Kashgar to K2 Camel Trek
Also, flying from Islamabad to the old silk route oasis town of Kashgar you have a full day exploring Kashgar's famous and exotic Sunday market. This is a thriving, colourful trading place for goods passing in and out of China.
You then spend two days driving to the start of your trek at Yilik where your camels will be loaded up with your gear and you begin your 14 day trekking adventure.
The highest point of your trek is the Aghil Pass at 4,600m (15,092ft) and on a clear day you can see the Karakoram's soaring 8,000m giants. En route to Base Camp you are bound to encounter the hospitable Kirghiz nomads who eek out a living from this harsh, barren land by grazing their animals at different elevations on the mountainside, depending on the season. A real treat is to be invited into their home for yoghurt, fresh hot milk and tea.
As you trek up the Sarpo Laggo river valley to Base Camp, you'll see the world's second highest mountain, K2 (8,611m/28,252ft) looming before you. When you reach the Chinese Base Camp you'll have ample time to explore this wild, spectacular area, including a trek to view the K2 glacier. At Base Camp you are following in the footsteps of good company. Younghusband came here in 1887 on his journey to cross the Old Mutagh Pass and the great explorer, Eric Shipton, arrived here in 1937 on his expedition to explore and map the area in greater detail.
DAY BY DAY ITINERARY
DAY 1 - THURSDAY:
DEPART for Islamabad.DAY 2 - FRIDAY: Arrive Islamabad, meet and transfer to Hotel
An early morning arrival and a short drive take you to your hotel which is in central Rawalpindi. The remainder of the day is yours to explore something of the hustle and bustle of the bazaars. A tour in the afternoon is included which will take in the impressive Faisal Mosque and the Daman-e-Koh viewpoint. It is usually very hot in Islamabad at this time of year, so it is advisable not to try to be too energetic while you are acclimatising to the heat. Overnight HotelDAY 3 - SATURDAY: FLY TO KASHGAR
A transfer will be arranged for you to the airport for the 1½ hour flight from Islamabad to Kashgar. You have superb views of the Karakoram peaks from the right side of the plane.On arrival in Kashgar you will be transferred to the Semar Hotel. A guide will be on hand to arrange sightseeing in the afternoon. Recommended is the Id Kah Mosque and square, the colourful bazaars nearby, including the hat market, and a donkey cart ride to see the tomb of Abakh Hoja. Overnight at Hotel
DAY 4 - SUNDAY: VISIT SUNDAY MARKET
Kashgar is a gem of a city - full of colour, life and vibrancy and a confusing mixture of old and new. What was until very recently a largely medieval city has changed phenomenally, with its modern Chinese shops and architecture. In the last few years the Id Kah Mosque square has been completely modernized and most local Uigur people are very unhappy about it.Kashgar is over 4,000km from Beijing, making it incredibly remote. The Uigur people dominate the population of Kashgar, and on a festival day you can witness the incredible spectacle of thousands of Muslims worshipping outside the Id Kah Mosque and filling the entire square.
The highlight of Kashgar is without question the lively and exotic Sunday market. Every Sunday thousands of villagers and nomads converge in the city on their donkey carts to trade everything from live animals to fruit and vegetables. It is a fantastic, fascinating spectacle to watch the different ethnic mix of Central Asian people trading their wares.
Dominating the Eidgah Square is the Eidgah Mosque, built in 1442 and renovated several times since - it is one of the largest in China. Another highlight of Kashgar is visiting the Tomb of Abakh Hoja - best arrived at via donkey cart from the Id Kah Square. The journey takes you through some of Kashgar's interesting old houses and narrow streets and alleyways. The mausoleum is an impressive mosque-like building, built in the 17th Century as the resting place for the 'Fragrant Concubine' who led the Uigurs in revolt against Beijing. Overnight at Hotel.
DAY 5 - MONDAY: DRIVE TO YECHANG (approx 4 hrs driving)
The flat, dusty road to Yarkand is lined with poplar trees and wheat fields. Approximately 120km from Kashgar you reach the town of Yengisar, famous for its hand-crafted kives which the craftsmen take to the Kashgar Sunday Market to sell. You continue for an hour or so to reach Yarkand, home of another Sunday Market. Yechang is approximately 2 hours driving on from here and your guide will have to stop shortly after Yarkand to get your permit. Yechang has a mosque, also called Eid Gah, although this one was built in this century.It is interesting to meander along the bazaars and watch the Uigur people tucking into pilau (fried rice with meat), kebabs and laghman (noodle soup with meat and vegetables) at the many noodle bars. Overnight at Hotel
DAY 6 - TUESDAY: DRIVE TO YILIK (3,400m/11,115ft) (approx 9 hrs)
A Land Cruiser will take you to Yilik. The road is well maintained for the most part. However, it gets progressively bumpier after you detour away from the main road to Tibet as the narrow twists and turns of the road weave their way round the mountain. You'll see plenty of snow-capped summits as you approach your destination. There are a couple of high passes en-route, one approximately the height of the Aghil Pass (4,600m/15,092ft), so be prepared to feel the effects of altitude. There are some army check posts en route - the final one being at Yilik. Overnight camp. Sometimes the army can forbid you to camp in the most convenient place below their post near water, and ask you to camp 3 kms before - this will no doubt depend on the influence of your guide, a ready supply of Chinese high spirit 'wine' and the whim of the official on duty on the day!DAY 7 - WEDNESDAY: BEGIN TREK TO K2 BASE CAMP(3,610m/11,844ft) (approx 6 hrs)
Today you begin your trek, walking along the rubble strewn terrain of the Yilik river bed. After 2-3 hours you reach Kirgin bulak (bulak means spring) where you'll find the hardy Kirghiz nomads who survive by grazing the animals in the months of June to September and trading livestock during the winter. They eat a diet mainly consisting of yoghurt, bread and goat's milk. They live a hard life in a harsh environment and yet are heart-warmingly friendly and hospitable. At some stage in your trek you may find you are invited into their home for tea, yoghurt and bread. This would be an honour, and offering anything in return would be considered an insult. However, our Chinese guides do sometimes buy shoes and other essentials they need from Kashgar and bring them up to the mountains.After leaving Kirgin bulak you continue along the Yilik River's meandering trail, occasionally having to boulder hop some streams. Today's walk is easy in terms of ascent. It feels almost flat, but you are increasing height very gradually. As it is your first day of walking, and at an altitude of over 3,000m (9,843ft), it is a blessing that there are no steep ascents. We camp at the confluence of Zu Shaksgam and Surukwat rivers (called 'Liangcha' in Chinese which means confluence). Overnight camp.
DAY 8 - THURSDAY: REST DAY
Due to the altitude, we have added a rest/acclimatization day before your trek up to the camp below Aghil Pass. Overnight camp.DAY 9 - FRIDAY: TREK TO LAST YAK HERDERS' CAMP BELOW AGHIL PASS (4,130m/13,550ft) 6 hrs approx
A slightly harder day's trekking than your first day, with more ascent. Today your trek follows the Surukwat river on virtually flat, rocky terrain for an hour or so before a steep climb to the left of a log bridge, as the river narrows. This is a section which can be very tricky for your camels in wet weather as the path is narrow. After climbing to a high point of 3,770m (12,369ft) you traverse along the hillside before descending to the valley.After approximately 4 hours trekking there is a good lunch spot on a grassy plateau where you can see the Kirghiz village. This is where the nomads move up to in summer - usually at the beginning of June. Continue along the river bed before turning left, and shortly after that you will see one of the options for camping before the Aghil Pass. However, you continue upwards until the last nomads' camp is reached at a height of 4130m. There are a collection fo stone huts here and animal pens where your camels will rest. You may be lucky enough to spot blue sheep on your walk today. Overnight camp.
DAY10 - SATURDAY: TREK OVER AGHIL PASS 4,600m/15,092ft)AND DESCEND TO CAMP (3,800m/12,467ft)
Quite a tough day today. You leave your campsite and begin steadily ascending towards the pass. It's not a difficult pass, or steep, just a long, tiring ascent (500m/1,640ft) taking 3-4 hours. You will probably encounter snow below and on the pass. However, you don't need ice axe and crampons, although gaiters and a sturdy pair of leather trekking boots will be a boon.The scenery en route to the pass is of big, snow-capped rock giants either side of you. The pass is marked by a pile of stones and is at a height of approx 4,600m/15,092ft). You will no doubt feel the altitude here! The descent is on a reasonable, dusty, cairned path and is very long. You descend all the way to Shaksgam River which should just be a dry, rocky riverbed, as you have to cross it. You have to do some slightly disheartening walking in the opposite direction to your campsite in order to avoid a very precipitous descent. You may well be lucky enough to see the Gasherbrum peaks on a clear day. You finish your day's trekking with a ¾ hour walk along the dry riverbed to your campsite (3,800m/12,467ft) beside a stream, with plenty of bushes for your camels to graze on. Overnight camp.
DAY 11 -SUNDAY: TREK ALONG RIVER TO NEXT PATCH OF BUSHES (3,700m/12,139ft)
5 hours approx. You continue trekking west along the Shaksgam river bed on the flat, rocky terrain. The Shaksgam valley is remote, wild and dusty, sometimes up to a kilometre wide, and banked by formidable, brown cliffs. There are several water channels which need to be forded, and this will sometimes require changing into all-terrain sandals to wade across, or you may be lucky and have one of your camels following close by and your camel driver may encourage you to hop on to save cold and wet feet! The water levels are rarely more than calf high. This trek becomes difficult or impossible in July or August when the water levels can prohibit river crossings to get to/from the base camp. It presents a constant challenge to find the shallowest, best place to ford these channels and your guide will usually be adept at pointing out these spots and helping you across. A sturdy trekking pole is a boon!After about 3 hours walking you reach a good lunch spot by some bushes on the right side of the river. You then continue for 1½ - 2 hrs to your campsite. Overnight camp.
DAY 12 -MONDAY: TREK TO THE CHINESE BASE CAMP OF K2 (3,725m/12,222ft),
6 hours approx. You continue trekking along the flat Shaksgam valley floor. The trail eventually arrives at the junction with the north flowing Sarpo Laggo Lungpa. Here you turn left just before the confluence and the trail leaves the Shaksgam and heads up the Sarpo Laggo to reach Sughet Jangal where Eric Shipton made his camp during his 1937 survey expedition and where Younghusband arrived 40 years previously.As you trek along the Sarpo Laggo you will eventually get your first view of K2 looming dramatically in the distance. After making your final river crossing before reaching base camp you turn right and the Chinese base amp lies approximately 2km away. You will either camp here or a little further on (5-10 minutes) to a spot which has more bushes for your camels to munch on. Soaring above your campsite is a 7,000m/22,967ft peak named Ann's peak, named by a Dutch mountaineer and K2 summiteer who climbed the mountain (Ann's Peak) in one day and named it after his girlfriend. Overnight camp.
DAY 13 - TUESDAY: REST DAY.
A well earned rest day where you can put your feet up and catch up on some washing. Alternatively, if you are feeling energetic, you can talk to your guide about the possibilities for exploring the area. Overnight camp.DAYS 14 &15 - WED & THUR: LOCAL EXPLORATION.
Today and tomorrow you explore the area using your campsite as a base. On one of your days you can trek above your campsite to view the K2 glacier, although you can't actually see K2 from here. If you descend to the river from the viewing spot and trek up towards the glacier, you can see the mountain although the descent to the river is precipitous, dangerous and not recommended. The walk to see the glacier is approx. 2½ hours of descent and 1½ hours descent with approx. 250m height gain from base camp. We don't include the 3-4 day option to walk to the advanced base camp of K2 as the route is difficult and dangerous and logistically difficult. Your camels cannot accompany you so it would involve you carrying all your own kit for 3-4 days, so these are the reasons we do not offer it. On your third day at base camp, your guide will make other suggestions and one may include a walk up the valley which takes you towards Crown Peak. Overnight camp.DAYS 16-20 - FRI-TUE:
RETRACE YOUR STEPS TO YILIK. Camping.DAY 21 - WEDNESDAY:
DRIVE TO YECHENG. OVERNIGHT HOTEL.DAY 22 - THURSDAY:
DRIVE TO KASHGAR. OVERNIGHT HOTEL.DAY 23 - FRIDAY:
AT LEISURE/SIGHTSEEING IN KASHGAR. A day to complete any sightseeing or shopping not accomplished on your arrival in Kashgar. Overnight in the hotel.DAY 24 - SATURDAY:
FLY TO ISLAMABAD, OVERNIGHT HOTEL.DAY 25 - SUNDAY: FLY BACK HOME.
