TREK004-3: K2 and the Chinese Karakunlun

Introduction

K2 is known as the Savage Mountain due to the difficulty of ascent and the 2nd highest fatality rate among the "eight thousanders" for those who climb it. For every four people who have reached the summit, one has died trying. Unlike Annapurna, the mountain with the highest fatality rate, K2 has never been climbed in winter.

Day1: Fly to Beijing and to Urumuqi

Fly to Beijing, then to Urumuqi, meet at the airport our tour guide and driver, then drive to Urumuqi city transfer to hotel.

Day2: Visit in Urumuqi- Fly to Kashgar

Morning visit the Xinjiang Regional Museum, which houses archaeological treasures from the Silk Road (pottery, silk weavings, carpets, and more) as well as exhibits on minority cultures, including models of the different yurts (felt tents) used by various ethnic groups. In the afternoon we’ll fly to Kashgar, the last station of the Silk Road in China. Kashgar was the great pivot point of the routes coming from China, departing south to India and west to Tashkent and Samarkand, ultimately reaching the Mediterranean and Rome. Tucked against the Pamirs, Kashgar is a desert city made up of walled compounds of adobe brick that exactly match the tawny tones of the surrounding desert. Transfer to hotel.

Day3: Visit in Kashgar

Visit The Sunday Market. On Sunday, Kashgar comes to life as thousands of Uygur farmers and tradesmen from the surrounding countryside converge on Kashgar’s famous Sunday Maket. Visit the Id Kah Mosque, it Built in 1442 it is one of the largest and most active mosques in the country. The mosque exemplifies grand Islamic architecture, with a rectangular entranceway, flanked by intricately designed, slender minarets. And the Abakh Khoja Tomb, Built from 1640, in China the tomb is better known as the Tomb of Xiang Fei, the only Uigur concubine among the 41 wives of Emperor Qianglong in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), the Tomb is admired as a well-preserved Islamic architectural complex not only in Xinjiang, but throughout Cental Asia. Then visit the old part of the city.

Drive southeast about 4 hours (about 270km) along the great Taklamakan Desert, where Sir Aurel Stein and Sven Hedin carried out their great explorations at the turn of 20^th century. We’ll pass through Yengisar, famous for its 400-year-old history of knife making, and Shache (Yarkand), once a great city on the Silk Road (and larger than Kashgar). Continue to Yecheng, located in a well-watered agricultural zone.

Day5: Drive with jeeps to Mazar Dara

An eight-hour drive brings us to Mazar Dara (3772m), where we’ll meet our porters and pack animals. Overnight in tent.

Day6: Trek

We’ll begin our trek to K2 Base Camp, walking along the right bank of the Yarkand River and scrambling across the remains of the Mazar Dara Bridge for a mile. Here the Chinese built a bridge across the Yarkand River and we follow the river downstream for about 11km to the confluence of the Yarkand and Surukwat Rivers. Cross the Surukwat over a bridge built in 1962 during the Sino-India War. Camp near the bridge on a small meadow known as Ilik. (6-7 hours hiking), overnight in tent.

Day7: Trek

Follow the wide Surukwat River, which descends from the Aghil Pass, for most of the day – about 16 to 19 k. We’ll pass the confluence with the Zug Shaksgam River; after lunch, we continue along the true right bank to a campsite near a small, clear side stream before reaching the gorge of the Surukwat. There is little shade here, but ample vegetation for the camels. (7-8 hours hiking), overnight in tent.

Day8: Trek

Cross the Surukwat River on foot or by camel, the climb the steep Surukwat Gorge on a good trail. There are several hills to climb along the gorge until we exit in a wide, open plain with the peaks of the Aghil Range seemingly blocking further access to the Karakorun Range beyond. Continue toward some Kyrgyz settlements, then climb to the east up a major valley toward the Aghil Pass. Camp about two hours from the pass at 4465 meters near another Kyrgyz settlement. (7-8 hours hiking), tent.

Day9: Trek

Two hours of easy walking brings up to the top of Aghil Pass (4785m), which was first crossed by Sir Francis Young husband on his epic journey from Beijing to Delhi in 1887. Descend to the Shaksgam river canyon 914 meters below. Cross the river with camels slightly downstream of the pass. Our campsite is on the left band of the Shaksgam on a wide densely vegetated sand bar. (7-8 hours hiking), tent.

Day10: Trek

We start off along the bank of the river, scrambling on loose talus slopes, until we reach a point where we must ford the river. Continue along the center of the Shaksgam River; the stream consists of many branches that flow at random down the mile-wide gravel riverbed (forcing us to ford many times). Sometimes we’ll wade; sometimes we can ride the camels. Eventually we reach the right bank again and camp on a nice sandbar overgrown with willow and tamarisk. (5-6 hours hiking), tent.

Day11: Trek

Follow the river to the confluence with the Sarpo Laggo River, which contains the waters of the K2 River, the Skyang River (coming off the peal of Skyang Kangri), and the waters of the Crevasse Glacier. Here we turn left and follow the Sarpo Laggo upstream. Coming around the corner at the T-junction we’ll have our first view of K2. Continue along the Sarpo Laggo, cross the swift and cold K2 stream, and reach Hongliutan Base Camp at 3850 meters. (8-10 hours hiking), tent.

Day12: Rest

A day to rest and relax or explore our immediate environs.

Day13-18: Hike to K2 Advance Base Camp (5160m) and return

It will take a couple of days to hike up to camp and a couple back, so we’ll have two days up at Advance Base Camp to enjoy the spectacular view. You may be expected to pitch in and assist with camp chores.

Day19-24: Return trek to Mazar Dara

Day25: Drive to Yecheng

Day26: Drive to Kashagar or Kothan and fly to Urumuqi

Day27: Fly to Beijing

Check out of the hotel and transfer to the airport station to catch the flight to Beijing.

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