Spantik (7027m) Expedition with Andrew Lock

On arrival transfer to the centrally located group hotel in Islamabad (the airport is situated mid-way between Islamabad and Rawalpindi). You will meet your group leader in the afternoon at the hotel for an initial trip briefing and gear check - a more in depth briefing on the trip will occur in Skardu. Overnight hotel.

Meals:  Nil

a) Weather permitting, we take a spectacular flight to the high mountain region of Baltistan in the north east. On a clear day we should be able to see Nanga Parbat (8124m) and K2 (8611m) towering above all other mountains. (It is quite possible adverse weather in Islamabad or Skardu may affect our flight plans and make it necessary to drive by the Karakoram Highway to Skardu, a journey of approx two days). b) In case of cancellation of flight drive 10-12hrs by air conditioned coach to Chilas (480km) on the Karakoram highway. Overnight Basic Hotel/guesthouse.

Meals:  B,L,D

a)We will undertake preparations for our expedition and depending on our time of arrival into Skardu, there may be time to visit the town and possibly an excursion to Kachura Lake situated at the edge of the valley. Skardu is the provincial capital of Baltistan, lying at the edge of a broad floodplain that is the confluence of the Shyok, Indus and Basha Rivers. b)If we are driving the road journey today will be 7-8 hrs to Skardu (275km). On route are spectacular views of Nanga Parbat (8125m). If time allows after our gear check, we will set out for walk to the Skardu fort. Built in the 8th century, the fort's design bears a resemblance to that of the Potala Palace in Tibet and Leh Palace in Ladakh. The view from it is breathtaking, with Skardu and the Indus River framed by the formidable Karakoram Range. Overnight Basic Hotel/guesthouse.

Meals:  B,L,D

Today our briefing with the tourism department will be held, a formality which is required for expeditions to this area. We'll then drive around 1.5 hours to Deosai Plains where we may be lucky enough to spot some Himalayan brown bears, who live in the sanctuary here. A picnic lunch at around 3850m is followed by a walk to our high point of around 4000m. From here on a clear day we will be rewarded with views of Nanga Parbat. We're likely to feel the altitude today, however the ascent will stand us in good stead for our ongoing acclimatisation and we will sleep at 2200m in Skardu. Overnight Basic Hotel/guesthouse.

Meals:  B,L,D

Transferring our gear to jeeps, we head up the Shigar valley and cross over the Braldu River near the confluence of the Basha River and continue on to the village of Arandu. There can often be delays in the latter part of the journey due to road deterioration from landslip, and so a whole day is allowed for the journey. Overnight in our fully serviced wilderness campsite.

Meals:  B,L,D

We approach the mountain by the normal route to its southeast flank, via the Chogo Lungma glacier; a straightforward journey of 3 days. At the road head we sort all our gear and supplies into loads for local porters who will trek with us into base. Initially we follow the green Ablation Valley through willows and wild rose, to a river camp beside the glacier, with our first views of Spantik. Expect approx 5hrs/6hrs of trekking today. Overnight in our fully serviced wilderness campsite.

Meals:  B,L,D

Walking along the northern side of the glacier we continue on to lateral moraine with alluvial streams and views up to Spantik, Malubiting (7460m) and the Polan La which adjoins the two. The route takes us in and out of glacial moraine for a trekking day of approx 8/9hrs. Walking conditions are hot and dry and care must be taken to prevent sunburn, especially when some members will have come from a southern winter. Overnight in our fully serviced wilderness campsite.

Meals:  B,L,D

We weave across the glacial moraine of the Chogolungma Glacier, the gradient is gentle and we slowly gain height over 5/6 hours as we approach base camp at the foot of Spantik's South East Ridge. Here we set up a comfortable camp which will be our base for the two and a half weeks we will be here. Overnight in our fully serviced wilderness campsite.

Meals:  B,L,D

A day has been set aside here to sort through gear, rest and settle into expedition life. Overnight in our fully serviced wilderness campsite.

Meals:  B,L,D

Ample days have been allowed for our program on the mountain. Typically quite a few of these nights will be spent at base. We follow the principle of 'climb high and sleep low' which allows for good safe acclimatisation, as well as gaining strength and plenty of rest. Notwithstanding, it is the only practical way to get your climb gear up the mountain; by multiple trips with moderate loads. A typical schedule would see several nights spent at camp 1 on several occasions, and at least a night spent at camp 2, before returning to base to rest and prepare for a summit bid over 4/5 days. Travelling with a minimum of gear now, we move up over the 3 successive camps in as many days before making a summit bid. Whilst the climb could possibly be achieved in less time, there is quite likely to be delays for weather – persisting snowfalls or wind, or both and also the rate of establishing fitness and preparedness for the climb will vary among members. A critical component of expedition planning is preparing a conservative itinerary to allow for setbacks. In this way, we can greatly optimise our chances for a successful outcome for all our efforts. Initially gear needs to be moved up the mountain to form our camps as well as the route opened. A steady shuttle approach works the most effectively, with everyone contributing to achieve these two goals. Pakistani HAPs (high altitude porters) will carry group climbing gear and some tents and members are expected to carry their personal gear and a share of food. Typical loads for climbing at altitude should be between 12 and up to 20kgs, however this varies according to people's build, age and gender, and of course their condition at the time. The aim of the program is to allow for flexibility so all can steadily progress up the mountain. The route to the first camp travels over grass slopes, followed by steep scree and rock slopes that require some scrambling, bringing us to the edge of the snowline at approx 5350m. From camp 1, the route follows up the very long ridge, gaining approx 400 metres. The ridge is exposed in places and brings us in to a camp at 5650m on a level less exposed area on the ridge. The climb to our third and last camp at 6250m is more steep and sustained, where the ridge becomes more defined and exposed. The first section (approx 400m) at approx a 35 degrees slope is usually set with fixed rope by staff and the last stage into the camp (approx 150m) is hard work, being a little steeper and will generally be fixed also. Camp 3 is set on a flat area again with views of our route to the summit. Snow (too much of it) can hinder our progress necessitating re-establishing our path, so exact scheduling cannot be fore-planned. Early starts are a great advantage with snow deteriorating in condition once the sun hits. Our HAPs are intended to greatly aid our progress with the route, although trail breaking should effectively be a collective effort, especially in continued snowfall - as with any expedition. Summit Bid A typical schedule would be an early am start; around 2am, and an estimated 6 hours to the summit in good conditions. The route follows the southeast ridge on moderate slopes (approx 30 degrees), which then merges with the southwest ridge, leading on in similar form to the summit. Exposure requires care in our approach and of course at almost 7000 metres, climbing is never easy. Furthermore, distances deceive, camps or summits always look closer than they actually are, and respect must be paid for the long distances to climb in attempting the summit of a 7000 metre peak. The summit itself is more rounded and a superb position to enjoy views of the Karakoram in clear weather. Mountains surrounding are; the Haramosh group to the south, Malubiting and peaks lining the Biafo and Hispar Glaciers to the north such as Kunyang Chhish (7850m). Summit day times can vary considerably in duration, descent usually takes approx half of the ascent time (approx 3hrs), with the intent to move lower down the mountain for the night. The next day, camps would be cleared by staff and members, with all members returning to base. A day or so is scheduled to pack up, clear rubbish and reunite with our porters before set about our exit trek. Accommodation in our fully serviced wilderness campsite.

Meals:  B,L,D

We will farewell the peak today and set out for our trek to Khurumal. Overnight in our fully serviced wilderness campsite.

Meals:  B,L,D

Our trek continues today to Arandu (2720m). Overnight in our fully serviced wilderness campsite.

Meals:  B,L,D

We will return to Skardu and celebrate the successes of the expedition. Overnight Basic Hotel/guesthouse.

Meals:  B,L,D

Time today for the customary debrief with the Tourism Department of Gilgit – Baltistan before spending the rest of the day at leisure.

Meals:  B,L,D

a) Weather permitting we will fly to Islamabad today and on arrival transfer to our hotel. b) In case of flight cancellation it is necessary to drive to Chilas and overnight at a hotel on the banks of the Indus. We cannot guarantee air travel at any time between the north and south and we expect members to be as reasonable and flexible as possible on this matter. Should we travel by surface, we will have a private minibus that will take us via Chilas which is a day's drive from Islamabad. The road is good for most of the journey but occasionally subject to landslide breaks which can delay us. We follow right beside the Indus from Skardu and view the incredible force of the river by the deep gorges it has carved out. We then join the Karakoram Highway (KKH) which was built by the Chinese over twenty years and runs from Kashgar to 'Pindi. As we wind our way southwards down to the plains, we cross several passes thickly forested in pine and birch. The hills open out to the vast plains and deltas of Punjab province. The traffic becomes more chaotic as we approach Rawalpindi and one feels the temperatures of the plains once again. Should we be able to fly, the additional time will be well spent in 'Pindi; shopping and sightseeing. The Bazaars have endless numbers of streets to explore and traders to bargain with. Overnight hotel.

Meals:  B

a) Day at leisure in Islamabad. There is time to explore the many bazaars and features of interest in the old city of Rawalpindi. Overnight hotel. b) In the case that we are driving we will complete the road journey from Chilas to Islamabad. Overnight hotel.

Meals:  B

After breakfast we will transfer to the airport for our return flights.

Meals:  B