Mountaineering in Pakistan: the Peaks, the Permits, the Costs and the Season

Mountaineering in Pakistan: the five eight-thousanders

Four of Pakistan’s eight-thousanders cluster at the head of the Baltoro Glacier. Therefore one jeep road out of Skardu serves them all. K2 at 8,611 metres is the hardest of them, and the reason most climbers come. Meanwhile, Broad Peak at 8,051 metres is the one most teams choose first. The Gasherbrums sit behind them, and a single trip can take both. Nanga Parbat, 8,126 metres, is the exception. It stands alone at the western end of the Himalaya. Moreover, it is more exposed to weather than any of them.

The 7,000ers and the first summits

This is the part of the range most visitors never hear about. Indeed, it is where we send most climbers first. Spantik, 7,027 metres above Nagar, is the standard stepping stone to an eight-thousander. Meanwhile, Khosar Gang at 6,401 metres above the Shigar Valley is built as a first 6,000er. There the rope and crampon work is taught on the mountain. Malubiting and Shani Peak are quieter objectives again. Pakistan also holds more unclimbed 7,000-metre summits than any other country. Therefore Gasherbrum VI, Gasherbrum V and Latok I keep drawing serious alpinists.

Permits, visas and the liaison officer

Climbing here is not a visa-on-arrival activity, and this is the step that catches people out. First, you need a mountaineering permit with a royalty for the peak you have named. Second, a Trekking and Mountaineering visa. Third, a No Objection Certificate for the area. Finally, a liaison officer assigned by the government, who walks in with the team. We arrange all four, and we need lead time to do it. Our permits, visa and NOC guide sets out each document and the order they arrive in.

What mountaineering in Pakistan costs

We publish three service levels on every expedition. The honest answer depends on how much of the mountain you want to handle yourself. Base-camp service puts you and your gear at base camp with a kitchen and a camp. However, it leaves the climbing to you. Full board adds the permit and royalty, the liaison officer and oxygen. In addition, it covers one high-altitude porter per climber above base camp, fixed rope and the high camps. Finally, premium doubles the porter support. The full breakdown, including where the money goes on K2, is in our cost guide.

When to climb: the season for mountaineering in Pakistan

Mid-June to August is the window on the eight-thousanders, and it is genuinely short. Meanwhile, the 6,000 and 7,000-metre peaks run June to September. Therefore they are easier to fit around work. Winter ascents exist, and they are a different sport. For example, K2’s first winter ascent came in 2021, and Nanga Parbat’s in 2016. Our Baltoro climbing season guide explains how the weather actually behaves up there.

How we run an expedition

We are not a broker. Our guides, cooks and porters are Balti and Hunza climbers from the valleys the route passes through. Moreover, our logistics are local. Therefore we can price fairly without thinning the things that keep people alive. On every expedition there is a satellite phone in camp, insured high-altitude porters and oxygen where the route needs it. In addition, we keep established helicopter-rescue contacts for the Baltoro region. Finally, we will tell you when an objective is wrong for you. That costs us a booking and saves everyone a bad season.

Mountaineering in Pakistan beyond the Karakoram

Two more ranges meet inside the country. The Hindu Kush above Chitral holds Tirich Mir at 7,708 metres, Saraghrar and Istor-o-Nal. Meanwhile, the Hindu Raj holds Koyo Zom. They see a fraction of the traffic the Karakoram does. Finally, the Karakoram Range guide explains where one range ends and the next begins.

Expeditions we run

Every trip below is operated by our own team out of Skardu, with the permit, royalty and liaison officer included.

Two smaller objectives sit below the eight-thousanders, and they are where most climbers should start. First, the Khosar Gang Expedition above Shigar as a first 6,000er. Second, the Laila Peak Expedition for climbers who already know steep snow.

Every expedition guide on this site

The eight-thousanders: K2 · Broad Peak · Gasherbrum I and II · Nanga Parbat · what it all costs
Karakoram giants and big walls: Gasherbrum III · Gasherbrum V · Gasherbrum VI · Latok I · Baintha Brakk, the Ogre · Uli Biaho Tower
First summits and 7,000ers: Spantik · Malubiting · Shani Peak
Hindu Kush and Hindu Raj: Tirich Mir · Saraghrar · Istor-o-Nal · Koyo Zom
Before you climb: permits and NOC · the Baltoro season · K2 and the Baltoro

Related guides: K2 & Baltoro · Trek Preparation · Hunza Valley

Frequently asked questions