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 Laila Peak Expedition (6,096m) is a 16 days guided trip in Gilgit-Baltistan, northern Pakistan, topping out at 6,096 m. It is graded Expedition — steep snow and ice, prior crampon experience required — 2 days on foot approach each way. 3 fixed departures are open from $3,900 per person, all-inclusive from Islamabad.
Laila Peak is the most photographed mountain shape in the Karakoram: a single spear of snow and granite above the Gondogoro Glacier, steep on every side. At 6,096m it is not the biggest peak in the Hushe Valley, but it may be the most coveted, and it is a real climb. The northwest face runs at 45 to 55 degrees of snow and ice from the high camp to the summit.
This is an expedition for climbers who already know their crampons: you should be comfortable on sustained steep snow, moving on fixed and running ropes, and living in a high camp. It is not a first peak. If you want the mountain without the climb, our Laila Peak Base Camp Trek walks the same valley to the foot of the face.
You climb it with a Balti team from Hushe itself, the village at the foot of the valley that has produced generations of high-altitude porters. Sat phone at base camp, forecasting through the push, helicopter-rescue arrangements in place. Local hands, real safety, fair price.
Duration
16 days15 nights
Max altitude
6,096 mhighest point
Grade
Expedition — steep snow and ice, prior crampon experience required
Days on foot
2 days on foot approach each waythe rest is travel
Group size
Max 2min age 18
Best season
June – Septemberopen June – September
Departures open
3next 20 Jun 2027
Laila Peak Expedition Price
Our full-board Laila Peak expedition is $3,900 per person — peak permit, Islamabad-Skardu flights, jeeps to Hushe, porters, full base camp on the Gondogoro Glacier, high camp, fixed rope on the northwest face and a climbing guide with high-altitude support. Base-camp-only service for self-sufficient teams is $2,400. Minimum team of two.
Fixed Departures
Fixed departures are scheduled dates you join as part of a group, rather than arranging your own trip. 3 dates are currently open, each capped at 8 people. Every date is the same price, $3,900 per person. A $780 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 $2,400 to On request. What each band covers is set out in the table.
Group size
Price
What it includes
Base Camp Service
$2,400
For self-sufficient alpine teams. Peak permit, flights, jeeps, porters and a full staffed base camp on the Gondogoro Glacier — the climb itself is yours.
Full-Board Guided
$3,900
High camp, fixed rope on the northwest face, climbing guide and high-altitude porter support, forecasting through the summit window.
Premium (2:1 support)
On request
Two high-altitude staff per climber and a private base camp tent, for teams that want maximum margin on the face.
Is this expedition for you?
Only if you have climbed high before. This is a mountaineering expedition, not a trek.
The highest point is 6,096 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 — Laila Peak (6,096m)
Sixteen days: the flight to Skardu, jeeps to Hushe at the head of the valley, two days up the Gondogoro Glacier to base camp, then acclimatisation, the high camp and the face. Contingency is built in — the face is climbed when the snow is right, not when the calendar says so.
16 days
Team assembles. Kit check, insurance and documentation review, and dinner with your climbing guide.
The flight up the Indus past Nanga Parbat. Weather-dependent; the schedule carries slack for it.
Final gear check, rope and food packing, permit formalities completed. Last hot shower for two weeks.
By 4x4 up the Shyok and Hushe valleys to the last village, under the wall of Masherbrum. Porters hired from Hushe itself.
The walk-in begins through willow and rose thickets along the Gondogoro river to the campsite at Saicho.
Up onto the Gondogoro Glacier, and Laila's spear appears ahead of you. Base camp below the northwest face.
Camp established, the line inspected through binoculars, medical baseline taken.
A day on the glacier refreshing fixed-line drills, crampon technique and crevasse rescue with the team.
The acclimatisation carry: loads to the high camp on the shoulder, a look at the face, then back to base to sleep low.
Full rest. Eat, sleep, and let the body catch up with the altitude.
The forecast decides the day. The face needs settled snow, and we wait for it rather than gamble on it.
Up to the high camp in the afternoon light. Early dinner, harnesses laid out, a short cold night.
An alpine start onto the northwest face: 45 to 55 degrees of snow and ice on fixed and running ropes to a summit the size of a table. Down the same line to high camp or base.
Held in reserve for weather or a second attempt. If unused, a slow morning and the walk down begins.
Down the glacier and the valley to Hushe, tea with the porters' families, and the jeeps back to Skardu.
The morning 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 $3,900 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 permit and government fees
Islamabad-Skardu flights
Hotels in Islamabad and Skardu
Jeeps to Hushe and back
Porters for the approach
Full base camp on the Gondogoro Glacier — kitchen
Dining and toilet tents
Cook
All meals
Satellite phone
Weather forecasting through the window
Full-board tier adds: high camp with tents
Fuel and food
Fixed rope on the face
Climbing guide and high-altitude porter support
Not included
International flights
Pakistan visa fees
Personal climbing equipment
Mountaineering and evacuation insurance (mandatory)
Staff tips and summit bonuses
A summit. The face needs the right snow and we will not push it when it is wrong. 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.
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 $3,900 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 $780 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 Laila Peak Expedition
Booking & Payment
Minimum team size is two climbers. A deposit of 20% ($780 on the full-board tier) confirms your place and files the peak permit. Balance is due 60 days before departure
Book through our website or directly on WhatsApp. Places are confirmed once the permit application is filed in your name
Cancellation Policy
Permit and government fees are non-refundable once filed
Cancel 90+ days before departure: full refund less filed permit costs. 30-89 days: 50% of the remaining balance. Under 30 days: no refund
If we cancel
You receive a full refund less non-recoverable permit costs
Or a transfer to another departure
Permits & Documentation
Laila Peak requires a peak permit from the Gilgit-Baltistan authorities. We file and manage it
You need Pakistan's Mountaineering visa
Not a tourist or trekking visa. Allow several weeks for processing
We provide the letter of invitation
Health & Fitness
This is a technical climb. Previous experience on steep snow with crampons and axes is required — we will ask about your climbing background before accepting a booking
Minimum age 18. Mountaineering and evacuation insurance covering climbing to 6,500m is mandatory and arranged by you
We help you check the policy actually covers 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 Laila Peak expedition cost?
Full-board guided is $3,900 per person: peak permit, all transport from Islamabad including the Skardu flights, porters, full base camp, high camp, fixed rope on the face, and a climbing guide with high-altitude support. Base-camp-only service for independent teams is $2,400.
How hard is Laila Peak?
It is a genuine technical climb, not a trekking peak. The northwest face is 45 to 55 degree snow and ice, climbed with crampons, axes and fixed rope from a high camp at about 5,400m. You need previous experience on steep snow; we will ask about it before accepting a booking.
When is the season?
June to September. The approach from Hushe takes two days up the Gondogoro Glacier, so the 16-day schedule holds real weather margin for the summit window.
What visa and permits do I need?
A peak permit for Laila Peak and Pakistan's Mountaineering visa, not a tourist visa. We file the permit and handle the formalities; allow several weeks for the visa.
Can I just trek to see Laila Peak instead?
Yes. Our 13-day Laila Peak Base Camp Trek reaches the foot of the northwest face with no climbing involved, and it is one of the finest short treks in the Karakoram.
Do you guarantee the summit?
No. The face needs settled snow and a clear window, and the guide's turnaround call is final. The 16 days carry contingency for a second attempt when conditions allow.
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