kashgar

The North base camp of K2 lies in a remote corner of China's Xingjiang province. Only a handful of people have ever travelled to this isolated mountain wilderness on the north side of the Karakoram Range. Recently opened to foreigners, this is one of the most unspoilt and least visited parts of the entire Himalayas. The mighty Yarkand and Shagskam rivers drain the waters flowing north from the great Karakoram peaks and carve deep channels through the mountainous landscape. The valleys here are at a much lower altitude than those on the Pakistan side of the range, giving a greater vertical height gain to the high summits. Many thousands of trekkers and climbers have seen the majestic Karakoram 8000m peaks from the Pakistan side, but few have ventured on the long trek through China to view K2, Broad Peak and the Gasherbrums from the north. Sir Francis Younghusband became the first western explorer to see the north side of K2 during his epic 1887 journey to cross the Old Muztagh Pass. This trek follows the same route, approaching the mountains along the valleys of the Yarkand and Shagskam rivers. The area was first explored in detail and mapped by members of Eric Shipton's 1937 'Blank on the Map' expedition. Even a hardened traveller like Shipton was overwhelmed by the scenery. He wrote "The cliffs and ridges of K2 rose out of the glacier in one stupendous sweep to the summit of the mountain 12,000 ft above. The sight was beyond my comprehension and I sat gazing at it with a kind of timid fascination..."The highest point reached on the trek to base camp is the 4,870m Aghil Pass. From here, there is a magnificent view of the high peaks of the Karakoram range. The Shagskam River cannot be forded safely in the summer months; therefore travel in this area is restricted to the spring and autumn. This expedition takes place in March/April, May, Late August,september/October before and after the intense heat of the summer and the water levels in the rivers are reduced

Today arrive at the kashgar airport and meeting with tour guide and drive to transfer to the hotel , ,

Today we drive to Karghilik in a four wheel drive taking the Southern Silk Road. This leads us to Karakoram, stopping for lunch in former imperial capital of Yarkand belonging to the Uyghur people few centuries ago. We arrive in Karghilik in the afternoon transfer to our hotel.  

Drive to Yilik which is the last point that we can reach by vehicle and start our trek with camels. To reach Mazzar village we have to drive on the Xinjiang - Tibet highway, then further west through Karakoram to reach Yilik by crossing the Yarkand River and mountain passes. We will spend the night in  Krgyz House in Yilik

Today we load the all camels with our equipment in the morning and start our breathtaking trekking expedition to K2. After 5hrs trekking we will arrive our campsite at the junction of the Surakwat rivers. Today’s trek is smooth - just walking on the stones in the narrow valleys. We will camp overnight.

Today we will trek up to small campsite qokur otak (4300m) at the foot of Aghil Pass (4900m). Today's trek will be preparation for higher altitude and our crossing of Aghil pass next day. We will have an overnight camp at the foot of Aghil pass. 

The trek today is very difficult compared to the other days because we cross 4900m Aghil pass with all of our equipment loaded on the camels. It takes 4 hrs to be at the top of the pass. From the top of the pass we have a great view of the Karakoram Mountain range and we will camp on the other side of the pass at a spot named Kirqin at the elevation of 3900m and it takes another couple of hrs to be in kerchin. 

The trek today is very smooth, slightly downward in altitude following the Shaksgam River downstream and arriving at the overnight campsite in Ottur Jangal(kizil balghun) , but we cross the river quite few times today with camels on the way , so we need to follow the rivers , in the wally, 

After a few hrs  trek today we will have our first view of the giant mountain K2. We arrive in Sughet Jungal by following the Sarpo Lago River. Sughet Jungal (Chinese BC)is one of the greenest parts of Karakoram with grass, trees and bushes on the delta of the K2 Glacier stream. Overnight camping in Sughet Jangal,

Today rest at  Sughet Jangal for preparing to further trek up the Glaciers on next day.   Overnight Camping

After the lunch at Chinese bc , we will trek up to the Pakistan bc for 3 hrs , and enjoy the sunset in the evening  camping overnight there ,

After the breakfast in the morning, start trekking upward to the higher altitude towards  Italian bc and Korean bc  to see the whole view of k2 , trek back to Pakistan bc for overnight , camping overnight ,

After breakfast, enjoy the sunrise at k2 peak, and trek back to Chinese bc  with all the equipments with us , camping overnight at Chinese bc

Take a day rest at Chinese bc or the explore the surrounding area,

After breakfast, we need to pack up everything load up to the camels, and trek back towards YIlik after our breathtaking adventurous expedition to k2,

Ater the beautiful walk in the shaksgam river valley, we arrive the foot of the aghel pass, camping overnight in toshkan bulak where there is spring,

 Return / cross the agel pass 4900m back to our camp site chokur otak

Walk 6 hrs back to our camp site su koshulush,

As soon as we arrive Yilik after 2 hrs trekking , we unload the camels and say good bye to the beautiful scenery of the karakoram and pack up to our 4 WD back to karghilik

Drive 3 hrs back to kashgar , have lunch in the one of the typical Uyghur restaurant in kashgar , you will have free of time to relax in the afternoon                                         

Kashgar is fabled as "the best-preserved example of a traditional Islamic city to be found anywhere in Central Asia", although the city is becoming more developed.

Kashgar was a very important hub on central Asia's Silk Road and one of the earliest Islamic cultural centers. Today it is still the Islamic cultural center of China and also very important as the western most special economic zone in China.

We will do full day excursion in this city, and visit the Kashgar Sunday livestock Market, south and central Asia Market, Apak Hoja tomb, Idkah Mosque and the Kashgar old town. We will enjoy Uyghur local cuisines like kebab, hand pulled noodle in the best Uyghur food restaurant in Kashgar.

Kashgar Live stock Market:  Open field agricultural animal market only held every Sunday for Uyghur farmers. A very local atmosphere and business is all about the animals like sheep, yaks, goats, donkey, cows, camels and horses,

South and Central Asia Market: A regular commodity market that has all sort of goods. The market attracts more than a hundred thousand people every Sunday from nearby towns around Kashgar and from central Asian countries as well.

Apak Hoja tomb: The mausoleum is one of the finest examples of Uyghur Islamic architecture in China. Its large dome of 17m in the center is surrounded by four corner minarets with strips and arabesque floral patterns. It was initially built in 1640 for the powerful religious and political leader Apak Hoja and five generations of his relatives buried inside the tomb.

Idkah Mosque:  The largest mosque in China and 12th largest in the world, Idkah Mosque is unique as one of the best preserved examples Uyghur architecture and can hold more than 20 thousand worshipers on Friday prayer. The mosque was built in 1442.

Kashgar old town: Well preserved, this Uyghur residential area was first settled 1100 years ago after the Uyghur people converted to Islam during the period of Great Karakhanid Dynasty. This dynasty dominated the whole of central Asia from the 9th century to the 13th century. Kashgar was a capital of the Karakhanid Dynasty and an important cultural, political and transportation hub in Central Asia’s Silk Road. The Karakhanid Dynasty imperial palace was also located in this old town and some parts of palace wall are still visible.

Because of it’s unique, old fashion medieval style, the old town attracted the attention of Hollywood and was used to shoot a lot of scenes for the film “The Kite Runner”.

More than 40 thousands of Uyghur families still live here behind hand-carved poplar doors, many in tumbledown rentals, others in two-story homes that vault over the alleys and open on courtyards filled with roses and cloth banners. We can still see architecture and the lifestyle of people directly derived from medieval Karakhanid Uyghur culture. We may have a chance to visit one of the families living here.                                              

The North base camp of K2 lies in a remote corner of China's Xingjiang province. Only a handful of people have ever travelled to this isolated mountain wilderness on the north side of the Karakoram Range. Recently opened to foreigners, this is one of the most unspoilt and least visited parts of the entire Himalayas. The mighty Yarkand and Shagskam rivers drain the waters flowing north from the great Karakoram peaks and carve deep channels through the mountainous landscape. The valleys here are at a much lower altitude than those on the Pakistan side of the range, giving a greater vertical height gain to the high summits. Many thousands of trekkers and climbers have seen the majestic Karakoram 8000m peaks from the Pakistan side, but few have ventured on the long trek through China to view K2, Broad Peak and the Gasherbrums from the north. Sir Francis Younghusband became the first western explorer to see the north side of K2 during his epic 1887 journey to cross the Old Muztagh Pass. This trek follows the same route, approaching the mountains along the valleys of the Yarkand and Shagskam rivers. The area was first explored in detail and mapped by members of Eric Shipton's 1937 'Blank on the Map' expedition. Even a hardened traveller like Shipton was overwhelmed by the scenery. He wrote "The cliffs and ridges of K2 rose out of the glacier in one stupendous sweep to the summit of the mountain 12,000 ft above. The sight was beyond my comprehension and I sat gazing at it with a kind of timid fascination..."The highest point reached on the trek to base camp is the 4,870m Aghil Pass. From here, there is a magnificent view of the high peaks of the Karakoram range. The Shagskam River cannot be forded safely in the summer months; therefore travel in this area is restricted to the spring and autumn. This expedition takes place in March/April, May, Late August,september/October before and after the intense heat of the summer and the water levels in the rivers are reduced

Today arrive at the kashgar airport and meeting with tour guide and drive to transfer to the hotel , ,

Today we drive to Karghilik in a four wheel drive taking the Southern Silk Road. This leads us to Karakoram, stopping for lunch in former imperial capital of Yarkand belonging to the Uyghur people few centuries ago. We arrive in Karghilik in the afternoon transfer to our hotel.  

Drive to Yilik which is the last point that we can reach by vehicle and start our trek with camels. To reach Mazzar village we have to drive on the Xinjiang - Tibet highway, then further west through Karakoram to reach Yilik by crossing the Yarkand River and mountain passes. We will spend the night in  Krgyz House in Yilik

Today we load the all camels with our equipment in the morning and start our breathtaking trekking expedition to K2. After 5hrs trekking we will arrive our campsite at the junction of the Surakwat rivers. Today’s trek is smooth - just walking on the stones in the narrow valleys. We will camp overnight.

Today we will trek up to small campsite qokur otak (4300m) at the foot of Aghil Pass (4900m). Today's trek will be preparation for higher altitude and our crossing of Aghil pass next day. We will have an overnight camp at the foot of Aghil pass. 

The trek today is very difficult compared to the other days because we cross 4900m Aghil pass with all of our equipment loaded on the camels. It takes 4 hrs to be at the top of the pass. From the top of the pass we have a great view of the Karakoram Mountain range and we will camp on the other side of the pass at a spot named Kirqin at the elevation of 3900m and it takes another couple of hrs to be in kerchin. 

The trek today is very smooth, slightly downward in altitude following the Shaksgam River downstream and arriving at the overnight campsite in Ottur Jangal(kizil balghun) , but we cross the river quite few times today with camels on the way , so we need to follow the rivers , in the wally, 

After a few hrs  trek today we will have our first view of the giant mountain K2. We arrive in Sughet Jungal by following the Sarpo Lago River. Sughet Jungal (Chinese BC)is one of the greenest parts of Karakoram with grass, trees and bushes on the delta of the K2 Glacier stream. Overnight camping in Sughet Jangal,

Today rest at  Sughet Jangal for preparing to further trek up the Glaciers on next day.   Overnight Camping

After the lunch at Chinese bc , we will trek up to the Pakistan bc for 3 hrs , and enjoy the sunset in the evening  camping overnight there ,

After the breakfast in the morning, start trekking upward to the higher altitude towards  Italian bc and Korean bc  to see the whole view of k2 , trek back to Pakistan bc for overnight , camping overnight ,

After breakfast, enjoy the sunrise at k2 peak, and trek back to Chinese bc  with all the equipments with us , camping overnight at Chinese bc

Take a day rest at Chinese bc or the explore the surrounding area,

After breakfast, we need to pack up everything load up to the camels, and trek back towards YIlik after our breathtaking adventurous expedition to k2,

Ater the beautiful walk in the shaksgam river valley, we arrive the foot of the aghel pass, camping overnight in toshkan bulak where there is spring,

 Return / cross the agel pass 4900m back to our camp site chokur otak

Walk 6 hrs back to our camp site su koshulush,

As soon as we arrive Yilik after 2 hrs trekking , we unload the camels and say good bye to the beautiful scenery of the karakoram and pack up to our 4 WD back to karghilik

Drive 3 hrs back to kashgar , have lunch in the one of the typical Uyghur restaurant in kashgar , you will have free of time to relax in the afternoon                                         

Kashgar is fabled as "the best-preserved example of a traditional Islamic city to be found anywhere in Central Asia", although the city is becoming more developed.

Kashgar was a very important hub on central Asia's Silk Road and one of the earliest Islamic cultural centers. Today it is still the Islamic cultural center of China and also very important as the western most special economic zone in China.

We will do full day excursion in this city, and visit the Kashgar Sunday livestock Market, south and central Asia Market, Apak Hoja tomb, Idkah Mosque and the Kashgar old town. We will enjoy Uyghur local cuisines like kebab, hand pulled noodle in the best Uyghur food restaurant in Kashgar.

Kashgar Live stock Market:  Open field agricultural animal market only held every Sunday for Uyghur farmers. A very local atmosphere and business is all about the animals like sheep, yaks, goats, donkey, cows, camels and horses,

South and Central Asia Market: A regular commodity market that has all sort of goods. The market attracts more than a hundred thousand people every Sunday from nearby towns around Kashgar and from central Asian countries as well.

Apak Hoja tomb: The mausoleum is one of the finest examples of Uyghur Islamic architecture in China. Its large dome of 17m in the center is surrounded by four corner minarets with strips and arabesque floral patterns. It was initially built in 1640 for the powerful religious and political leader Apak Hoja and five generations of his relatives buried inside the tomb.

Idkah Mosque:  The largest mosque in China and 12th largest in the world, Idkah Mosque is unique as one of the best preserved examples Uyghur architecture and can hold more than 20 thousand worshipers on Friday prayer. The mosque was built in 1442.

Kashgar old town: Well preserved, this Uyghur residential area was first settled 1100 years ago after the Uyghur people converted to Islam during the period of Great Karakhanid Dynasty. This dynasty dominated the whole of central Asia from the 9th century to the 13th century. Kashgar was a capital of the Karakhanid Dynasty and an important cultural, political and transportation hub in Central Asia’s Silk Road. The Karakhanid Dynasty imperial palace was also located in this old town and some parts of palace wall are still visible.

Because of it’s unique, old fashion medieval style, the old town attracted the attention of Hollywood and was used to shoot a lot of scenes for the film “The Kite Runner”.

More than 40 thousands of Uyghur families still live here behind hand-carved poplar doors, many in tumbledown rentals, others in two-story homes that vault over the alleys and open on courtyards filled with roses and cloth banners. We can still see architecture and the lifestyle of people directly derived from medieval Karakhanid Uyghur culture. We may have a chance to visit one of the families living here.