Today we left early again and began trekking before sunrise, catching the first morning rays of sunlight into the valley. We passed by the Trango Towers, and found ourselves in camp high above the glacier below admiring the view of the sunset. It’s been a great 4th of July for us here in Pakistan!
Making the move from Jhola to Paiju, we started earlier today at 5 AM as the heat was very intense and we wanted to reach camp soon to relax in the shade. It was a pleasant walk but even more pleasant in camp under the trees by the cool stream! We had many great views of the surrounding peaks, and are excited to finally begin walking up the Baltoro glacier tomorrow, as the trail will transition from dirt to glacier moraine.
We awoke early this morning and began walking by 6:30 AM, it was hot so we wanted to get an early start to the day. We hiked along the Braldu river and had many nice views of the surrounding peaks. After crossing the bridge we reached our camp at Jhola, and are now settled in for the night.
Today we drove by jeep from Skardu to Askole, a very adventurous drive along the Braldu river. We are in the lush village of Askole and exited to begin trekking tomorrow morning!
Tomorrow we plan to finish our journey by driving from Skardu to Askole by jeep! We have enjoyed our brief stay in this village and are excited to head onwards! A few photos from our stay in Skardu.
Here is a short clip of our journey from Islamabad to Skardu yesterday. As you can see, it was a very scenic drive!
Due to inclement weather, the flight to Skardu from Islamabad was not available so we elected to drive the Karakoram highway, considered by many the most dramatic road in the world. We followed the Indus river past where the 3 greatest mountain ranges in the world meet: the Himalayas, the Hindu Kush, and the Karakoram. We are now in the lush Skardu valley to rest for a day or two then will continue on our way to Askole to begin our trek.
Tonight we went out to a great restaurant in Islamabad, and had a wonderful Italian dinner. We have enjoyed a few days here in this lovely city and now have to say farewell as we head onward towards our objective. Tomorrow we plan to begin our journey to Skardu.
Today most of our American and European climbers arrived in Islamabad, we enjoyed a nice afternoon hike in the hills around the city, and then a fabulous dinner perched high atop one of the hillsides. The rest of the crew will arrive tomorrow. We are happy to be here and begin our journey to K2 and Broad Peak!
Our Peru climbing team has returned from a wonderful expedition in Peru, having climbed stunning glaciated peaks and then touring to the renowned Incan citadel Machu Picchu to take in the breathtaking views. Congratulations to a safe and successful expedition Anis Stabka and team!
