Hi everyone,
Me and my travel partner did a two week trekking tour through the wonderful mountains of Baltistan. We started on 20th of July and left Pakistan the 10th of August. In this post I hope to give travelers some helpful advice if they are thinking about doing a similar journey in Pakistan, Baltistan.
We did a lot of planning before coming to Pakistan. We searched the Web and Forums about reliable tour companies and we decided which places we wanted to visit, what equipment to buy and how long we wanted to stay. As you will find out when you start your research, there is the large difference in prices between tour companies. Of course, western-based tour companies are generally much more expensive than Pakistan-based tour companies. However, also Pakistan-based tour companies differ in price. Make sure you ask plenty of tour companies for a detailed itinerary and total price per person.
After extensive research, we decided to go with the tour company Vertical Explorers Expeditions & Tours which is a Pakistan-based tour company and has its office in Skardu. Their price was considerably lower than the other tour companies we contacted, and they all seemed reliable and had good customer reviews. Beforehand, the communication was good. They were able to provide us with helpful information about equipment, clothing, and were able to change the start day of the itinerary.
We were supposed to go with a group of 6 tourists. However, when we arrived in Islamabad and were picked up by one of the staff members, we heard that the other tourists had cancelled and it was just the two of us. We were assured by email that the trip will run. Make sure you do this, because most tour companies ask different prices and if there are less trekkers, it may not run.
After arriving in Islamabad we found out that the flight from Islamabad to Skardu was cancelled (which happens frequently because the planes don't have radio equipment and need clear sight in order to take off and land). We then went with a jeep to Skardu which was a long 2-day drive( with an overnight stop in Chilas), but through the scenic beauties.
We got picked up by our guide in the hotel. The guide (Mohammad)is a very nice guy and his English is excellent. We arranged the last equipment, a briefing with the Ministry and the staff and were ready to start the trip the next day. We drove with a jeep to the first camp and we started walking from there.
Overall. we had a really good time in the mountains. The guide and the team were really helpful, they supported us whenever we needed extra time. They also offered to carry our daypacks. Without the very helpful guide and the rest of the staff we wouldn't have made it up the Gondogoro La in the end.
The guide (Mohammed) is very experienced and is also a rescuer. We felt very safe with him on all the slippery and icy glaciers, rocks and slopes. He also knew a lot about the country and the mountains. The most positive memories we have are about the talks we had during dinners about the Islamic Culture in Baltistan and the way the people live. We were both very open towards each other's cultures and habits and we were able to joke about it as well. We even danced with the staff and listened to music together. Too bad the rest of the staff hardly speaks any English. It's hard to communicate about even the most simple things and it's hard to create a 'bond' during those two weeks with the rest of the staff.
We finished the trip in about 12 days, with one rest day. We were able to make some adaptations to the itinerary according to our wishes. That's the advantage of going on a trip alone, you can decide when you wanna take a rest day or if you wanna skip a day for example. Anyway, know that the crew is very open to make adaptations and they are there to help you whenever they can.
When we came back in Skardu, we tipped the staff very well. We were very happy with all the work they did. You really respect the work they do, knowing they do the same trek as you, but with 25 kilos on their backs. It's hard to get money in Skardu though, so make sure you have enough cash with you starting in Islamabad. We tipped around 400 EUR together and gave each person a tip individually, depending on how happy we were with the service. It's ok to give some staff members a little bit more than others, if you think they were extra helpful. All staff members really appreciated the tips and we even heard back in Islamabad from another Vertical Explorer staff member that our tips were appreciated a lot.
We would like to thank the staff of Vertical Explorers and our guide Mohammed again for the wonderful experience we had. I do recommend both the tour company and the guide to any traveller that will visit Baltistan. They put your needs and wishes first and are always there to help you.
All in all it was a truly amazing trip and the nature.... so beautiful. I can recommend everyone to go there!!
Me and my travel partner did a two week trekking tour through the wonderful mountains of Baltistan. We started on 20th of July and left Pakistan the 10th of August. In this post I hope to give travelers some helpful advice if they are thinking about doing a similar journey in Pakistan, Baltistan.
We did a lot of planning before coming to Pakistan. We searched the Web and Forums about reliable tour companies and we decided which places we wanted to visit, what equipment to buy and how long we wanted to stay. As you will find out when you start your research, there is the large difference in prices between tour companies. Of course, western-based tour companies are generally much more expensive than Pakistan-based tour companies. However, also Pakistan-based tour companies differ in price. Make sure you ask plenty of tour companies for a detailed itinerary and total price per person.
After extensive research, we decided to go with the tour company Vertical Explorers Expeditions & Tours which is a Pakistan-based tour company and has its office in Skardu. Their price was considerably lower than the other tour companies we contacted, and they all seemed reliable and had good customer reviews. Beforehand, the communication was good. They were able to provide us with helpful information about equipment, clothing, and were able to change the start day of the itinerary.
We were supposed to go with a group of 6 tourists. However, when we arrived in Islamabad and were picked up by one of the staff members, we heard that the other tourists had cancelled and it was just the two of us. We were assured by email that the trip will run. Make sure you do this, because most tour companies ask different prices and if there are less trekkers, it may not run.
After arriving in Islamabad we found out that the flight from Islamabad to Skardu was cancelled (which happens frequently because the planes don't have radio equipment and need clear sight in order to take off and land). We then went with a jeep to Skardu which was a long 2-day drive( with an overnight stop in Chilas), but through the scenic beauties.
We got picked up by our guide in the hotel. The guide (Mohammad)is a very nice guy and his English is excellent. We arranged the last equipment, a briefing with the Ministry and the staff and were ready to start the trip the next day. We drove with a jeep to the first camp and we started walking from there.
Overall. we had a really good time in the mountains. The guide and the team were really helpful, they supported us whenever we needed extra time. They also offered to carry our daypacks. Without the very helpful guide and the rest of the staff we wouldn't have made it up the Gondogoro La in the end.
The guide (Mohammed) is very experienced and is also a rescuer. We felt very safe with him on all the slippery and icy glaciers, rocks and slopes. He also knew a lot about the country and the mountains. The most positive memories we have are about the talks we had during dinners about the Islamic Culture in Baltistan and the way the people live. We were both very open towards each other's cultures and habits and we were able to joke about it as well. We even danced with the staff and listened to music together. Too bad the rest of the staff hardly speaks any English. It's hard to communicate about even the most simple things and it's hard to create a 'bond' during those two weeks with the rest of the staff.
We finished the trip in about 12 days, with one rest day. We were able to make some adaptations to the itinerary according to our wishes. That's the advantage of going on a trip alone, you can decide when you wanna take a rest day or if you wanna skip a day for example. Anyway, know that the crew is very open to make adaptations and they are there to help you whenever they can.
When we came back in Skardu, we tipped the staff very well. We were very happy with all the work they did. You really respect the work they do, knowing they do the same trek as you, but with 25 kilos on their backs. It's hard to get money in Skardu though, so make sure you have enough cash with you starting in Islamabad. We tipped around 400 EUR together and gave each person a tip individually, depending on how happy we were with the service. It's ok to give some staff members a little bit more than others, if you think they were extra helpful. All staff members really appreciated the tips and we even heard back in Islamabad from another Vertical Explorer staff member that our tips were appreciated a lot.
We would like to thank the staff of Vertical Explorers and our guide Mohammed again for the wonderful experience we had. I do recommend both the tour company and the guide to any traveller that will visit Baltistan. They put your needs and wishes first and are always there to help you.
All in all it was a truly amazing trip and the nature.... so beautiful. I can recommend everyone to go there!!
