Concordia and Baltoro Glacier

The Baltoro Glacier is one of the longest glaciers outside the polar regions, running roughly 63 km through the heart of the Karakoram. Trekkers follow it from the village of Askole, past granite spires and seracs, deeper into a landscape almost nobody drives to. This is real expedition-style trekking.

At the far end sits Concordia, at around 4,600 m, where the Baltoro meets the Godwin-Austen Glacier. Early explorers nicknamed it the throne room of the mountain gods, and the name stuck. From here you can see K2, Broad Peak, and Gasherbrum I and II, four of the world's fourteen 8,000 m peaks, standing around you at once.

The trek is not technical, but it is long, cold at night, and high. You camp on the glacier and moraine for several nights. Good acclimatisation, warm gear, and a steady pace matter more than raw fitness. Most fit trekkers who prepare properly do very well.

Many trekkers combine Concordia with a crossing of the Gondogoro La, a glaciated pass of about 5,585 m that adds a dramatic exit and even wider mountain views. This version needs fixed ropes and a mountain guide, both of which we arrange.

International visitors reach the trailhead through Islamabad and Skardu. We manage the trekking permit, porters, camp crew, and a licensed guide, so your job is simply to walk the Baltoro and take it in.