Why Pakistan Should Be Your Pick for a Post-Lockdown Adventure
By Peter Watson
It is autumn of 2019 and the world knows nothing of Covid-19 or R numbers. I stand at the Concordia Camp in the Karakoram mountains of Pakistan. Tomorrow, I will complete the final leg of a two-week trek to K2 base camp at the foot of Earth’s second-highest mountain.
Concordia is located at the confluence of the Baltoro and Godwin-Austen glaciers at around 4,600m (15,091ft) – only slightly lower than the summit of Mont Blanc, Western Europe’s highest peak. The scene makes the Alps look distinctly Lilliputian, delivering a sense of scale and perspective that can only be found in Asia's great ranges. Indeed, the enormous rocky amphitheater surrounding Concordia contains the planet’s densest cluster of sky-scraping summits, including four of the 14 'eight-thousanders' – the world’s only peaks above 8,000m (26,000ft).
As I turn to my left and gaze along the immense Godwin-Austen Glacier, K2 soars in splendid isolation above the neighboring moraine, its towering bulk utterly overwhelming. Pakistan's ‘Savage Mountain’ may be second in stature to Nepal's Everest, but the mountain has poise and symmetry that, in my mind, makes it the most impressive of all of Earth's great peaks. But, while Nepal attracts over a million annual visitors to its trails, Pakistan’s trekking industry has stagnated since 9/11. However, that may all be about to change.
Following his 2018 election victory, Imran Khan highlighted tourism and national security as main objectives in his first 100 days’ agenda. Initiatives have included increasing availability of tourist visas, developing an online e-visa system, receiving the Royal Family for a state visit and restarting direct flights to Islamabad. The drive has already seen a moderate increase in visitors, particularly adventurers.
Climbers and trekkers are venturing to some of its most remote regions, among them K2. At 8,611m (28,251ft), it is the only 8,000m peak unclimbed in winter. With a throng of foreign mountaineers currently assembled at base camp, preparing for an attempt on its slopes, the mountain is witnessing its busiest ever winter climbing season. Under previous regulations, this number of climbing permits were unavailable. Furthermore, K2 expeditions have been aided by an extension of the road from Skardu, the gateway city to the Karakoram. The extension cuts days of porterage off the backbreaking journey to base camp.
It’s not only adventurers taking advantage of Khan’s ambition. In 2021, Pakistan will host the England cricket team for the first time in 16 years. The landmark tour is down to Wasim Khan, the British chief executive of the Pakistan Cricket Board, who has fought hard to facilitate the return of international cricket to Pakistan. Security concerns have plagued Pakistani cricket since 9/11, coming to a head with the 2009 terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka cricket team. As a consequence, Test cricket was not played in the country between 2009 and 2019 with Pakistan playing their “home” matches in the UAE.
The hope is that cricket fans will follow England to Pakistan and, ideally, stick around to soak in the country’s magnificent scenery. The best views are, of course, to be found in the mountains, which is where I headed before the pandemic hit to join a trekking party to K2.
I won’t lie, life on the trail is challenging. Forget the prayer-flag-adorned teahouses, monasteries and souvenir shops of Nepal, the Karakoram is real wilderness. Anyone who opts for the K2 base camp trek will be camping for several nights on the freezing Baltoro Glacier. Comforts are few and far between and Pakistan’s trekking industry lacks the infrastructure of Nepal.
However, there is so much more to trekking in Pakistan than K2 base camp. With endless soaring summits, panoramic mountain passes and idyllic meadows, Pakistan has tracts of outstanding hiking options to rival its Himalayan neighbors. There are more comfortable hut-to-hut routes available as well as treks with considerably more accommodating campsites than the Baltoro Glacier, as well as myriad day hiking options.
Pakistan may be on the cusp of a tourism boom but the pandemic has arrested Khan's plans. If you’re planning a trekking holiday in 2021, consider forgoing the well-worn paths of the Alps or Annapurna and instead, head for the magnificent Karakoram with its embarrassment of lofty peaks and empty trails. The mountains are calling and Pakistan is finally ready to take its place as one of the world's premier trekking destinations.
Base camp altitude: 5,150m (16,896ft)
Max. trek altitude: 5,560m (18,241ft)
Duration: 14 days
When to go: Mid-June to mid-September
Costs: £2,000–3,000 organized trek to K2 base camp; £500 return flights to Islamabad; £45 single-entry tourist visa.
Entry (non-Covid): Most visitors to Pakistan require a visa; more information is available on Pakistan's visa portal. To trek in Pakistan foreigners must be accompanied by a licensed guide.
Entry (Covid restrictions): Pakistan has extended its ban on UK arrivals, due to the new strain of Covid-19, and under new lockdown rules people in the UK are being advised against all but non-essential travel. The Telegraph
