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 Spantik (Golden Peak) Expedition (7,027m) is a 21 days guided trip in Gilgit-Baltistan, northern Pakistan, topping out at 7,027 m. It is graded Expedition — suitable as a first 7,000m peak — 3–4 days on foot approach each way. 4 fixed departures are open from $6,400 per person, all-inclusive from Islamabad.
Spantik — the Golden Peak — is the honest way into Himalayan climbing. At 7,027m it is a genuine high-altitude summit, but the southeast ridge we climb is a long snow route rather than a technical one: no fixed-rope gymnastics, no objective horror show, just altitude, cold and distance. That is exactly what makes it the right first 7,000er, and it is why we send climbers here before we will take them to an eight-thousander.
Twenty-one days from Skardu, up the Basha valley to Arandu and onto the Chogo Lungma glacier. Full-board covers the peak royalty and permits, the liaison officer, transport, porters, full base camp, high-altitude support above BC and fixed rope where the route needs it. The famous Golden Pillar on the northwest face is one of the hardest walls in the Karakoram — we are not climbing it, and anyone who implies otherwise is selling you a photograph.
Duration
21 days20 nights
Max altitude
7,027 mhighest point
Grade
Expedition — suitable as a first 7,000m peak
Days on foot
3–4 days on foot approach each waythe rest is travel
Group size
Max 4min age 21
Best season
mid-June – Augustopen June – August
Guide languages
3Urdu · Balti · English
Departures open
4next 10 Jun 2027
Spantik Expedition Price
Our full-board Spantik expedition is $6,400 per person — peak royalty and permits, liaison officer, Islamabad–Skardu flights, the jeep to Arandu, porters, full base camp, high-altitude support above BC, three camps and fixed rope where the route needs it. 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. Base-camp-service and premium tiers are quoted on request. Twenty-one days, summit 7,027m.
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, $6,400 per person. A $3180 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 On request to On request. What each band covers is set out in the table.
Group size
Price
What it includes
Base Camp Service
On request
For self-sufficient alpine teams. Permits, royalty, liaison officer, transport, porters and full base camp — nothing above BC. Priced on request while we confirm the royalty band for a 7,000m peak.
Full-Board Guided
$6,400
High-altitude support above base camp, three camps, fixed rope where needed, expedition guide, BC staff and forecasting.
Premium (2 HAP)
On request
Higher support ratio and private BC tent. Priced on request.
Is this expedition for you?
Only if you have climbed high before. This is a mountaineering expedition, not a trek.
Graded Expedition — suitable as a first 7,000m peak.
3–4 days on foot approach each wayDays on footthe rest is travel
The highest point is 7,027 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 — Spantik (7,027m)
Twenty-one days, run in phases rather than fixed daily steps: Islamabad formalities, the jeep to Arandu, the Chogo Lungma approach, two acclimatisation rotations, a weather window and a summit push.
19 days
Team assembles. Kit check, insurance and documentation review, and 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, rope and food packing, porter loads weighed. Last hot shower for three weeks.
By 4×4 up the Shigar and Basha valleys to the roadhead village of Arandu. Apricot orchards and the last shop.
The approach begins, up onto the moraine of the Chogo Lungma glacier. A short day to start moving.
A full day on the glacier with Spantik's golden pillar rising ahead of you.
The last approach stage onto the upper Chogo Lungma. Base camp established below the southeast ridge.
The puja, dome and kitchen up, rope and loads staged, medical baseline taken. The climb proper starts here.
First carry onto the ridge and a night at Camp 1, then back down to base camp to recover.
Full rest at base camp. Eat, sleep, and let the body build red cells.
Second rotation, sleeping higher on the ridge and stocking the route before descending to rest.
Waiting. Even on a 7,000er the weather decides, and we move when the forecast says so rather than when the schedule does.
Up through the camps to the high camp on the shoulder. An early night and a colder one.
An alpine start onto the summit slopes and a long, steady climb to the top of the Golden Peak. The ground is not technical by 7,000m standards — it is simply high, cold and long, and it is a genuine Himalayan summit.
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 summit attempt or bad weather. If unused, we start out early.
Off the glacier and back down the Chogo Lungma to the roadhead.
The jeep down the Basha valley, then the flight out and onward connections. Assalam-o-Alaikum.
What’s included in the price
Every fixed departure is all-inclusive from Islamabad. This is exactly what your $6,400 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 $6,400 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 $3,180 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 Spantik 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% ($1,280 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
Spantik 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
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 a 7,000m expedition and it is a reasonable first one
But it is not a trek. No previous 7,000m experience is required
You do need solid trekking fitness at altitude
Competence in crampons and with an ice axe on moderate snow slopes
The ability to walk for eight to ten hours at height on summit day. If you have never used crampons
Tell us and we will build that in
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 Spantik expedition cost with you?
Full-board guided is $6,400 per person — royalty and permits, liaison officer, all transport, full base camp, high-altitude support above BC, three camps and fixed rope where the route needs it. Base-camp-service and premium tiers are quoted on request while we confirm the royalty band that applies to a 7,000m peak; we would rather quote you privately than publish a number we are not certain of.
Is there a minimum team size?
Yes — four climbers for the published price. Pakistan charges the peak royalty per team, not per climber, so the same fee split between two people costs each of them far more than it costs a team of six. We will 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 rather than us burying a supplement in the headline price.
Is Spantik a good first 7,000m peak?
Yes, and that is precisely why we sell it. The southeast ridge is a long snow route rather than a technical climb — no sustained steep ground, no serac roulette. What it asks for is altitude tolerance, cold tolerance and the patience to keep walking uphill for hours. If you have trekked to 5,000m comfortably and can use crampons, Spantik is a realistic next step.
What experience do I need?
No previous 7,000m experience is required. You need solid trekking fitness at altitude, competence in crampons and with an ice axe on moderate snow, and the ability to keep going for eight to ten hours on summit day. If you have never worn crampons, say so at booking and we will build the training in at base camp rather than pretend it is not needed.
What about the Golden Pillar?
We do not climb it. The northwest face of Spantik is one of the hardest big walls in the Karakoram and it has seen a handful of ascents by world-class alpinists. Our expedition climbs the southeast ridge, which is the normal route. Any operator showing you a photograph of the pillar while selling a guided 7,000er is being loose with the truth.
How long is the expedition and why?
Twenty-one days. Three to four days each way on the Chogo Lungma approach and the rest at and above base camp for two acclimatisation rotations and a weather window. It is short by 8,000m standards because the mountain is lower and the approach is quicker — but the acclimatisation cannot be rushed, and anyone offering Spantik in ten days is selling you a low summit chance.
Do you use bottled oxygen?
No. Spantik is climbed without supplementary oxygen and there is no reason to carry it at 7,027m for a fit, acclimatised climber. We carry emergency oxygen at base camp for medical use, which is a different thing entirely.
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. You travel on Pakistan's Mountaineering visa — not the tourist visa and not the trekking visa. We file all of it; you provide passport, photographs and your insurance certificate.
What happens if I cannot summit?
You come home safely. There is no refund for an unsuccessful summit — the cost is incurred whether you top out or not — but the turnaround decision gets made on conditions and on your state, not on how far you have come. Spantik has a better summit rate than any 8,000er we run, which is another reason it is the right place to start.
What should I climb after Spantik?
Gasherbrum II or Broad Peak are the honest next steps, and both are eight-thousanders we run from the same office. K2 is not a second mountain. We will tell you plainly where we think you are after we have climbed with you.
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