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 Khosar Gang Expedition (6,401m) is a 10 days guided trip in Gilgit-Baltistan, northern Pakistan, topping out at 6,401 m. It is graded Expedition — suitable as a first 6,000m peak — 1 days on foot approach each way. 3 fixed departures are open from $2,200 per person, all-inclusive from Islamabad.
Khosar Gang stands directly above the Shigar Valley, an hour and a half from Skardu, and at 6,401m it is the most accessible real summit in Baltistan. The route is snow slopes and straightforward glacier — no technical rock, no steep ice — which makes it the honest answer to a question we hear every season: what should my first 6,000er be?
This one. It is close enough to reach in a day from town, high enough to mean something, and simple enough that we can teach the rope and crampon work you need at base camp on the way up. What it still demands is fitness and respect: summit day starts in the dark, crosses 1,000m of ascent on snow, and tops out above two-thirds of the oxygen you were born to.
You climb with Balti guides from Shigar and Skardu who use this mountain as their training ground, the same staff who work our Spantik and 8,000m expeditions. Summit Khosar Gang, and Spantik is your next rung. Local hands, real safety, fair price.
Duration
10 days9 nights
Max altitude
6,401 mhighest point
Grade
Expedition — suitable as a first 6,000m peak
Days on foot
1 days on foot approach each waythe rest is travel
Group size
Max 2min age 18
Best season
June – Septemberopen June – September
Departures open
3next 15 Jun 2027
Khosar Gang Expedition Price
Our full-board Khosar Gang expedition is $2,200 per person — peak permit, Islamabad-Skardu flights, hotels, jeeps to the Shigar roadhead, porters, staffed base camp, high camp, group climbing gear and a climbing guide. Base-camp-only service is $1,400. Minimum team of two; skills training at base camp is included.
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 10 people. Every date is the same price, $2,200 per person. A $440 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 $1,400 to On request. What each band covers is set out in the table.
Group size
Price
What it includes
Base Camp Service
$1,400
Permit, transport, porters and a staffed base camp for climbers who bring their own rope skills and gear.
Full-Board Guided
$2,200
High camp, group climbing equipment, skills training at base camp and a climbing guide on summit day.
Private Team
On request
Your own dates, your own team, higher staff ratio — quoted to group size.
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 6,000m peak.
1 days on foot approach each wayDays on footthe rest is travel
The highest point is 6,401 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 — Khosar Gang (6,401m)
Ten days: fly to Skardu, a short jeep stage into the Shigar Valley, one day to base camp, then acclimatisation, skills, a single high camp and the summit — with a contingency day where the mountain gets a vote.
10 days
Team assembles. Kit check, documentation review, and dinner with your climbing guide.
The flight up the Indus past Nanga Parbat, and an afternoon in the bazaar for last supplies.
Jeeps through Shigar — fort, orchards, the old mosque — to the roadhead, then a steady day on foot up to base camp.
Crampons, ice axe, rope work and glacier travel taught and drilled on real ground. Nobody goes higher until the team moves well.
Loads up to the high camp site on the snow shoulder, then back down to base to sleep low.
Full rest. Eat, sleep, and let the body catch up with the altitude.
Up to the high camp in the afternoon. Early dinner and an early night — the alarm goes off at 1am.
A headtorch start and a long, steady snow climb to the summit as the sun rises over the Karakoram — K2 to Nanga Parbat on a clear morning. Down to base camp the same day.
Held in reserve for weather. Otherwise down to the roadhead, jeeps to Skardu, and a hot shower.
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 $2,200 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 the Shigar roadhead
Porters
Staffed base camp with kitchen
Dining and toilet tents
Cook and all meals
Satellite phone
Weather forecasting
Full-board tier adds: high camp with tents
Fuel and food
Group climbing equipment (rope
Pickets)
Skills training and a climbing guide
Not included
International flights
Pakistan visa fees
Personal kit (boots
Crampons
Axe
Harness — rentable in Skardu
Ask us)
Evacuation insurance (mandatory)
Staff tips and summit bonuses
A summit. Weather and your own condition decide
The guide's 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 $2,200 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 $440 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 Khosar Gang Expedition
Booking & Payment
Minimum team size is two. A deposit of 20% ($440 on the full-board tier) confirms your place and files the peak permit. Balance is due 45 days before departure
Book through our website or directly on WhatsApp
Cancellation Policy
Permit and government fees are non-refundable once filed
Cancel 60+ days out: full refund less filed permit costs. 30-59 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
Khosar Gang requires a peak permit from the Gilgit-Baltistan authorities. We file and manage it
You need Pakistan's Mountaineering visa
Not a tourist visa. We provide the letter of invitation
Allow several weeks
Health & Fitness
No previous climbing experience is required — skills are taught at base camp — but strong hill fitness is. Summit day is 1,100m of ascent on snow above 5,300m
Minimum age 18. Evacuation insurance covering trekking and climbing to 6,500m is mandatory and arranged by you
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 the Khosar Gang expedition cost?
Full-board guided is $2,200 per person: peak permit, Islamabad-Skardu flights, jeeps, porters, base camp, high camp, group climbing equipment and a climbing guide. Base-camp-only service for independent climbers is $1,400.
Is Khosar Gang a good first 6,000m peak?
Yes — it is the one we recommend. The route is non-technical snow and glacier, the approach is short, and we teach crampon and rope skills at base camp. You need strong hill fitness, not a climbing CV.
How high are the camps?
Base camp sits at about 4,300m, a day above the Shigar Valley roadhead, with one high camp at about 5,300m. Summit day climbs roughly 1,100m on snow to the top at 6,401m.
When does it run?
June to September. At ten days door to door it fits inside a two-week holiday, including the Skardu flights and weather margin.
What visa do I need?
Pakistan's Mountaineering visa, since Khosar Gang is a permitted peak. We file the peak permit and provide the letter of invitation.
What comes after Khosar Gang?
Spantik (7,027m), our entry 7,000er on the Chogo Lungma — the same team, one rung higher. Then the Gasherbrums. That ladder is how our climbers build toward the 8,000ers safely.
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