Join us for the K2 Base Camp Trek this summer! Only a few spots left…
Join us for the K2 Base Camp Trek this summer! Only a few spots left…
Strenuous: The K2 Base Camp Trek is a challenge even for experienced hikers. As a group, we spend 12 days trekking deep into one of the world’s wildest mountain ranges. Unlike in Nepal, there are no villages beyond Askole or Hushe. This an expedition style trek, meaning we carry all of our gear with us. We employ many local porters and mules to help us carry the supplies that will make the trek to K2 a comfortable and rewarding experience.
At altitude, every person’s body is different, but having a comfortable fitness level will only benefit you in the mountains. Ideally, our guests will have already spent some time at or above 4,000 meters. EBT will ensure that our group has proper time to acclimatize en route to higher elevations. Our trekking days will certainly not be “death marches” and all trekking days are of reasonable distance and intensity.
The perfect candidate:
Because the Central Karakoram National Park crosses some restricted military zones (within the park are natural boundaries with China and India), you must have a guide and obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC), which only tour companies can issue for this region.
Epic Expeditions sorts out all of your permits well in advance of the trip. We check in with park police when we enter Central Karakoram National Park.
Trekkers without an organized guide will not be allowed into the park to attempt the trek.
Food in Pakistan is pretty repetitive – there’s a lot of daal, chicken, and rice. We will try to mix this up where possible (especially in the cities) by taking you to some great restaurants.
Food whilst camping will be the best possible quality, but please have realistic expectations of what our camp cooks can deliver. There won’t be any lasagne and red wine (unless you bring the wine), but the food will be healthy and tasty.
Breakfast: Typically includes an omelet/fried eggs, fried Pakistani bread (paratha), pancakes, jam, Nutella, honey, etc + green tea/French press coffee.
Lunch: Every day, each member is issued a packed lunch. This keeps it easy while hiking as you can stop whenever you want to eat your lunch. A typical packed lunch includes a boiled egg + potato, a few chapatis (local flat bread), cheese, dried nuts/chocolate, and a few sweets.
Dinner: The main event! We pride ourselves on hiring the same cooks every year because they know how to deliver our custom, top-notch food menu!
After our nightly soup course, dinner will be a mix of curry vegetables, rice, noodle dishes (like chow mein or pasta with red sauce, daal (lentils), meat (mutton or chicken), French fries, and, salad.
Dessert is something different every night, but for the first week of the trek, expect to have fresh mangoes and melon!
Note: Vegetarians/vegans/gluten/lactose-free can be accommodated as well!
Note: In general, the food in Pakistan is SPICY (especially in Punjab). Again, we always try to accommodate dietary needs but keep in mind that options can be limited at times if you can’t do spicy food. There will ALWAYS be some decent vegetarian and non-spicy items, but you also need to have realistic expectations regarding Pakistani cuisine, which can be meat-heavy, and SPICY. Please let us know early on if you have any diet restrictions/preferences. If you are vegetarian/vegan, you might want to consider bringing some of your own food (for snacks/breakfast stuff), as it can be very difficult to cater to individuals in a big group, though we always do our best.
Once we leave Islamabad, fast WiFi as we know it in the west is basically non-existent. Whilst there may be small amounts of phone coverage on the trip, you should view this adventure as a chance to unplug. In the mountains, there is zero phone signal so there is no point in buying a SIM card as it will only work in a few places. There is slow wifi in the hotels in Skardu, but it hardly works and there are often power outages.
Epic Expeditions founder, Chris Lininger leads the K2 Base Camp Trek along with a team of local Balti guides, cooks, and porters.
Check out our meet the team page here.
Prices are based on the sharing of rooms/tents and single (same sex) members of the group will typically be put together. We will be using nice guesthouses/hotels that offer very comfortable, but simple, facilities. Sometimes rooms might be without air-conditioning (although the rooms in Islamabad we will definitely have AC). In Skardu the rooms have fans.
Once we arrive in Askole to start the trek, our accommodation will be in tents until we return back to Skardu. The tents are high quality, waterproof, and comfortable.
If you’d like to have your own tent for the duration of the trek we can arrange it at cost. The single supplement cost for a single tent and a single hotel room is $500.
If you would like your own hotel room in Skardu and Islamabad, the extra cost is $200.
Yes. Our guides are equipped with industry standard satellite phones for use during emergencies and for communication with our supply team. The guides also carry two way satellite messengers with GPS technology so that in case of emergency, we can give response teams are exact location.
At times, the satellite phone is available for guests to use at the cost of $2/minute.
EBT accepts deposit payments on our website through our booking platform (Stripe). Clients can pay using major credit/debit cards for the initial booking reservation.
After the initial booking, EBT collects the final balance payment through direct bank deposit.
Yes and no. Applying for the visa is your responsibility. EBT provides you will ALL the supporting documentation you need to apply for a Pakistani tourist visa including a Letter of Invitation.
Recently, it has become quite easy to apply for your Pakistani visa using the new Evisa scheme. The whole process can take several weeks, but EBT has never had one of our clients be denied a visa in our seven year history.
You will apply for your Evisa online on the NADRA Pakistan website.
You can also usually get a visa in another country if you have a residency visa there. You will need a letter of invitation for your visa application and we will provide this, as well as tips on how to make the visa application as stress-free as possible, once your spot is confirmed.
Please note your LOIs – which you need for your visa applications – are included in the cost of this tour and will be sent out to you approximately three to four months before the start of the tour.
Please do not apply for your visa prior to receiving all of the necessary documents from us first!
Check out the trip packing list here
The big important items are a good sleeping bag, rain gear, down jacket, sturdy hiking boots, water filter bottle, day backpack, sun protection, etc). You will need to bring your own climbing harness, crampons (or micro spikes), and helmet.
Tents and other group gear are provided.
No you do not. Crossing the pass at Gondogoro La is the most serious aspect of this trek in terms of difficulty. Rock fall, ice, and poor route conditions are all assessed by our team prior to ascending/descending the pass.
You will be clipped into to a fixed rope from the top of the Gondogoro La for safety/security reasons. Crampons are very rarely needed for this section, but we believe it is always best to have them just in case.
No it is not. To travel on this tour, you must buy travel insurance. We will provide recommendations closer to the start of the trip. If you don’t buy travel insurance, you will not be allowed to come on the trek.
It is Mandatory for every trip participant to take out a travel membership with Global Rescue. This is because they are one of the few companies who organize helicopter evacuation in Pakistan in the case of an emergency. Note that this is NOT full medical travel insurance. Global Rescue also offers full medical travel insurance, but the important policy to take out is a Global Rescue Membership. If you don’t want to go with Global Rescue for medical travel insurance, that’s fine – but again, all members MUST have the Global Rescue Membership that covers helicopter evacuations.
EBT staff does everything in their power to ensure things run smoothly. When it comes to flights, weather, road construction, etc, these factors are out of our control
However, it is important to remember that adventure travel is all about the journey, and so even the unexpected situations we may face should be treated as part of the overall experience. If we encounter issues we will get them sorted to the best of our ability.
We have factored in buffer days in case of delay so that we still have enough time to do the whole planned itinerary, even if we are unable to fly to Skardu due to poor weather conditions.
You need to arrive into Islamabad, Pakistan and be at the hotel/meeting spot by the morning of day 1. Ideally you will arrive a day early to rest and gear up for the start of our adventure. You will be picked up from the airport by a member of our team providing you arrive within 24 hours of midday on day 1. If you arrive outside of those days, you’ll need to sort your own transfer – advice will be provided.
Your accommodation is NOT included for the days leading up to the start of the tour or the days after the tour has ended. Day 1 is the first day accommodation is included. If you need an affordable place to stay before or after the tour starts/ends, we can provide recommendations. It is possible to find a very nice hotel room in Islamabad for $40-50/night (less if you share the room with a fellow tour guest).
All tour participants will be required to sign an industry-standard waiver releasing Epic Expeditions from any liability related to any aspect of the K2 Base Camp Trek.
*If you are over our 55 years old age limit but think you are up to the physical challenge of the K2 Base Camp Trek, please email us to book a call with our adventure consulting staff to see if you qualify for this adventure.
Once you have secured your spot, we will arrange a call so that we can have a short trip debriefing and interview. The interview is a chance for your tour leader to get to know you better before the start of the tour. If we don’t think you’re quite right, we will refund 100% of your money.
This call is also part of our one on one pre-tour preparation. Other companies don’t do this – which is one more reason why we pride ourselves in going above and beyond for our clients before, during, and after the trip.
The upper age limit is 55 and we ask that our guests be a minimum of 20 years old.
Potential guests looking to join us on this trek need to have prior experience trekking in the mountains, to have decent fitness as mentioned above, and a positive attitude to join an awesome group of people from around the world.
Feel free to send us a message using our contact page!
Chat with us now!
Chat with us now!
Adventure Guide
Hailing from the Toronto region of Eastern Canada, with a background as a former standout athlete (hockey of course) and a love of mountain adventure, Clark is a welcomed addition to the Epic team.
In addition to being a keen photographer and adventurer, Clark brings his brilliant sense of humor, leadership skills, and positive attitude to everything he puts his mind to.
When he is not leading trips, he is working on taking over the hard apple cider game in Canada as a skilled craft brewer.
Meet him during : K2 Base Camp Trek
Adventure Guide
Noemi grew up in the mountains of German-Speaking Switzerland where she naturally developed a deep love and respect for mountain environments.
She is a talented photographer, aspiring climber, and speaks at least 5 languages fluently including Arabic (and probably a few more that we don’t know about), which she taught herself in a matter of months by watching YouTube videos.
Noemi has spent the last several years traveling, hiking, and photographing her way around many different countries in the Middle East, South and Central Asia, and Europe, and we could not be more stoked to welcome her to the Epic team!
Meet her during : Discover the Celestial Mountains | Island Peak Climbing Expedition
Adventure Guide
As our man on the ground in Mongolia, there is not much this legend can’t do. As a native the Bayan-Ölgii province of the Western Mongolia Altai, Syerik has been working as a guide and tourism entrepreneur…
for the past several years and is one of the rising stars in Mongolia adventure travel industry.
He is currently building a beautiful Ger (Yurt) camp near his hometown where he will host Epic Mongolia team members on our trip as well as other travelers from around the world!
“
He is the perfect guide for your trip to Mongolia. Serik did an amazing job giving us a well rounded experience in the Altai NP region and down in the Gobi…
The food was fantastic and Serik gave us many opportunities to learn about the Kazakh culture in that region including traditional meals. (I can’t recommend enjoying the milk tea enough!)
– Coastal
Head of canine operations
Choriza started off life as a care-free vagabond on the streets of Madeira Island without any place to call home. From the moment we met her, we knew this dog was just different, and it was pretty much love at first sight.
She gave up the dog street life in favor of joining her new dad Chris to become a full-time member of the Epic family towards the end of 2022.
These days she can be found listening in on the fringes of important Epic business meetings while half-asleep on the couch. She is a keen hiker, lover of mud, rare steak, and might just be the sweetest little dog we have ever seen.
Adventure Guide
An experienced trek leader and
IFMGA aspirant ski guide, avid alpine climber, devoted adventure photographer.
Organized and guided trekking expeditions, climbs and ski tours in Tajikistan’s Pamirs, Patagonia, Peru, Morocco, Nepal, Kyrgyzstan, Georgian and Russian Caucasus and Kamchatka.
A full member and meets the organiser of the British Alpine Club. Visited over 40 countries, lived in the UK for four years. Certified first-aider.
“
We joined Andrew on a fantastic trip to the Fann Mountains in Tajikistan, pure nature and magnificent scenery! Andrey was super prepared and led us safely up and down numerous passes and through some rough and icy cold rivers. Thank you for a very memorable trip, your planning and prep was excellent!
– Monika Steinlechner
Meet him during : Trekking in the Fann Mountains
Adventure Guide
Our man in Nepal, Sandip is what we like to call a “Swiss Army Knife”. There is not much Sandip can’t do when it comes to helping Epic to run our expeditions smoothly in Nepal.
His tireless work ethic, passion for all things trekking in the Himalayas, and smart decision-making mean that Sandip is a truly invaluable member of our team.
Sandip is passionate about showing visitors to his country an amazing time, and he goes above and beyond to make sure that happens.
His company Himalayan Masters is Epic’s trusted partner in Nepal and one of the country’s top new tour agencies.
“
We really enjoyed the entire journey, and I would like to say that Sandip is truly professional. He guided us and he is a hardworking person, providing us with the best service and taking care of each one of us. Plus, he is super funny! The kind of professionnal you always want to find on your path for your explorations!
– Alexandra Ruth
“Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem.
Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?”
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Our flagship Pakistani adventure tour. Road trip with some hiking and cultural immersion.
A trekking-style tour that features some very remote locations, inlcuding a K2 viewpoint.
Adventure Guide
João has born in the mountains of Madeira Islands in Portugal. Nature lover, writer, musician, guide, for him, a day without contact with outdoor vibes is a nightmare.
With a degree in Cultural Studies in Portugal and a Master of Arts in Global Cultures and Creativity in the U.K.
João found out what really matters in life can be found on the trails, and in the contact with people from different backgrounds and cultures.
Guiding, crazy trekking missions, and sharing observations about the natural world, – these are some of João’s passions.
After trekking to K2 Base Camp and exploring all over Northern Pakistan, he fell in love with the country and the local people. His experiences resulted in his desire to share these feelings with the world.
João is one of the most experienced guides at Epic and his skillset and positive mindset in the mountains is second to none
When not in Pakistan, João is guiding and exploring in the Madeira Islands trails – discovering some of the hidden treasures on his Portuguese Island.
“
João I can not thank you enough for the off the beaten paths and views you keep giving. Definitely one of the most challenging and amazing hikes we did 1200m meters all the way up to Fanal forest and circling back to the hidden village. Wow!
– Jeffery
Meet him during : Lost World of Europe | Discover the Hunza Valley | K2 Base Camp Trek
Adventure Guide
Sohail is the newest addition to the Epic team and we are beyond stoked to have him on board. As a veteran of the Karakoram and a native of Karimabad in Hunza, there is not much Sohail can’t do in the mountains.
Besides having the ability to speak more languages than we can count, Sohail has explored every corner of Gilgit Baltistan and logs more trekking miles
in a year than most people will do in a lifetime. As of the summer of 2022, Sohail has summited Gasherbrum 1, Gasherbrum 2, and K2 – three of Pakistan’s five 8000-meter peaks. Sohail guides several trips including our annual bespoke expeditions but specializes in Hunza Valley tours.
“
Chris and Sohail, and the team at Epic are FANTASTIC! Highly recommend anyone to do a tour with ‘Epic’. They have the perfect balance of fun, excitement and wild adventures, tied in with being super professional and ensuring your safety/health in a foreign environment. Don’t waste a moment and book a tour with these guys as the value for money is UNREAL!
– Borgan
Meet him during : Discover the Hunza Valley
Adventure Guide
Pedro’s been traveling all around the globe since 2009. His keen interests in documentary photography, rural life, and local people from different ethnic groups have been the focus of many of his professional projects.
Since 2012, he has developed his passion for travel and awesome shared experiences into a full-time adventure photography tour leader position.
Pedro has found himself continuously going back to the Middle East, with his likely favorite destination being Iran. Pedro lead his 11th tour in Iran with Epic in spring 2020
When Pedro’s not traveling the world with Epic Expeditions, you’ll find him based in the western south of Portugal planning he’s next adventure missions, logistics and working out his photos in local exhibitions.
“
I loved the combination of hiking, camping around breathtaking scenery mixed with the cultural aspects. The guide (Pedro) is knowledgeable and work very hard to make the trip as memorable as possible. All in all an epic adventure with some extremely epic individuals! Go for it, you won’t regret it!
– Coastal
Adventure Admin / Marketing
After fleeing from the corporate fashion world in Paris towards the start of 2020, Diane has been working as a web developer and graphic designer remotely from various bases across the globe
She brings all of her incredible design and organizational power to Epic Expeditions and is responsible for many of the beautiful behind-the-scenes design elements.
Diane has been to Iran and to Pakistan twice including all over Gilgit Baltistan and KPK.
Head of Operations | Guide
A veteran of Pakistan travel, Ralph is an experienced guide, photographer and writer who specializes in documenting remote locations.
Not one to simply go where everyone else does, he insists on exploring new and lesser-known areas.
Together with Epic Expeditions, he shows people parts of Pakistan that most other operators don’t even know about. He is particularly fond of the village of Barah, which he believes will become just as famous as Hunza one day.
“
Just got back from EBT’s Trekking Amongst Giants 15 day tour. The experience was first class. Ralph, our head guide, ensured that the entire trip ran smoothly and relatively on time (a bonus for anyone travelling in Pakistan). We had so many unforgettable days on the tour and the trekking was well-planned, safe but also a rewarding challenge.
– Calvin
“
Traveling to a non-tourist destination can be a little intimidating but EBT takes all of the worry and trepidation away. From the pre-trip call to meeting the wonderful staff in person you can tell that you are dealing with a company that has a passion for what they do each and every day. Ralph, Zahid, and Khan were supportive, kind, and always willing to go the extra mile to make sure that everyone on the trip was getting what they wanted out of the experience.
– Katrina
Meet him during : Trekking Amongst Giants | Discover the Celestial Mountains | K2 Base Camp Trek
Founder | Adventure Guide | Director
Since he started exploring the world, Chris has been seeking out every shade of adventure in various parts of the globe and had visited more than 70 countries along the way.
Over the last 10 years, Chris has logged more than 7000 trail miles across five continents and climbed multiple 6000 + 7000 meter peaks in Pakistan and Nepal.
A few years back, a distant dream and a deep passion for the mountains and the people of Pakistan led Chris to co-found Epic Expeditions at a time when foreign adventure tourism in Pakistan was almost nonexistent. Since then, Chris has guided more than 20 expeditions to various parts of Northern Pakistan.
Chris believes in using photography and powerful adventure experiences to dismantle negative stereotypes regarding what mainstream media considers “dangerous” countries while facilitating unique and meaningful memories in the mountains for countless people from around the globe.
For him, an ideal start to the day begins with a steaming cup of good coffee, the beam of a headlamp, alpine boots, and a camera in hand.
He lives in Madeira Island when not leading expeditions in far-flung lands.
Chris also works as a writer and photographer on his blog Off the Atlas – an adventure travel blog all about Pakistan.
Read this interview our staff did with Chris to learn more about him!
“
Chris believes in Pakistan and its people, and he believes in the value of journeys shared with others and family cultivated on the road. Honesty and integrity are at the heart of what he does, and this really shines through in his work as a guide. He also makes great coffee – whether at 5am in an empty guesthouse or half way up a Himalayan peak.”
– Will De Villers
“
Pakistan is a magical country! Had 3 of the best weeks of my life thanks to Epic Backpacking Tours with owner, and one of our awesome guides, Chris. From detailed itinerary, preparation with an equipment list, and visa assistance. To amazing food, great porters, helpful guides, and great accommodations. Epic really hit home run after home run. […]
Their desire for adventure and amazing trip is just as high as yours. Bring a good pound of coffee for the trip. French press coffee every morning and no average tin coffee, plus you’ll be in your guides good books.
– Clark Tyler
Get exclusive trip updates, be the first to know when we launch a new itineraries and offer discounts, and stay up to date with what’s happening at Epic Expeditions!
