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K2 Photo Gallery - Trek From Thongol / Askole To Paiju

Trek from Thongol past the snout of the Biafo Glacier to Korophon for lunch, and then over the Dumordu River to our first campsite at Jhola. The next day we climbed high above the Braldu River on a trail carved out of the rock face, over a swollen river, and into Paiju campsite.

01 Askole Fields Glisten In Early Morning Sun On June 14 at 07:15, the 135km trek to K2 Base Camp begins -- a long caravan of Balti porters from many trekking groups and mountaineering expeditions, my cook Ali, and I wind our way out of Thongol and up the Braldu River Valley. The Braldu drains the world's longest non-polar glacier, the Baltoro, a 62-kilometer river of ice reaching into the heart of the Karakoram. After an hour walk we pass thru the last village, Askole (3000m) with beautiful fields shining in the morning sun.

01 Askole Fields Glisten In Early Morning Sun

02 Jerome Ryan And Ali Trekking In Early Morning Heat Just After Askole Jerome Ryan and Ali pose just after Askole. The temperature quickly increased to 30C as we trekked from Askole above the Braldu River, and we took a rest, including sirdar Naqi.

02 Jerome Ryan And Ali Trekking In Early Morning Heat Just After Askole

03 Climbing Zig Zag Steps Cut Out Of A Rock Blocking The Trail From Askole To Korophon With Choricho The easy trail ran out and we had to climb steep steps cut into a rock to continue the trek from Askole towards Korophon, with views ahead to the glacier below Choricho (6756m).

03 Climbing Zig Zag Steps Cut Out Of A Rock Blocking The Trail From Askole To Korophon With Choricho

04 Coming Down The Other Side Of A Rock Blocking The Trail High Above Braldu River From Askole To Korophon When I got to the other side, I looked back at the zig zag steps cut into the side of the rock high above the Braldu River on the trail from Askole towards Korophon.

04 Coming Down The Other Side Of A Rock Blocking The Trail High Above Braldu River From Askole To Korophon

05 Jerome Ryan Crosses Bridge Over River From Biafo Glacier Before Korophon Just after the stone steps, Jerome Ryan crossed a small bridge over river emerging from the Biafo Galcier

05 Jerome Ryan Crosses Bridge Over River From Biafo Glacier Before Korophon

06 Trail Along Snout Of Biafo Glacier Towards Korophon I wasn't prepared for the 30C+ weather and drank my last water just after crossing the bridge over the river coming from the Biafo Glacier. I could see the long trail ahead crossing the end of the Biafo Glacier. I struggle on in the heat getting slower and slower. I'm getting severely dehydrated and am overheating. I sense we're getting close to Korophon, but I have to rest. But it's too hot to sit for very long. So I scramble to my feet and continue even slower. I'm starting to shuffle my feet. We finally come to a small stream coming from the Biafo Glacier. The other porters are drinking the water, and motion me to follow suit. I drink a litre of the cold refreshing water. I guess it is safe because nobody lives up the glacier.

06 Trail Along Snout Of Biafo Glacier Towards Korophon

07 Korophon Is An Oasis At The Snout Of The Biafo Glacier, With View Up To The Baintha Brakk Massif I happily continue for five minutes to Korophon (3000m) where we stop for lunch, but many people camp. Korophon (3000m) is a small tree-filled oasis at the snout of the Biafo Glacier. The view up the glacier is part of the Baintha Brakk massif.

07 Korophon Is An Oasis At The Snout Of The Biafo Glacier, With View Up To The Baintha Brakk Massif

08 Jerome Ryan Enjoys A Refreshing Mango At Korophon ‘Do you like fresh mango juice for lunch?’ my cook Ali asked with a sly smile at our lunch stop at Korophon. ‘I think so,’ I responded hesitantly. ‘You don't need a bottle, can or glass, no machine or electricity. You can make absolutely pure fresh mango juice anywhere, even the desert, the jungle or on the top of K2. It only takes a minute,’ Ali boasted. ‘Impossible. Show me,’ I challenged him. So Ali gets a mango and starts squeezing it. After a few minutes he bites off the top and gives it to me. ‘Just squeeze and suck in,’ he tells me. It's excellent. I squeeze all the juice out. Ali then shows me to make a slightly larger hole at the end and take out the pit and suck it like an ice cream cone. Fantastic.

08 Jerome Ryan Enjoys A Refreshing Mango At Korophon

09 Guide Iqbal And Porter Hayder Khan Rest In a Cave Between Korophon And Jhola The trail from, Korophon goes along the river and then climbs high above the river. We stopped briefly to rest in a cave. Here is guide Iqbal and 30-year-old porter Hayder Khan who is from near Shigar and has three children. He is very quiet and shy. However, when egged on by Ali, he sung a Balti song with great enthusiasm and skill.

09 Guide Iqbal And Porter Hayder Khan Rest In a Cave Between Korophon And Jhola

10 View From Trail After Korophon To Braldu River And Trail From Jhola To Paiju The trail followed the course of the Braldu River with a view ahead to the trail from Jhola to Paiju contouring around the hill an then turning to the left.

10 View From Trail After Korophon To Braldu River And Trail From Jhola To Paiju

11 Blasting A New Path Through The Rock On The Trail From Korophon To Jhola The trail from Korophon to Jhola was being improved by blasting through the cliff face. Previously people had to rope up and cross on a dangerous high path. And the work still continues.

11 Blasting A New Path Through The Rock On The Trail From Korophon To Jhola

12 Jerome Ryan Crossing Primitive Bridge Over Dumordu River To Jhola Campsite After reaching the junction with the Dumordu River coming from the Panmah Glacier, Jerome Ryan walked up alongside the river and crossed the river on a new footbridge. It was rather crude with bits of trees nailed across with many holes.

12 Jerome Ryan Crossing Primitive Bridge Over Dumordu River To Jhola Campsite

13 Bridge Over Dumordu River to Jhola Campsite Replaced Wooden Box And Steel Cable The bridge over the Dumordu River to Jhola campsite is not as exciting as the famous wire pulley system that used to be in place – a small wooden box used to hang from a steel cable. One by one, porters, gear, trekkers, and goats got in and were pulled across the river.

13 Bridge Over Dumordu River to Jhola Campsite Replaced Wooden Box And Steel Cable

14 Jhola Campsite After crossing the bridge over the Dumordu River, it was a short walk to Jhola campsite. Ali and I sat down, relaxed, and waited for the rest of our crew.

14 Jhola Campsite

15 Ali Waiting For Rest Of Crew At Jhola Campsite Ali Naqi and two of our porters arrived at Jhola campsite an hour later. Our third porter, Muhammad Khan, arrived in a little over an hour. He waited at Thongol for Iqbal to hire the additional five porters. But at 11:00 he figured we'd at least need the tents so he left. They quickly set up my tent and I crawled in and rested and read. I left at 20:00 to go to the mess tent for dinner. It was lightly raining. I couldn't find it. I found Ali and the four porters huddled around a bush fire cooking my dinner. Not only did Iqbal not show up, but we didn't have the mess tent either. I went out an hour later and found where they were - all five were sleeping in a 2-person tent! Ali explained that a friend had an extra tent.

15 Ali Waiting For Rest Of Crew At Jhola Campsite

16 Guide Iqbal Arrived At Jhola Campsite The Next Morning And We Packed Up To Leave The next morning Iqbal and five porters arrived at 6:00. Iqbal told me his story. Iqbal gave up at 12:00 trying to find porters in Thongol. They all want to wait for two large expeditions, which will arrive later in the afternoon. He grabbed a jeep back to Apo Ali Ghon, a village about two hours up the road from Thongol, arriving there at 15:00. He walked into a house where a woman was crushing wheat. She asked ‘Why are you here and where are you from?’ Iqbal told her he is a Balti from Skardu. Then she softened up and made him some chapattis and tea. He told her he needed porters for trekking. Her husband came home and he helped Iqbal find the other porters, and he came along too. They left at 17:15 and reached Thongol at 19:00. They left Thongol at 19:15 and walked in the dark to Korophon. An army soldier talked to Iqbal and loaned him a flashlight. When they reached the really steep section, they huddled in a cave until the moon came out at 3:45. They then continued the rest of the way to Jhola.

16 Guide Iqbal Arrived At Jhola Campsite The Next Morning And We Packed Up To Leave

17 Dangerous Trail Cut Into Steep Rock Face After Jhola After leaving Jhola campsite, the trail once again climbs above the river on a dizzying trail carved out of the rock face.

17 Dangerous Trail Cut Into Steep Rock Face After Jhola

18 Blasting A New Safer Trail Cut Into Steep Rock Face After Jhola Once again, I could see the army blasting the rock face to improve the trail just after Jhola campsite.

18 Blasting A New Safer Trail Cut Into Steep Rock Face After Jhola

19 Sirdar Ali Naqi On Trail From Jhola To Paiju Ali Naqi (just call me Naqi) is the sirdar, leader of the porters. He is 47 from Khaplu and has eight children. He has worked for 17 straight years with a famous Japanese photographer, Fujita, and will again this year. The photographer tipped him for the first time last year after 16 years with no tips (Ali explained that tipping is unheard of in Japan). After dinner for three nights on the K2 trek, Naqi regaled us with a local story. It concerned the birth of a baby boy, Gulbaharem, and his search for a wife, Gulbaree, when he grew up.

19 Sirdar Ali Naqi On Trail From Jhola To Paiju

20 Looking Back Towards Jhola From Trail Next To Braldu River The trail after leaving Jhola descends from the rock face and goes along the Braldu River for a while.

20 Looking Back Towards Jhola From Trail Next To Braldu River

21 Trail From Jhola To Paiju Alternates Between Easy To Dangerously Close To The Braldu River The trail then alternates from a nice easy trail, with Jerome Ryan and Muhammad Khan posing, to having to be very careful as the trail slopes inches down to the Braldu River.

21 Trail From Jhola To Paiju Alternates Between Easy To Dangerously Close To The Braldu River

22 Looking Back Towards Jhola From Trail To Paiju I looked back at the way we had come from Jhola on the trail to Paiju.

22 Looking Back Towards Jhola From Trail To Paiju

23 Ali And Naqi Help Porters Cross The Swollen River Descending From Paiju Glacier The swollen river flowing down from the Paiju Glacier blocked our way as we neared Paiju. I slowly stepped into the fast flowing river with Naqi holding me all the way. I was relieved to reach the other side of the river. I then watched as Ali and Naqi helped the porters and Iqbal cross the river.

23 Ali And Naqi Help Porters Cross The Swollen River Descending From Paiju Glacier

24 Porters Cross The Swollen River Descending From Paiju Glacier The porters cross the swollen river flowing down from the Paiju Glacier.

24 Porters Cross The Swollen River Descending From Paiju Glacier

25 Wire Pulley System And Small Wooden Box Hanging From A Steel Cable Can Be Used To Cross Raging Braldu River Near Paiju Did you say you wanted to cross to the other side of the raging Braldu River? Well, how convenient – here is a wire pulley system with a small wooden box hang from a steel cable.

25 Wire Pulley System And Small Wooden Box Hanging From A Steel Cable Can Be Used To Cross Raging Braldu River Near Paiju

26 Sunrise Over The Baltoro Glacier And Braldu River From Just Before Paiju The trail then turned and, walking next to the Braldu River, I could see Paiju (3450m) ahead and the spires above the Baltoro Glacier.

26 Sunrise Over The Baltoro Glacier And Braldu River From Just Before Paiju


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