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 K2 Expedition (8,611m) is a 55 days guided trip in Gilgit-Baltistan, northern Pakistan, topping out at 8,611 m. It is graded Expedition — prior 8,000m experience strongly preferred — 6–7 days on foot approach each way. 4 fixed departures are open from $21,500 per person, all-inclusive from Islamabad.
K2 is the second-highest mountain on earth and the hardest of the fourteen eight-thousanders to climb. It is steeper than Everest, colder, further from rescue, and it has no easy line — the Abruzzi Spur is the standard route only because nothing better exists. We run it from Skardu with the Balti team that has worked the Baltoro for generations: permits and royalty, liaison officer, one HAP per climber above base camp, oxygen, four high camps and fixed rope on the technical ground.
What we will not sell you is a summit. K2 turns whole teams back in most seasons and it has killed strong climbers who were doing everything right. A place here buys logistics, a safety system and honest judgement about when to go up and when to go down. It does not buy a certainty, and you should distrust anyone who implies otherwise.
6–7 days on foot approach each waythe rest is travel
Group size
Max 4min age 21
Best season
mid-June – Augustopen mid-June – August
Guide languages
3Urdu · Balti · English
Departures open
4next 10 Jun 2027
K2 Expedition Price
Our full-board K2 expedition is $21,500 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 $9,400. 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. Fifty-five days, summit 8,611m.
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, $21,500 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 $9,400 to $32,000. What each band covers is set out in the table.
Group size
Price
What it includes
Base Camp Service
$9,400
For self-sufficient alpine teams. Permits, royalty, liaison officer, transport, porters and full base camp — nothing above BC.
Full-Board Guided
$21,500
One HAP per climber above base camp, oxygen, four high camps, fixed rope, expedition guide, BC medic and forecasting.
Premium (2 HAP)
$32,000
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.
The highest point is 8,611 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 — K2 (8,611m)
Fifty-five days, run in phases rather than fixed daily stages: Islamabad formalities, the Baltoro approach to base camp, two acclimatisation rotations, a weather window, the summit push, then clearing the mountain and walking out. Dates below are indicative — above base camp the weather sets the schedule, not us.
26 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. Permit paperwork closed out.
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 and 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 loads for the glacier. 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.
Up the Godwin-Austen glacier to base camp under the south face. The mountain stands three and a half vertical kilometres above the tents, and you will not stop looking at it.
The puja, dome and kitchen up, oxygen and rope staged, medical baseline taken. The expedition proper starts here.
First carry onto the Abruzzi Spur and a night at Camp 1, then back down to base camp.
Up through House's Chimney, the first hard rock of the route, to sleep at Camp 2 and stock the mountain. Then down to rest.
Full rest at base camp. Eat, sleep, and let the body build red cells. Weather models reviewed daily.
Over the Black Pyramid to Camp 3 for the last acclimatisation night, then back down to thick air.
Waiting. This is most of an 8000m expedition and it is the part nobody photographs. We move when the forecast says so.
Up through the camps to the Shoulder. Oxygen from here for most climbers, and a short sleepless night before the bid.
An alpine start into the Bottleneck and the traverse beneath the hanging serac, then the summit snowfields to the top of the second-highest mountain on earth. This is the most serious ground on the route, and the turnaround time is not negotiable — the mountain has taken people who ignored it.
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 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, and the first cold drink in six weeks.
Fly out, debrief, 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 $21,500 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 $21,500 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 K2 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% ($4,300 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
K2 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 K2
Not a trek and not an introductory 8000er. Prior experience above 8,000m is strongly preferred and 7,000m is the absolute floor
We will ask for your climbing CV before accepting a booking. You must be fast and competent on fixed rope with jumar and descender
Solid in crampons on sustained 45-60 degree snow
Ice and mixed ground
Able to make decisions for 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 K2 expedition cost with you?
Full-board guided is $21,500 per person — royalty and permits, liaison officer, all transport, full base camp, one HAP per climber above BC, oxygen, four high camps and fixed rope. A base-camp service tier for self-sufficient alpine teams is $9,400, and a premium tier with two HAPs per climber is $32,000. Western operators run the same mountain at roughly $40,000 to $60,000; the difference is brand and guide ratio, not the ground team — the HAPs and BC staff are Pakistani either way. Ours are ours.
Is there a minimum team size?
Yes — four climbers for the published prices. That is not an upsell: 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 absolutely run a party of one, two or three — we just quote it privately so you can see exactly what the royalty is doing to the number, rather than us burying a supplement in the headline price. Seven is the sweet spot, if you are assembling a team.
How dangerous is K2, honestly?
More dangerous than anything else we sell, and we are not going to soften that. K2 is steeper and more sustained than Everest, the weather turns faster, and the crux of summit day — the Bottleneck and the traverse under a hanging serac — is objectively dangerous ground that no amount of skill removes. Whole seasons pass with no summits. If you want an 8000er and not specifically this one, Gasherbrum II or Broad Peak are the honest recommendations and we would rather sell you those first.
What experience do I need?
Prior experience above 8,000m is strongly preferred and 7,000m is the absolute floor, and we will ask for your climbing CV before accepting a booking. You need to be fast and competent on fixed rope with jumar and descender, solid in crampons on sustained 45-60 degree snow, ice and mixed ground, and able to make your own decisions at altitude in bad weather. If K2 would be your first 8000er, we will tell you so and point you at Gasherbrum II or Spantik first.
How long is the expedition and why so long?
Fifty-five 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. K2 gives fewer windows than the Gasherbrums and they close faster, which is exactly why the schedule is longer than our other peaks rather than shorter.
Do you use bottled oxygen?
An oxygen allocation is included at the full-board and premium tiers, and effectively every climber uses it from the Shoulder upward. If you intend to climb without oxygen, tell us at booking — it changes the plan, the HAP arrangement and the risk profile, and we will discuss it with you directly rather than by email.
What is the guide-to-climber ratio?
One high-altitude porter per climber above base camp on the full-board tier, two per climber on premium, plus the expedition guide and full BC staff. HAP insurance to Rs 2,000,000 is carried by us, not by them — that is not universal in Pakistan and it should be.
Can I combine K2 with Broad Peak or a Gasherbrum?
Physically yes — they share the Baltoro and neighbouring base camps. Administratively it costs more than people expect: the rule is one peak per permit, so a second summit means a second permit and a second royalty. Realistically, K2 will take everything you have; most climbers who add a second peak do it the other way round, with the smaller mountain first. Talk to us and we will price it properly rather than imply a discount that does not exist.
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 a tourist visa and not the trekking visa. We file all of it; you provide passport, photographs, climbing CV and your insurance certificate.
What happens if I cannot summit?
You come home, which on this mountain is the actual objective. There is no refund for an unsuccessful summit — no operator anywhere 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 or how far you have come.
Why book a Pakistani operator instead of a Western one?
Because you are already climbing with Pakistanis. The HAPs, cooks, porters and BC staff on every K2 expedition are Pakistani, whoever sold you the trip. Booking direct removes a layer of margin, puts the money in Baltistan, and gets you the team that lives under this mountain. What you should demand in exchange is the safety system — sat phone, forecasting, insured HAPs, rescue contacts, a real turnaround policy. Ask us to show you ours, and ask anyone quoting cheaper to show you theirs.
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