K2 Base Camp / Concordia
Curated schematic — not walking distance. Pin-to-pin OSM named-waypoint line from Askole via Concordia to K2 Base Camp, 74.2 km. Not a summit line to K2. Vertical figures are a GLO-30 sample of those pins, not a walking profile. typicalDays 14 is a published two-week window (typical, not a statute).
Byline
- The Hiking World editorial · author
Desk byline for seed records. Named surveying editors replace this once a trail is verified.
Figures marked provisional are seed data and still need verification. Source and last-checked date sit under each cited value.
Altitude weather delta
High 4,963 m minus low 3,039 m is 1,924 m of relief on this record. A standard tropospheric lapse of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m implies about 12.5 °C cooler at the high point than the valley, all else equal.
That is a model (International Standard Atmosphere environmental lapse), not a forecast and not a trail-closure. Wind, snow, and storms stay in Hazards.
derived:lapse-rate · 2026-09-10 · provisionalISA 6.5 °C / 1,000 m · wikipedia.org · 2026-09-10
Editorial v1 · Provisional catalog
- SAC T3 (mapped — no official SAC grade)
- Demanding mountain hiking. Exposed sections possible; hands may be needed for balance.
- YDS Class 2
- Class 2. Simple scrambling, occasional use of hands.
Where the walking ends
This record covers the walk to K2 Base Camp. Beyond that, the continuation is mountaineering, which we do not map as a trail — it needs ropes, high camp, and death-zone mountaineering on K2 (and the Gasherbrums / Broad Peak). CKNP mountaineering permits above 6,500 m are a different document from the Core Zone trekking permit.
Source: cknp.org · checked 2026-09-17
We have not verified the technical section. Where hiking ends · Walk-up & trekker summits
Log in to view the elevation profile
Curated schematic from named OpenStreetMap nodes (ODbL). The line is pin-to-pin, not a walking path. 2-D length is labelled schematic — not walking distance. Ascent, descent, and high/low points are Copernicus GLO-30 samples at those vertices only (copernicus-dem:glo-30) and remain provisional. Water, permits, and hazards were not taken from OSM tags and must be verified.
No single connected Baltoro / Concordia / K2 Base Camp hiking relation resolved on 2026-09-11 (Karakoram OSM is sparse; Nominatim name-collisions in Germany/Italy were not used). Geometry is an ordered pin-to-pin line through OSM-resolved named nodes: اسکولی → Paju → Urdokas → Gore II → Concordia → K2 Base Camp. 2-D length 74.2 km is schematic — not walking distance. Operator leads of about 72 km one-way Askole→Concordia are Unverified cross-checks, not this DataPoint. osmRelationId is unset. Never graduate to verified without a single connected OSM hiking relation. Never stitch a Karakoram GPX.
The end pin is OSM camp_site K2 Base Camp (4844636351), not the 8,611 m summit and not climbing camps 1–3. Gasherbrum I, Gasherbrum II, and Broad Peak share this Concordia approach — they are not separate trail records. Broad Peak Base Camp (4844644047) was not used as an endpoint.
typicalDays 14 is a published typical two-week window to Concordia / K2 BC, not a DataPoint. CKNP: the Baltoro opens mid-June; peak window mid-July to end of August; September is shoulder; October–April closes high-altitude trekking in the Core Zone (https://www.cknp.org/visiting-cknp-permits-season-logistics/, checked 2026-09-11).
GLO-30 high 4,963 m / low 3,039 m are a 6-vertex sample (OSM camp ele=4,965 m; Askole ele=3,050 m). Published trekker K2 Base Camp ~5,150 m is not this DataPoint — high point left as Copernicus. Cumulative DEM ascent 1,924 m is pin-to-pin, an under-count versus walking the glacier; do not treat it as that figure.
Water was not mapped to named WaterSource points (no honest atFraction). Glacier melt on the Baltoro exists on published descriptions; it was not positioned from an official named list this pass.
Water
No water sources recorded.
Permits & fees
- Permit
- CKNP Core Zone trekking permit (Baltoro)
Log in to view cost, booking, and issuer
Getting there
Sourced legs to the Askole (schematic start) base start station — where this trail record begins. This is not a route planner: durations are approximate and marked provisional until an official transport page confirms them.
Air · Islamabad (ISB) → Skardu (KDU)
Pakistan International Airlines. About 1 h. CKNP: Pakistan International Airlines flies Islamabad ↔ Skardu — about 1 hour, weather-dependent; plan extra days for cancellations. Road alternative Islamabad→Skardu is roughly 22–26 hours via the Karakoram Highway (https://www.cknp.org/visiting-cknp-permits-season-logistics/, checked 2026-09-11). Airport identity: Wikipedia Islamabad International Airport and Skardu International Airport, checked 2026-09-11, CC BY-SA.
cknp.org · 2026-09-11 · official · provisionalRoad · Skardu (KDU) → Askole
About 6.5 h. CKNP: Skardu → Askole (Baltoro / K2 BC trailhead) is 6–7 hours by jeep. Road is jeep-only, often closed (https://www.cknp.org/visiting-cknp-permits-season-logistics/, checked 2026-09-11).
cknp.org · 2026-09-11 · official · provisional
CKNP Core Zone trekking permit required (permit itself free; park fee approximate on the official page — confirm live). Solo trekking is not permitted in the Core Zone.
Plan from your location
Type a city, then pick a match. These links open external search tools — they do not fetch fares or timetables.
Trailheads
- Askole (schematic start) car-free: unknown
- K2 Base Camp (schematic end) car-free: unknown
Log in to view trailhead transit detail
Hazards
- Extreme altitude / AMS: GLO-30 high 4,963 m on this 6-pin sample; published trekker K2 Base Camp is often cited near 5,150 m — that cited camp is not this DataPoint. This is a serious high-altitude glacier trek, not a casual hike.
- Baltoro glacier / crevasse terrain. CKNP: once past Paju, a minimum of 4 days' walking from a road (https://www.cknp.org/visiting-cknp-permits-season-logistics/, checked 2026-09-11).
- Solo trekking is not permitted in the CKNP Core Zone; minimum one registered porter, and groups of three or more need a registered guide (same CKNP page). A liaison officer is described there under mountaineering permits above 6,500 m — not asserted for this walking trek.
- High-altitude helicopter rescue is the realistic option in CKNP and requires insurance that explicitly covers altitude rescue in Pakistan (same page). Rescue cost is logistics, not a walking-fee DataPoint.
Questions
Do I need a permit for K2 Base Camp / Concordia?
A permit is required for K2 Base Camp / Concordia: CKNP Core Zone trekking permit (Baltoro). Cost, booking, and issuer stay behind the login gate on this page.
When is the best time to hike K2 Base Camp / Concordia?
On this record the best season is: CKNP: Baltoro mid-June–September; Core Zone closed Oct–April.
How difficult is K2 Base Camp / Concordia?
K2 Base Camp / Concordia is graded SAC T3 (mapped — no official SAC grade) · YDS 2. A sourced hazard on this record: Extreme altitude / AMS: GLO-30 high 4,963 m on this 6-pin sample; published trekker K2 Base Camp is often cited near 5,150 m — that cited camp is not this DataPoint. This is a serious high-altitude glacier trek, not a casual hike.
How long is K2 Base Camp / Concordia?
This figure is 74.2 km (provisional): a schematic straight-line estimate between waypoints — not a measured walking distance; published figures are the better guide. See /guides/how-long-is-the-trail
How do I get to K2 Base Camp / Concordia?
The record’s base start is Askole (schematic start). A primary gateway on the record is Islamabad International Airport (ISB). Trailhead transit notes are not included in this public FAQ.
Related trails
- Ala-Kul Lake Trek · Same collection
- Alta Via 1 · Same collection
- Everest Base Camp Trek · Same collection
- Fishermen's Trail · Same collection
- GR20 · Same collection
- Inca Trail (Classic 4-day) · Same collection
Featured in
Related links
- OfficialCentral Karakoram National Park — permits, season, insurancecknp.org · 2026-09-11 · official · provisional