Baltoro Glacier

Baltoro Glacier
Start: Askole
End: Askole
Distance: 108 miles (174km)
Time: 2-3 weeks
Difficulty: Moderate
Surface: Mountain Path,

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Baltoro Glacier is one of the most fabled spots in mountain lore, referred to by most as “Concordia”-or, to the poetically inclined, ‘the throne room of the mountain gods.’ Concordia is the meeting point of two enormous glaciers in a natural bowl deep in the Karakoram Mountains. It is one of the most mountainous spots on Earth, surrounded by four peaks of more than 26,000 feet (7925 m). It is where the Godwin-Austen Glacier flows down from the world’s second-highest mountain, K2, which is 6 miles (10 km) away, and meets the Baltoro Glacier: one of the world’s biggest glaciers, a 39-mile-long (62 km) river of ice feeding the mighty Indus River.

Getting to Baltoro Glacier is far from easy; you start in a small, remote village of mud huts and enter one of the highest mountain wildernesses on the planet. Initial temperatures can top 86°F (30°C), but fall below freezing later in the trip. You’ll need to be prepared for high altitudes: Concordia stands at i4,750 feet (4,500 m). Nevertheless, a few brave souls are always ready to tackle the route. From the village of Askole, most trekkers join a guided party with porters. Eventually, the route leads onto the Baltoro Glacier itself, its surface so rough that ordinary walking boots are sufficient to grip the ice. it takes about a week to reach Concordia, but some walkers still aren’t satisfied and take an optional expedition to K2 base camp.