The sky on a clear night at Jhola is extraordinary, the Milky Way dense enough to cast faint shadows.

Day 7: Jhola to Paiju Camp, 11 kilometres, 5 hours. Paiju Peak at 6,610 metres dominates the view ahead during the entire approach. The peak's steep north face and sharp summit ridge grow progressively clearer as you walk northeast. Paiju Camp at 3,400 metres is the last green vegetation before Concordia and base camp. The camp sits beside a clean meltwater stream, the best drinking water on the approach. Tomorrow is a rest day at Paiju. Tonight the cook prepares one of the more generous dinners of the approach, knowing a day of rest follows.

Rest day at Paiju Camp at 3,400 metres. Medically productive rest, not lost time. Sleep late, eat fully, drink a minimum of 4 litres of water. The hillside above camp has a goat trail climbing 200 to 300 metres in 45 minutes. The view from the top shows the full lower Baltoro in both directions and gives a first visual of the Trango Towers to the northeast. This short climb (the only elevation gain appropriate on a rest day) stimulates acclimatization without adding cumulative physical stress. Your guide conducts health checks individually today. Report any altitude symptoms now, not at 7,100 metres.

Paiju to Urdukas: 14 kilometres, 6 to 7 hours. The Trango Towers dominate today's walk. Nameless Tower at 6,286 metres is the tallest, its 1,200-metre east face one of the largest vertical granite walls in the world. From the trail passing directly below the towers the vertical scale is overwhelming. Urdukas at 4,050 metres sits on a rocky ledge above the glacier with panoramic views in both directions. From Urdukas a faint dark pyramid is visible at the far northeast end of the glacier on clear late afternoons. That pyramid is K2. And directly to K2's right, its summit slightly lower and its profile broader and more rounded, is Broad Peak. Your mountain.

Urdukas to Goro II: 8 kilometres, 5 to 6 hours, reaching 4,270 metres. The upper Baltoro becomes increasingly ice-dominant as rock debris coverage decreases. White and blue ice shows between moraine stones. Masherbrum at 7,821 metres is the dominant southern peak on this section, its near-perfect pyramid profile matching the dramatic names in the Karakoram inventory. Goro II at 4,270 metres is the last camp before Concordia. Many trekkers and climbers experience their first real altitude symptoms here. Mild headache is normal. Report anything beyond mild headache to your guide before sleeping.

Goro II to Concordia: 9 kilometres, 4 to 5 hours, reaching 4,691 metres. The Baltoro bends northwest at the final promontory before Concordia and as you round the bend, four 8,000-metre peaks fill the view: K2 north, Broad Peak northeast, Gasherbrum I and II east. This is Concordia, the finest mountain viewpoint accessible to non-technical trekkers anywhere on Earth. Camp at the glacier junction. K2 and Broad Peak are your constant skyline from Concordia. The scale of Broad Peak's west face, the route you will climb, is visible in full profile from the camp. The route is a logical line up the broad snow face but it is also 3,000 metres of sustained elevation gain from base camp.

Concordia to Broad Peak Base Camp: 8 kilometres up the Godwin-Austen Glacier, gaining 210 metres to 4,900 metres, approximately 2.5 to 3 hours. Base camp occupies the same general moraine area as K2 Base Camp and the two are within walking distance of each other. From Broad Peak Base Camp, K2 fills the entire northern view. Broad Peak rises directly above to the northeast, its west face and northwest ridge in full profile above the camp. The start of the climbing route is visible from the tent door: lower rock buttresses giving way to snow, the broad snow field of the west face, and the ridge leading to the summit plateau.

Base camp at 4,900 metres is home for the next 33 days. The cook team sets up the full kitchen and mess tent. Sleeping tents are pitched for each client and for the support staff. A toilet tent is established downwind. The communications antenna goes up and the satellite forecasting subscription is activated. The first base camp evening is for eating, drinking, and orientation. Your guide runs through the rotation schedule for the first time in detail: days 13 to 14 rest at base camp, days 15 to 19 first rotation to Camp II, days 20 to 21 rest, days 22 to 25 second rotation to Camp III, days 26 to 28 rest, then the summit push window.

Days 13 to 15 at base camp: equipment setup, medical assessment, rest, and final acclimatization at 4,900 metres before the first rotation begins. The first 3 base camp days are not for climbing. They are for your body to stabilise at the new altitude, for the guide to assess each climber's condition, and for the expedition infrastructure to be fully operational before anyone goes above base camp. Blood oxygen saturation is measured for each climber morning and evening. Resting heart rate is recorded. The guide conducts a structured physical assessment on day 14: rope ascending drills with a jumar, crampon walking on any available snow near camp, ice axe self-arrest demonstration. Day 15 is final preparation: confirm personal oxygen supply (if using oxygen), double-check crampon fit, review Camp I route with guide and examine weather forecast for the rotation window.

First rotation: base camp to Camp I at 5,900 metres, Camp I to Camp II at 6,500 metres, and back to base camp. Camp I is reached in 3 to 5 hours from base camp via the lower west face. The terrain above base camp is initially rocky moraine giving way to snow and ice on the main face. Camp I at 5,900 metres sits on a snow platform with space for 4 to 6 tents. The view from Camp I back down to base camp and across to K2 directly opposite is one of the finest high camp perspectives in the Karakoram. Camp II at 6,500 metres is a further 4 to 6 hours above Camp I on steeper snow terrain. The route between Camps I and II on Broad Peak is generally straightforward on the west face without the severe rock technical sections found on the lower section of K2's Abruzzi Spur. Fixed ropes are in place on the steeper sections. Spend 1 to 2 nights at Camp II before descending to base camp for the rest period.

Days 20 and 21 are rest days at base camp after the first rotation. Two full days of rest and recovery at 4,900 metres after spending nights at 5,900 and 6,500 metres. The descent itself is an important physiological event: returning to 4,900 metres from 6,500 metres allows faster recovery than resting at altitude would permit. Eat as much as possible. Caloric expenditure on the first rotation under load is high and most climbers return with a meaningful deficit. Hydrate fully. The guide reviews rotation performance with each climber individually during these rest days. Any technique issues identified on the first rotation are addressed with practical drills in camp before the second rotation begins.

Second rotation: base camp through Camps I and II to Camp III at 7,100 metres. This is the critical acclimatization push into the Death Zone above 7,000 metres. The route above Camp II to Camp III at 7,100 metres traverses increasingly steep snow and mixed terrain on the upper northwest ridge. The ridge narrows above 6,800 metres and becomes exposed on both sides. Fixed ropes are in place on the exposed sections. Camp III at 7,100 metres is a small platform on the ridge with space for 2 to 3 tents. From Camp III the summit plateau is visible above: the broad snow field that gives Broad Peak its name, curving up and east toward the Main Summit at 8,047 metres. Spend 1 to 2 nights at Camp III before descending all the way to base camp.

The Camp III experience at 7,100 metres is qualitatively different from anything below it. In the Death Zone the body begins to deteriorate even with rest. Sleep at 7,100 metres is fragmented and physiologically less restorative than sleep at base camp. Appetite is minimal. Every movement requires conscious effort. The purpose of this rotation is acclimatization exposure, not summit attempt. Leave Camp III before deterioration progresses and descend fully to base camp. The physiological gains from 1 to 2 nights at Camp III will be retained in your blood and muscle tissue for the summit push.

Days 26 to 28: rest days at base camp after the second rotation. Three full days of recovery before the summit push window opens. This is the most important rest period of the expedition. You are fully acclimatized from the Camp III rotation. Physical rest now builds the energy reserve that the summit push will draw on. Sleep as much as possible. Eat maximum caloric intake. Perform no significant physical exercise during these three days. The guide monitors weather forecasts daily and will notify the team when a multi-day stable weather window is identified. The summit push begins within 24 to 48 hours of the window opening.

Weather monitoring day. Base camp, tent, food, tea, and forecast review. The meteorological service provides 72-hour and 5-day summit-level wind and precipitation data. The expedition leader and guide review every morning and evening forecast. Broad Peak's summit push requires a minimum 3-day stable window: summit day requires winds below 25 kilometres per hour at 8,000 metres. When the forecast shows this window, the summit push begins immediately. Mentally and physically you are ready to move on 24 hours notice. Gear is packed and staged. Oxygen systems (if using) are charged and ready. The question is only weather.

Summit push day 1: base camp to Camp I at 5,900 metres. Leave base camp at dawn. You have climbed this section twice during rotations and know every metre of it. The acclimatization gained on two rotations makes this ascent faster than either rotation climb. Arrive at Camp I in early afternoon. Hot food and drink from the cached Camp I food supply. Rest thoroughly this afternoon and evening. Tomorrow is the long Camp I to Camp II section. Weather check on arrival at Camp I. If conditions have changed and the summit window is closing, the guide may call a retreat to base camp to wait. If weather holds, sleep by 7 PM and leave for Camp II by 5 AM.

Summit push day 2: Camp I at 5,900 metres to Camp II at 6,500 metres. Leave at 5 AM, arrive at Camp II by mid-afternoon. At 6,500 metres you are well above the altitude where normal acclimatization compensates for altitude stress. Movement is deliberate and measured. Hot food cooked in the tent at Camp II. Each climber and their support climber share a tent. The expedition leader confirms weather at Camp II by satellite phone with the forecasting service. If summit conditions remain favourable for the next 48 hours, proceed to Camp III tomorrow. If the window is closing, the decision on whether to push to Camp III regardless or return to base camp is the guide's call. Trust the guide's judgement. The summit of Broad Peak is a worthy objective but not a reason to take unnecessary risks.

Summit push day 3: Camp II at 6,500 metres to Camp III at 7,100 metres. Leave Camp II at 5 AM. The ridge section between Camp II and Camp III is the most technically demanding terrain of the northwest ridge route, with exposure on both sides and steep snow requiring front-pointing technique with crampons. Arrive at Camp III by midday. Full afternoon rest at Camp III. The guide sets the summit departure time based on conditions and the distance to the summit: typically midnight to 2 AM. Sleep by 5 PM if possible. Eat as much as your altitude-suppressed appetite allows. Check oxygen systems. The summit is above you. In 6 to 12 hours you will either be on it or retreating from it.

Summit day: Camp III at 7,100 metres to the Broad Peak Main Summit at 8,047 metres and return. Departure at midnight to 2 AM. The summit gains 950 metres from Camp III in a push that takes 8 to 12 hours round trip to the summit alone. The route from Camp III follows the northwest ridge to the pre-summit plateau, crosses the North Summit at approximately 8,000 metres, traverses the summit plateau east, and reaches the Central Summit before the final short rise to the Main Summit at 8,047 metres. The plateau traverse is the distinguishing feature of Broad Peak's summit: you do not simply climb a single summit pyramid but traverse a broad snow and mixed terrain high above the Baltoro for approximately 400 metres. Wind on the plateau can be severe even when base camp and lower mountain conditions appear stable.

The view from Broad Peak's summit at 8,047 metres is one of the most extraordinary in the Karakoram. K2 is directly to the north at a distance of approximately 8 kilometres. The perspective from Broad Peak is the only position on any 8,000-metre peak in the world where K2 appears as an almost equal-height neighbour rather than a distant colossus. Gasherbrum I and II are visible to the east. The Baltoro Glacier stretches southwest to the horizon. The summit day return follows the same route: summit plateau to the northwest ridge descent, Camp III, and if conditions allow continue the descent to Camp II or even Camp I the same day. The guide makes the decision on descent depth based on team condition and remaining daylight.

Descent from Camp III (or Camp II if previously reached) back to base camp. The physical effort of descending after a summit day is significant. Fatigue from the 12 to 20 hour summit day carries over directly. Move deliberately on every fixed rope section. Most accidents on Broad Peak occur on descent, when exhaustion reduces the precision of crampon placement and fixed rope technique. Rest completely at base camp on arrival. The expedition is finished or nearly finished at this point regardless of summit outcome. Eat, drink, and sleep.

Base camp rest and celebration day. The summit push is behind you. If the summit was reached, the celebration is genuine and earned. If turned back by weather or physical limits, the debrief with your guide is honest and constructive. Both outcomes are legitimate results of a well-managed expedition. Either way, you have lived and climbed at over 7,000 metres on the 12th highest mountain on Earth for 35 days. That is not a small thing.

Broad Peak Base Camp to Concordia: 8 kilometres descending 210 metres southwest down the Godwin-Austen Glacier. Base camp is struck, porter loads are assembled, and the Baltoro return begins. Concordia at 4,691 metres is the last view of both K2 and Broad Peak from the glacier junction. Most climbers on the return spend time at Concordia looking back at Broad Peak's summit, the plateau they crossed, and the northwest ridge they spent five weeks climbing. Tonight at Concordia is the final high-altitude camp of the expedition.

Concordia to Goro II: 9 kilometres along the upper Baltoro moraine heading southwest. The return walk to Goro II crosses the familiar terrain of the approach in reverse. Broad Peak and K2 are visible behind you over the right shoulder until the Baltoro bends at the Goro II camp. From Goro II onward the summit mountains drop below the horizon. The air at 4,270 metres is noticeably richer than Concordia after 35 days at or above base camp altitude. Appetite returns strongly. Sleep is deeper at this lower altitude.

Goro II to Urdukas: 8 kilometres southwest. The Trango Towers reappear ahead as you head toward Urdukas. The view of Nameless Tower from the return direction is different from the approach: sun lights the west face in afternoon rather than the east face in morning. Camp at Urdukas on the rocky ledge above the glacier with the final panoramic view behind you toward Concordia and forward toward the lower Baltoro.

Urdukas to Paiju: 14 kilometres, one of the longer return days. Paiju Camp at 3,400 metres is the return to green vegetation, the stream, and the last camp before Askole. By the time you reach Paiju the altitude is low enough that breathing is comfortable and energy levels have recovered from the expedition significantly. The cook team makes a special dinner for the Paiju return, the penultimate camp night of the expedition.

Paiju to Askole: 14 kilometres, the final glacier day. The terminal moraine, the wire bridge over the Braldu River, and the sandy path back to Askole retrace the approach exactly. The porter team is paid at Askole in a distribution managed by the sirdar. The jeeps are waiting for the drive back to Skardu. Arriving at Askole from a Broad Peak expedition with a summit if the weather allowed is one of the cleanest feelings available in mountaineering: the jeep, the hot tea, the drive back to normalcy.

Drive Askole to Skardu: 4 to 5 hours through the Braldu Valley gorge road in reverse. Arrive in Skardu by early evening. Hotel room, hot shower, restaurant meal, phone calls home. The expedition is over. Tomorrow the Skardu to Islamabad flight takes you back to the capital and international connections.

Rest day in Skardu before the Islamabad flight. The Skardu hotel after 45 expedition days is a profound comfort. Eat as much as possible. Wash clothes. Walk in the bazaar. The expedition debrief with your guide covers the full season: summit conditions, route conditions, team performance, and any incidents or near-misses worth documenting for future expeditions. The Skardu rest day is also when the summit certificate application is submitted to the Pakistan Alpine Club if a summit was achieved. The certificate is issued by the Ministry of Tourism and takes several weeks to arrive.

Fly Skardu to Islamabad: 4 AM hotel departure for the early morning Pakistan International Airlines flight. The one-hour flight south to Islamabad provides the final aerial view of the Karakoram. Broad Peak and K2 may be visible from the right side of the aircraft in clear conditions. Transfer to hotel in Islamabad. Afternoon free for city exploration or rest before international departure.

Islamabad, final day. The expedition leader runs the formal debrief and expense settlement. Permits, receipts, and documentation are finalised. International flight transfers are arranged. If you are continuing to other parts of Pakistan, your guide can provide recommendations and contacts for Lahore, the Hunza Valley, or the Kaghan Valley. If flying directly home, the airport transfer is arranged from your hotel. The 45-day Broad Peak expedition is complete.

Departure from Islamabad. Transfer to Benazir Bhutto International Airport. International connections via Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, or Istanbul cover most global destinations. The summit of Broad Peak or the attempt on it is behind you. The experience of living on a Karakoram glacier for 45 days and climbing to over 7,100 metres in acclimatization and further if weather allowed is the permanent record of this expedition.

Buffer and travel day. One additional day built into the schedule for flight delays, delayed porter payments, or any logistical issue on the exit from the expedition. If no contingencies arise, this day is used as additional rest time in Islamabad before international departure.

You leave Broad Peak Base Camp and walk back to Concordia. The walk takes about four hours on familiar moraine terrain. Concordia feels different on the return. You have spent six weeks in this mountain world and leaving it has its own feeling.

From Concordia you walk back down the Baltoro to Goro II. The return route is the same path you walked on the approach. Walking downhill feels much easier after weeks at high altitude. The air gets noticeably richer as you descend.

From Goro II you walk back to Urdukas. The Trango Towers reappear as you descend. The glacier is familiar terrain now. Urdukas Camp sits at 4,050 metres and feels warm compared to the high camps where you have been living. Good dinner tonight in the mess tent.

From Urdukas you walk back down the Baltoro to Paiju Camp. The walk passes the Trango Towers one last time. Paiju green grass and the stream feel like a reward at the end of the day. Wash up and rest well tonight. Only one more trek day remains.

From Paiju you walk back to Askole village where the jeeps are waiting. The final glacier day ends where the expedition started on the ground. The four-hour jeep drive back to Skardu through Braldu Valley is rough but short compared to what you have been doing for six weeks.

Rest day in Skardu after arriving yesterday. Sleep late, eat well, and explore the town. The hot shower after the glacier will feel remarkable. Visit the bazaar and buy souvenirs. The expedition manager handles all the porter payment and official close-out paperwork today.

You fly from Skardu back to Islamabad in the morning. The one-hour flight lands you back in the capital. From Islamabad, international flights depart throughout the day. If your flight is tomorrow, we arrange a hotel night. The expedition is officially complete.

Final day in Islamabad. If you have energy, visit the Pakistan Monument or Faisal Mosque. Otherwise rest at the hotel and prepare for the long flight home. Your guide accompanies you to the airport. The 45-day Broad Peak Expedition is finished.

Buffer travel day. This day is built into the schedule to absorb any flight cancellations or delays between Skardu and Islamabad. If everything ran on time, you use this day as a final rest in Islamabad or depart early. Flexibility here means you never miss international connections due to mountain weather disruptions.

Transfer to Islamabad International Airport for international departures. Our team provides airport assistance and ensures smooth departure logistics. The journey home from the Karakoram carries with it the satisfaction of having stood on one of the world's fourteen highest peaks and traversed one of the most remote mountain landscapes on the planet.

Meals: Breakfast if staying overnight

A final buffer day is built into the itinerary to account for potential flight delays between Skardu and Islamabad, which are common due to weather-dependent visual flight rules. This day ensures that international flight connections are not missed due to domestic airline delays. If the schedule has run smoothly and no buffer is needed this day can be used for additional rest, sightseeing, or early departure.

Meals: Breakfast if staying overnight