Karakoram is in one of the world’s most geologically active areas, at the plate boundary between the Indo-Australian plate and the Eurasian plate. A significant part, 28-50% of the Karakoram Range is glaciated, compared to the Himalaya (8-12%) and Alps (2.2%). Mountain glaciers may serve as an indicator of climate change, advancing and receding with long-term changes in temperature and precipitation. The Karakoram glaciers are slightly retreating, unlike the Himalayas where glaciers are losing mass at significantly higher rate, many Karakoram glaciers are covered in a layer of rubble which insulates the ice from the warmth of the sun. Where there is no such insulation, the rate of retreat is high.
In the last ice age, a connected series of glaciers stretched from western Tibet to Nanga Parbat, and from the Trim basin to the Gilgit District. To the south, the Indus glacier was the main valley glacier, which flowed 120 kilometers (75 mi) down from Nanga Parbat massif to 870 meters (2,850 ft.) elevation. In the north, the Karakoram glaciers joined those from the Kunlun Mountains and flowed down to 2,000 meters (6,600 ft) in the Trim basin.
While the current valley glaciers in the Karakoram reach a maximum length of 76 kilometers (47 mi), several of the ice-age valley glacier branches and main valley glaciers, had lengths up to 700 kilometers (430 mi). During the Ice Age, the glacier snowline was about 1,300 meters (4,300 ft.) lower than today.
K2 Base Camp & Concordia is considered to be one of the world’s great treks with breathtaking scenery unsurpassed anywhere else in the high mountains.
The journey starts with a flight to Skardu with spectacular views of the Karakoram Range including Nanga Parbat, after several nights in Skardu, we take a jeep transport to the road head at Askole.
K2 Base Camp and Concordia follows a trekking route lined with rugged mountains all the way from Askole, the last village in the Braldu gorge, to Concordia. On our walk up the Baltoro glacier we will see the Trango Towers, Masherbrum, K2 and Broad Peak among many others. Concordia has been described as the “Throne Room of the Mountain Gods” for its unique 360° panorama of 7,000m mountains and impressive views of K2.
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