Blog

Planning notes and route detail

Written by the people who guide these routes, for the questions that come up before a booking. Seasons, permits, grades and what the harder days actually involve.

Planning

When to trek to K2 Base Camp

The Baltoro has a window of roughly ten weeks. Here is how it opens, how it closes, and why the shoulder dates are a worse deal than they look.

18 September 2026 · 6 min read

Permits

Pakistan trekking permits, explained

Which routes need a permit, which need no more than a registration, what a no objection certificate actually is, and how long each takes.

27 August 2026 · 7 min

Route notes

What the Gondogoro La crossing actually involves

A 5,585 m col, a midnight start, fixed rope on both sides, and the reason the crew are on it hours before you are.

30 July 2026 · 5 min

Conservation

How the markhor conservancy permit system works

Quota set by survey, permit sold at auction, eighty per cent of the fee to the village. Why the most criticised idea in Pakistani conservation is also the one that worked.

21 June 2026 · 8 min