K2 Trek Day 1: Skardu to Askoli

K-2 Trek: 05 September 2023
We drive from Skardu to Askoli (3000m) by jeep. This road is like the Fairy Meadows road on Steroids! We drive through Shigar Valley and the Braldu Gorge along the Indus and Braldu rivers. Askoli is a Balti village of descendents fo the Ladakh Tibetan people.

Sayed is off back to Islamabad. We are now in the hands of Muhammed, guide and Nahid, assistant guide. We meet Haider, the cook and Hussain, the assistant cook.

In Askoli, we see how our camp will be set up each night: we have a dome tent and provided thin sleeping pads. We brought our Neo Air pads; a large cooking tent with the gas stove set at the entrance, a small table and chairs for us to dine, and 3 live chickens. We also have Nisar and Qudeem, 2 mule drivers with 3 mules.

We leave Skardu for a long 6 hour drive to Askoli. Our team for the trek.

Haider, our cook for the next two weeks and Muhammad our guide

The dome tent, our home for the next two weeks

Map of the Baltoro Glacier; Askoli to the west and K2, K2 to the northeast on the border between Pakistan and China.

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