I’m sharing the details of the trek, as well as a link to the facebook album. Do have a look, its got a detailed story and should be accessible! and of course any questions are welcome!
Day 1: Askole to Daniyal Camp
6-7 Hours
Askole to Kaiser Shogran was and easy 2 hours
KS to DC was really hard, inclines, rocks, glacier for 4-5 hours.
DC was on a glacier, very cold.
The team was very messed therefore we had to camp here otherwise would have gone to Namla.
There are hard declines where steps need to be made
Water was not available at all times
some boulder happing
Day 2: Daniyal Camp to Namla
2-3 Hours
could have been done at day 1
Boulder hopping, rock glacier, not very hard
Namla has an okay campsite
Day 3: Namla to Shafung
8-10 Hours
Decline, Rock Glacier, help needed from porters
Long stretch of glacier, easy walk. Decline, rock glacier, 2 inclines then camp.
Camp is very beautiful
The entire day it was raining and gloomy
Camp of Mango was skipped (Mango is a no go)
Day 4: Shafung to Biantha:
1.5-2 Hours
could be done one Day 3 if wanted
It was gloomy again, very easy hike, could be done in sandals. Green Campsite
Day 5: Biantha to Almost Marphogro (the camp site was not marfogoro)
4.5-5.5 Hours
Slipper decline to get on the glacer, then straight walk for 11 km.
Off glacier down to camp
Marpho is a good campsite, sun was out
Some crevices needed to be jumped
Actual Marpho was apparently 15 minutes ahead
If pushed Shafung to Karpho can be done in 1 day
Day 6: Marpho to Karpho
6 Hours
Over all not so hard.
the last 1 hours is through rock Glaciers and ver irritating.
Campsite is cramped, hard to move around. 2 teams can’t camp.
An alternate is to go straight and camp at the bottom of Snow lake will need to rope up. Crevices could be larger but there were not alot of crevices
Day 7: It rained and was gloomy so we rested at Karpho.
Day 8: Karpho to Hispar top
8-9 Hours
Leave early
20 minutes to do some boulder hopping and get on the glacier.
4-5 hours will be at base, while trekking rope teams , not very hard. snow shoes would be a plus.
the last 3-4 when the incline starts to the pass can be slightly hard, porters were not willing to camp at base. some crevices showed up.
snow became soft toward s the end and was an issue. (this was because we started the attempt very late, ideally the attempt should have been on a fresh morning when the snow was hard, starting around 4 or 5am)
The night was really cold, even with high altitude tents. sheet under the tent wasn’t there, lack of tarpals meant that porters slepti n mess tent.
Day 9: Hispar top to Khani Basi
6-7 Hours
We left quite late – boys decided to take picture adn do a trekker dance.
the initial 2-3 hours are not hard, some is slppery. should have left early as snow got soft
next 2 hours on the hispar glacier are also easy mostly straight walk
the last two hours after getting off the glacier, taking the ropes off till approaching the campsite was terrible. it was scree, cutting the moutain, slippery ice, and even crossing a stream.
Campsite was decent. if you can do another 3 hours, the next campsite can be approached.
Lonely planet does not name this camp site as Khani basi, and there was some confusion.
Day 10: Khani Basa to Jutmo
Bags to porets
initial 1-2 is easy
A rope should be handy, the guide should be carrying it, dont give it to porters
glacier needs to be crossed its not very happy, some help is needed
following that you need to cut across hills up and down, some boulder hopping
last 2-3 horus of the Jutmo glacier are hard and dangerous, we were lost on it for a while. Porters help will be needed to cross it
a hard incline followed by walking
you pass various campsite 15 mins apart
campsite was okay, windey, day was very hard
londely planet calls the campsite shikam garis
Day 11: Jutmo to Bitanmal
6.5-8 Hours
An easier day. the start is easy across the green
a few decents need porter help
A rope should be handy, the guide should be carrying it, dont give it to porters
keep cutting the mountain, times help is needed. Long straight walk towards the end. (There was one stream crossing that proved to be anal, the stream where the yaks were. Apparently it was easier to cross it an year earlier, but the raastas had now changed)
campsite is beautiful and green
Day 12: Bitanmal to Hispar Village
6-7 Hours
the initiatl 2 hours crossing the Bitanmal glacier are torture. It is extrememely hard, one of the hardest streches of the trek
after that it mostly evens out, not much inclines or decliens another 4-5 hours before reaching the village. The village can be seen but it takes time to come.
(Generally, it would be best to speak to someone who has taken the route quite recently to get a fair idea on the access of the campsites. A lot of research needs to be done in this regard, preferably talk to about 3-4 different people to chalk out the plan.)
Pictures Link: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150740186935381.720764.742240380&l=3bef3ecc6a&type=1
Contact: yahya.azeem@gmail.com
