Six peaks above 7,000m, run from Skardu by our own Balti team. Permits, oxygen, insured high-altitude porters and a turnaround policy that is actually enforced.
Six peaks above 7,000m, run from Skardu by our own Balti team. Permits, oxygen, insured high-altitude porters and a turnaround policy that is actually enforced.
The Gasherbrum II Expedition (8,035m) is a 42 days guided trip in Gilgit-Baltistan, northern Pakistan, topping out at 8,035 m. It is graded Expedition — the most attainable 8000er here — 6–7 days on foot approach each way. 4 fixed departures are open from $15,400 per person, all-inclusive from Islamabad.
Gasherbrum II is the thirteenth-highest mountain on earth and, by common agreement, the most attainable of the four eight-thousanders standing at the head of the Baltoro. It is very often a climber's first 8000er — which is precisely why it deserves to be described honestly. The normal route on the south-west side is not technically extreme by 8000m standards, the objective danger is lower than on K2, and the summit day is shorter than Broad Peak's. None of that makes it casual. It is still eight kilometres of altitude, on the Chinese border, at the far end of a week-long glacier approach, in a range with a short and unforgiving weather window.
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This is a 42-day full-board expedition run by the Skardu outfit that handles Baltoro logistics every summer. One high-altitude porter per climber above base camp, bottled oxygen, high camps, fixed rope, satellite phone and weather forecasting at base camp, and established helicopter-rescue contacts. Published prices run with a minimum team of four. We do not sell summits — your guide's turnaround call is final. Local hands, real safety, fair price.
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Duration
42 days41 nights
Max altitude
8,035 mhighest point
Grade
Expedition — the most attainable 8000er here
Days on foot
6–7 days on foot approach each waythe rest is travel
Group size
Max 4min age 21
Best season
June – Augustopen June – August
Guide languages
3Urdu · Balti · English
Departures open
4next 12 Jun 2027
Gasherbrum II Expedition Price
Our full-board Gasherbrum II expedition is $15,400 per person — peak royalty and permits, liaison officer, Islamabad-Skardu flights, the jeep to Askole, porters, full base camp, one HAP per climber above BC, oxygen, high camps and fixed rope. A base-camp service tier for self-sufficient alpine teams starts at $6,900. Published prices run with a minimum team of four; parties of one to three are quoted privately, because the government peak royalty is charged per team rather than per climber. Forty-two days, summit 8,035m.
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Fixed Departures
Fixed departures are scheduled dates you join as part of a group, rather than arranging your own trip. 4 dates are currently open, each capped at 8 people. Every date is the same price, $15,400 per person. A $3080 deposit reserves a place. The availability column shows how many places are left on each date.
These are private departures, priced by the size of your party rather than by a set date. Pick the band that matches your group and the price per person is fixed at that rate, across 3 options. Rates run from $6,900 to $22,500. What each band covers is set out in the table.
Group size
Price
What it includes
Base Camp Service
$6,900
For self-sufficient alpine teams. Permits, royalty, liaison officer, transport, porters and full base camp — nothing above BC.
Full-Board Guided
$15,400
One HAP per climber above base camp, oxygen, high camps, fixed rope, expedition guide, BC medic and forecasting.
Premium (2 HAP)
$22,500
Two HAPs per climber, larger oxygen allocation, private BC tent, priority evacuation arrangement, guaranteed departure.
Is this expedition for you?
Only if you have climbed high before. This is a mountaineering expedition, not a trek.
Graded Expedition — the most attainable 8000er here.
6–7 days on foot approach each wayDays on footthe rest is travel
The highest point is 8,035 m. At that altitude acclimatisation is not optional, and the turnaround decision belongs to your guide.
An expedition needs a Trekking & Mountaineering visa rather than a tourist visa, plus an NOC and a peak royalty. We arrange the NOC and the permits.
You’re ready ifyou have climbed above 7,000 m, are competent on fixed rope and crampons, and can commit several weeks to the mountain.
Give yourself a little longer ifyour high point so far is around 6,000 m. Build a 7,000 m season first — we will help you plan it.
This might not be your trip ifthis would be your first high-altitude climb. We will not take you, and no reputable operator should.
One thing we do insist on: travel insurance that covers helicopter evacuation.
Expedition Plan
Expedition Plan — Gasherbrum II (8,035m)
Forty-two days in phases rather than fixed daily stages: Islamabad formalities, the Baltoro approach past Concordia to the Gasherbrum base camp, acclimatisation rotations, a weather window, the summit push, then clearing the mountain. Above base camp the weather sets the schedule, not us.
26 days
Team assembles. Kit check, insurance and documentation review, dinner with your expedition leader.
The mandatory expedition briefing and formalities, and you meet the liaison officer who travels with the team.
The flight up the Indus past Nanga Parbat. Weather-dependent; the schedule carries slack for it.
Final gear check, oxygen and rope inventory, food packing, porter loads weighed. Last hot shower for six weeks.
A full day by 4×4 up the Shigar and Braldu valleys to the roadhead.
The approach begins — out along the Braldu to the first camp.
Up toward the snout of the Baltoro. The last trees and running water.
A full rest day while porters prepare glacier loads. Acclimatisation walk.
Onto the Baltoro, the Trango Towers on the left, camp on the grass ledge above the ice.
A full day on the glacier, Muztagh Tower ahead. Camp on the ice.
Into the amphitheatre — K2, Broad Peak and the Gasherbrums together.
South-east up the Abruzzi and onto the Gasherbrum glacier to base camp beneath GI and GII.
The puja, dome and kitchen up, oxygen and rope staged, medical baseline taken.
First carry and night at Camp 1, then back to base camp.
Second rotation, sleeping higher at Camp 2 and stocking the route, then descend to rest.
Full rest. Eat, sleep, let the body build red cells. Weather models reviewed daily.
The final acclimatisation push to Camp 3 before dropping back down.
Waiting. This is most of an 8000m expedition and the part nobody photographs. We move when the forecast says so.
Back up through the camps to the high camp, oxygen from here for most climbers.
An alpine start in the dark, up the summit slopes and the final ridge to 8,035m, with K2, Broad Peak and Gasherbrum I standing across the ice. Turnaround time is set before we leave camp and it is not negotiable.
Down through the camps, stripping the route and carrying everything off. We leave the mountain as we found it.
Held in reserve for a second attempt or bad weather. If unused, we start out early.
Off the ice and back down the Baltoro.
The last walking stage to the roadhead.
The long 4×4 down the Braldu gorge. Hot food, a bed, the first cold drink in six weeks.
Every fixed departure is all-inclusive from Islamabad. This is exactly what your $15,400 per person covers, and the handful of things it does not — so there is nothing to settle at the trailhead.
Included in the price
Peak royalty
Peak permit
Liaison officer and all government fees
Islamabad-Skardu flights
Hotels in Islamabad and Skardu
The 4×4 to and from Askole
Full base camp for the permit window — dome
Kitchen
Dining and toilet tents
BC cook and staff
All meals
Porters in and out
Satellite phone
Weather forecasting and BC medical kit
Full-board tier adds: one high-altitude porter per climber above BC
Four high camps with tents
Fuel and food
Share of fixed rope and communal hardware
Bottled oxygen allocation
Expedition guide
Helicopter-rescue coordination
Not included
International flights
Pakistan visa fees
Your personal climbing equipment and down suit
Mountaineering and evacuation insurance (mandatory
Arranged by you)
Summit bonuses and staff tips
Personal oxygen beyond the stated allocation
Helicopter costs themselves
A summit. We do not sell one and we will not imply one. Weather
Snow conditions and your own condition decide the outcome
The guide’
S turnaround call is final
Why Karakoram Venture
Because the people who take you up this mountain are from it. Our guides grew up in these valleys, and they are our own team — not a booking desk handing you to whoever is cheapest that week. Every one of them is certified by the Alpine Club of Pakistan, holds Wilderness First Aid, and has between five and twenty years on high-altitude ground. They work in Urdu, Balti and English.
Because the safety is real, and we will name it rather than imply it. A satellite phone travels in every camp, we hold established helicopter-rescue contacts for this region, and we tell you exactly which travel insurance to carry. Budget operators cut precisely these things, because you cannot see them on a web page.
Because the price is honest. Local infrastructure is why $15,400 per person covers the trip from Islamabad rather than a stripped-down base rate. Exactly what it includes — and the handful of things it does not — is set out above.
How to book this trip
Four steps from here to the mountains
1Pick your dateA fixed departure above, or private dates you choose.
2Send the requestThe form on this page, or WhatsApp. Name, party size, date.
3Pay $3,080 per personThat holds your place. We reply within 24 hours.
4Balance 30 days beforeThen we take over: flights, hotels, permits, crew.
No card details on this page. Nothing is charged until you confirm.
More About the Gasherbrum II Expedition
Booking & Payment
Minimum team size is four climbers. The Gilgit-Baltistan peak royalty is charged per team
Not per person
So a party of one to three carries a materially higher cost per climber. We will still run it — just ask
We will quote you privately and honestly rather than hide a supplement in the headline price
A deposit of 20% ($3,080 on the full-board tier) confirms your place and is used to file the peak permit and royalty. 50% is due at 120 days before departure
The balance at 60 days
Places are confirmed only once the permit application is filed in your name. Book through our website or directly on WhatsApp — we will want to talk to you before we accept a booking
Cancellation Policy
Peak royalty
Permit and liaison-officer fees are paid to government months in advance and are non-refundable once filed
Whatever the reason for cancellation. This is different from our trekking terms and we want it understood before you pay
Cancel 120+ days before departure: everything except the filed permit costs is refunded. 60-119 days: 50% of the remaining balance. Under 60 days: non-refundable
If we cancel the expedition
You receive a full refund less the non-recoverable permit costs
Or a transfer to the next season at no penalty
Permits & Documentation
Broad Peak requires a peak permit and royalty paid to the Gilgit-Baltistan authorities
A government liaison officer who travels with the team
Accident insurance for every member. One peak per permit — a second summit needs a second permit and a second royalty
You need Pakistan’
S Mountaineering visa
Not a tourist or trekking visa. High-altitude porters must carry insurance to Rs 2,000,000, which we hold. We file all of it
You supply passport
Photographs
Climbing CV and insurance certificate
Health & Fitness
This is an 8,000m expedition. Gasherbrum II is the most attainable of the Baltoro four and is very often a climber's first eight-thousander — but “first” does not mean “entry level”. Prior experience above 6,500m is required and we will ask for your climbing CV. You must be competent on fixed rope with jumar and descender
Solid in crampons on steep snow
Able to look after yourself at altitude in bad weather
Minimum age 21. A full medical
Including a recent cardiac assessment
Is required before we accept a booking. Insurance must cover mountaineering above 6,000m and helicopter evacuation — standard travel insurance will not do it
Important Notes
Carry at least 2 recent passport-size photos for verification and documentation.
A valid passport (foreign nationals) or CNIC (Pakistani nationals) is mandatory for booking and travel.
Keep your original passport or CNIC with you throughout the tour for security checks and hotel check-ins.
Foreign nationals need a valid passport and the correct visa; any NOC and trekking/restricted-area permits are arranged by Karakoram Venture.
Special Information
Professional and experienced Tour Manager available from start to end of the trip.
Delicious and fresh daily meals included from Day 1 until departure.
No complimentary meals provided on flights or during transit stops.
Follow updated state travel policies carefully for a hassle-free journey.
Transportation Details
Comfortable and spacious A/C Coaches for long trips and intercity travel.
Sturdy 4x4 jeeps for mountain roads and sightseeing (up to 7 pax per vehicle).
Reliable 4x4 vehicles (Land Cruiser / Prado) for off-road and high-altitude excursions.
Arrival & Departure Guidelines
Day 1: Report at the designated airport on time as per schedule.
Final Day: Depart after successfully completing the full itinerary.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Gasherbrum II expedition cost with you?
Full-board guided is $15,400 per person — royalty and permits, liaison officer, all transport, full base camp, one HAP per climber above BC, oxygen, high camps and fixed rope. Base-camp service for self-sufficient alpine teams is $6,900, and a premium tier with two HAPs is $22,500. Western operators run GII at around $40,000; the ground team is Pakistani either way, and ours is ours.
Is there a minimum team size?
Yes — four climbers for the published prices. Pakistan charges the peak royalty per team ($12,000 for a team of up to seven), not per climber, so the same royalty split between two people costs each of them three times what it costs a team of six. We will still run a party of one, two or three; we just quote it privately so you can see what the royalty is doing to the number. Seven is the sweet spot if you are assembling a team.
Is Gasherbrum II a good first 8000er?
It is the usual choice, and for good reasons: the normal route is not technically extreme, the objective danger is lower than on K2, and the summit day is shorter than Broad Peak's. But “first” is not “easy”. It is still 8,035m at the far end of a week-long glacier approach in a range with a short weather window, and people have died on it. Come with prior experience above 6,500m and we will have an honest conversation about whether you are ready.
What experience do I need?
Prior experience above 6,500m, and a climbing CV before we accept a booking. You need to be competent on fixed rope with jumar and descender, solid in crampons on steep snow, and able to function and make decisions at altitude in bad weather. If you have not been that high, Spantik (7,027m) is the rung below this one — ask us.
How long is it and why so long?
Forty-two days. Roughly a week each way on the Baltoro approach and out, and the rest at and above base camp for acclimatisation rotations and — mostly — waiting for a weather window. The waiting is the expedition. Anyone selling you an 8000er in three weeks is selling you a low summit chance.
When is the summit window?
Expeditions run roughly June to August, with the stable summit window usually around mid-July and acclimatisation rotations through late June and early July. The Karakoram season is short and sharp — there is no second chance later in the year.
Do you use bottled oxygen?
An oxygen allocation is included at full-board and premium. Plenty of people climb GII without it and that is a legitimate choice — tell us at booking, because it changes the plan, the HAP arrangement and the risk profile, and we will discuss it directly rather than by email.
Can I combine it with Gasherbrum I?
Yes — they share a base camp, which makes it the most efficient double eight-thousander anywhere. Be aware of the rule: one peak per permit, so it means two permits and two royalties, and the combination saves less than most people assume. We price it at $26,900 full-board for the pair over about 55 days.
What permits and visa do I need?
A peak permit and royalty paid to the Gilgit-Baltistan authorities, a government liaison officer with the team, and accident insurance for everyone. These are restricted-zone peaks and you travel on Pakistan's Mountaineering visa — not a tourist visa and not the trekking visa. We file all of it; you provide passport, photographs, climbing CV and insurance certificate.
What happens if I cannot summit?
You come home safely, which is the actual objective. There is no refund for an unsuccessful summit — no operator offers one, because the cost is incurred whether you top out or not. What we do guarantee is that the turnaround decision gets made on conditions and on your state, not on how much you paid.
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