Most fabulous Experience at Skardu, Pakistan It was an excellent trip; we explored the northern side of Pakistan, and one of the best moments was at Skardu, where we enjoyed ourselves a lot. It didn't cost that much.

Fantastic experience Before deciding which local company to travel with I checked a number of reviews, websites and reached out to some travelers who had been in Pakistan with Trango and given the overwhelming positive feedback, I decided to travel with them and I am truly happy of my choice. Before the travel: excellent assistance for all questions and support for the info to obtain the visa. Clear and consistent information and all questions answered in short response time.During the travel: their service is really all inclusive, no hidden costs, no surprises, from pick up at the airport to drop off for the return including ALL meals.The hotels they select were good, they also offer additional services like city tours and equipment rental. Although it might be easier to rent on site, I’d warn you the equipment is not state of the art. It’s functional and serves the purpose, but they have bulky sleeping bag, old style heavy harnesses, so I would strongly suggest to carry your own. Mattresses and jumar are good. The staff we had during the trip deserves an extra 5*. Professional, experienced and friendly. The chef porter was taking such good care of our little group almost as if we were good friends, all the porters were super friendly and helpful, the cook and help cook went above and beyond. Amazing how they managed to always get incredibly good quality food ready with the little means they had. Hot water was always available. Our guide was very friendly and helpful but we missed more details on what we were visiting, some history and what to expect especially for the Gondogoro La passing. Compared to other companies which charge more, going in parallel to us, I honestly did not see a difference and felt the service we got was excellent. I guess bigger companies play more on things like all tents are identical and they give you more gimmicks but that’s really not a reason to charge that much more! Also camping spots are the same for everyone.Trango is fantastic value for the money you pay and they treat you like valued customers and not numbers. Notes on the trek: you do need to be really fit. We were lucky as no one of us got really stomach sick, which seems to be exceptional and I attribute this to the care in food. The landscapes are stunning, a sort of a dream and the experience is authentic, you have to be ready to take 14 nights in a tent at altitude with a variety of weather. But for nature and mountain wilderness (well.. except the crowded camps) this is a blessing!If you can physically afford it, do the Gondogoro La pass as you’ll see another marvelous valley and it is less monotonous than going back the same way.Phones have NO line. Locals could only use them in Askole and Concordia.it seems agencies do NOT have satellites (maybe limitations are there as there are military areas). They find ways to communicate as there’s constant back and forth and everyone knows everyone else, but don’t rely on satellite. In the end I can only highly recommend Trango. We came as customers, we left with new friends.

Excellent staff and company whom I highly recommend I was with Ernie A group from Calgary Canada and I need to say that everything He saying regarding the guides,[ IT'S NOT TRUE ] the guide and assistant guide were excellent and did a super great Job and for myself I couldn't ask for better, unfortunately if your body CAN NOT handle this type of trekking and you are very picky about everything they do, you should not blame the guides,[ Iqbal, Habib, and the rest of the staff I give them 10 out of 10 ]This is a demanding trek and if you are NOT physically fit you will have issues .Talking about food yes it was almost the same every day, but the cooks did an excellent job considering the conditions and the equipment they had .

k2 basecamp trek he K2 Basecamp Trek was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience! The journey through the Karakoram Mountains was challenging but incredibly rewarding. Every day brought new breathtaking views — from the mighty Baltoro Glacier to the stunning Concordia, surrounded by some of the world’s highest peaks.

Fantastic company who I totally recommend Quick Review: Fantastic company and I totally recommend them. Unless you are extremely picky, you will not be disappointed. (Indeed if you are really picky is a trek to K2 really for you?)Long Review: I have trekked before in Nepal and elsewhere, but this was my first visit to Pakistan and it was specifically to trek to K2 Base Camp and traverse the Gondogora La. PLANNING: I researched several companies - both local and Europe based. Like others have commented, why pay a foreign company 2 or 3 times the price of a 'local company' who will sub-contracted the trek anyway so you end up using the same local companies? That's not to say I had concerns that there would be cost cutting, especially as you only pay the bulk of the trek on arrival. I was very wrong!Initial contact with Trango was very positive and reassuring. Emails were answered quickly and I spoke at length with the UK rep (Shahid) who allayed my concerns. Paperwork for the visa was issued with clear instructions, etc. Aside my visa, airfare to Pakistan and tips, he said everything was included and literally from being picked up at Islamabad to being dropped off for my return it was! I had planned to cross the GG La, but due to an injury before travelling decided against this and there was no problem reverting to 'just' the K2 Base Camp Trek.GETTING TO & FROM ASKOLE: This involves an interesting 5-6hr drive on a dirt track. The road had been recently washed out in a few places requiring us to carry our kit between 4x4s. It is fair to say that the most dangerous part of the whole trip is this drive. But in fairness, the drivers are excellent and well used to the conditions. I never felt in danger, but clearly there is potential. My advice is simply, relax, go with it and trust in Allah.THE TREK: I didn't find it overly demanding, but am aged 60 and have been walking for some 45yrs or so and in any case was very fit after completing a long distance walk a week before arriving in Islamabad. There were 3 of us trekking and the guide was able to split us up with other experienced staff so we could walk at our own pace. The scenery is stunning and aside the last day we had great weather - blue skies and bearable day and night temperatures. Early starts (6'ish) are in order and we were all in camp by about 3pm each day. The careful pace and selection of campsites ensured no-one had issues with acclimatisation. Hot water was readily available for washing and a couple of showers, and there was always boiled water for drink bottles.THE EQUIPMENT: This was basically our tents and a mattress. They were not new, but they were in satisfactory condition, very spacious and kept us warm and dry on the one night at Concordia when we had snow and rain. The mess tent, with table and chairs, was perfect for our group. The generator was great for charging up camera batteries, etc. I would recommend hiring another mattress from Trango and use my own inflatable mattress to make it more comfortable. THE FOOD: How the cook and his assistant produced food in the conditions and with what they have is impressive! Yes of course there is a certain recurring theme, but it is still impressive. I ate vegetarian on the trip and never went hungry. The cook even managed pizza one night and cooked a delicious cake from scratch.FINALLY THE STAFF: I have left this to the end as they are the most critical part of a trek like this. From Zahid our guide, Hadar and Ziah our kitchen team and Hassan, the lead muleteer through to the porters and mule handlers, everyone was simply amazing. They could not do enough for us and invariably when we arrived at each campsite, our tents were up and food and drink was ready. They were always friendly and encouraging when needed. At one camp there was an impromptu song and dance session by the staff. This was spontaneous and definitely not 'put on' for us. But we were made to feel very welcome and joined in. A shout out to Zahid who spoke sufficient English to tell us about the mountains around us and provide guidance and suggestions to make our trek special.IN CONCLUSION... I highly recommend Trango Adventures who clearly have a very slick operation in place. Everything worked seamlessly and there was enough time to change plans - specifically an extra day at Concordia to delay by 24 hrs a trip to K2 Base Camp to ensure we were there with the best weather. I plan to return to do another trek (Snow Lake) and will have no hesitation in using Trango Adventures again.

A genuinely great adventure K2 basecamp, july/August 2025.It’s always hard choosing from a variety of different companies who essentially are providing an identical trip. I was very sceptical about why other companies who were offering the exact same trip were usually 2 to 3 times more expensive. That’s a heck of a lot more money, so my question was, is Trango a real budget version where it ends up being a bit of an unenjoyable trip because of cost cutting. But after such good reviews, I just couldn’t see why I would pay 3 times the amount for the same trip.So how did it go? Trango was always exceptional in responding to questions, and you will have lots of questions. From arriving in islamabad, everything went smoothly. Islamabad hotel was great, Skardu hotel was great. The whole trip was fantastic.Throughout the trip, I watched the other expensive companies set up and tried to work out why they cost so much more. Everyone has to stay at the same campsites, everyone has to sleep on the same ground and everyone has to walk the exact same trail. Certainly the more expensive companies had plastic roses set up in the food tent, and maybe instead of a plastic chair they had a canvas deck chair. But the food looked the same and they didn’t look any happier than our Trango group. The only noticeable difference is you may have a higher end tent, but it’s still the same ground, and you aren’t carrying the tent so does that really matter?So the trekking, it’s fantastic. As a kiwi who has hiked in our mountains all his life, it’s not overly hard, but you are on extremely unstable rocks on ice, so whilst the distances each day may seem minimal, it’s very slow going, and at 5000mts its definitely harder and as you get higher, each little hill is not like the hill back home at near sea level!The scenery is just stunning. It’s isolated, it’s raw and it’s just a real adventure. I will add, the drive to Askoli from Skardu is an adventure in itself. Our food was fantastic, I do not know how the cook made all those amazing meals each day, but you will not go hungry. It is very carbohydrate heavy simply because of the limitations of what they can bring, but the food was fantastic. A chicken will disappear each day and you will have fresh chicken, you will have fantastic omelettes, pasta, soup and stews.Our guides were exceptional, they seemed to know every other guide on the trail, and everything ran smoothly as much as it can up there.So the question still remains, why pay 3 times as much for the same trip, only to be using a foreign company who is using a local company and making you pay for the privilege of that. Trango is local, so none of your money goes to someone in an office in the states or Europe or wherever.Tipping. Don’t be stingy. The porters work damn hard, harder than anything you have likely done. They are very poor, this is their only cash income job. Allow around US$150-200 to put into the tipping pool. Bring this with you, in rupees if possible. This makes a huge difference to them and their families. If you can afford more, give more.Changing money. I had huge issues with ATMs in islamabad and skardu not accepting my card, use a money changer, you will find one if you ask around.Expect the unexpected. There is every chance a bridge on the road to askoli will be down, or the road has gone, or something will break down. Plans will likely have to change, go with the flow. And after the floods in the region this year, things will change.You likely will at some stage get a bit sick. Just expect it, it will pass quickly, it’s part of the experience, different food and water, but you will carry on, no one in our group got so sick they couldn’t, they just had a slower day or 2.Bring a good inflatable mattress. When you are sleeping on the glacier you will feel the cold. And the ground is rocky and hard, but that’s the joy of this trip, it’s a real genuine trek with real camping, no glamour camping.Talk to any mountaineering people from expeditions you will meet, it’s fantastic meeting up with these people who have attempted K2 or other peaks.If you have time when in islamabad, go to the bazaar in Rawalpindi. Rawalpindi is a wonderful chaotic city and compared to India, felt so much more relaxing with absolutely no hassle. The Pakistani people are extremely welcoming, although you will unlikely have the opportunity to talk to many women. It’s safe, and it’s a fantastic way to experience the real Pakistan.Use sunscreen….and reapply and reapply. The sun at altitude is fierce up there, it will cook you.So, use trango, save lots and lots of money and get exactly the same trip. Unless you want plastic roses on your table at dinner time, but that’s not what it’s about is it!!!

Thank you for the epic experience, Trango Adventures! While exploring the possible companies that offer the K2 Base Camp Gondogoro La trek, Trango Adventures was the most responsive. The management, guide, kitchen staff, and porters did their best to provide us excellent services and for us to have epic experiences during the whole duration of the trek. Moreover, as a female traveler, I felt safe all throughout the trek. I appreciate how the locals, including our crews, are respectful of our boundaries. I was part of a small but diverse group from different countries. The local crews played a crucial role in reaching our goal. We built rapports as we shared stories (despite the language barrier) and snacks with them. Sulaiman, the head porter, would always readily share his dried apricots and hard bread with us. Meanwhile, seeing all the majestic mountains, particularly K2 and Broad Peak, was truly breathtaking. Sleeping on a glacier was also a first time for most of us. Personally, crossing the Gondogoro Pass plus the descent was the most difficult. In spite of this, I feel that I was properly taken care of and guided by the crew and the group. Another highlight of the trip was the interactions with the hardcore mountaineers who have climbed those eight-thousanders. Given the opportunity that I could explore more of Northern Pakistan, I would definitely contact Trango Adventures again.🙂

Very nice experience I did the K2 & Gondogoro La Pass trek with Trangoadventures and I am very satisfied with it. The organization was excellent from start to finish, with a guide and very friendly and professional porters. The cuisine was correct given the difficult conditions at high altitude.The trek itself is demanding, with often difficult and technical terrain, including the descent of the Gondogoro La which is very steep and requires fixed ropes. This trek is clearly aimed at people who are well prepared physically and have good knowledge in the mountains (use of the Jumar, harness, lanyard, rappelling, etc.).An unforgettable experience for those looking for a real challenge in the high mountains in a magnificent setting.

Glorious Pakistan I had the great privilege of exploring Northern Pakistan with Trango Adventure. I have to admit I was a challenging client for them. I was deeply grieving after suffering a significant loss and had experienced an injury just before my trip to Pakistan. Despite this, they were kind, empathetic, and caring. My wonderful guide, Ahmed Hussain, and driver, Ahmed Ali, were compassionate, supportive, and considerate. They continually checked on me and wanted nothing more than for me to experience the beauty of Pakistan.Traveling as a solo female traveler shortly after the cease-fire was announced, I faced skepticism from many back home. Unfortunately, due to the conflict, most other tourists canceled their trips, which allowed me to have a private tour. The entire Trango team took my safety seriously while showcasing the beauty their country has to offer. The hospitality and generosity of the people of Pakistan are reflected throughout this breathtaking country, a sentiment echoed by the hardworking crew at Trango.They have considered the smallest details to ensure that my trip was as smooth and enjoyable as possible. Ahmed Hussain, with his gentle demeanor, truly embodied the kindness of the people from the North. He tailored the trip to my needs and exceeded my expectations. My guides wanted nothing more than my happiness and satisfaction with their services. They introduced me to the rich culture, delicious foods, and stunning landscapes of this country. The true beauty of Pakistan lies in its people, which is reflected throughout the land. I look forward to booking many more future adventures with this well-organized and thoughtful travel company. I highly recommend anyone planning a trip to this glorious country to consider Trango Adventure.