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 journey from Beijing-the capital of China. A flight nearly 4 hours takes us from Beijing to Urumqi the capital city of Xinjiang. On the same day we will fly to the Kashgar which is famous with its fabled Sunday Bazaar. A day is set aside for resting and exploring the markets, monuments and historical sites of this fascinating oasis city made famous by its "silk route" connections. Nomadic herdsmen driving livestock and donkey carts to market provide a stark contrast to the traffic and bustle of the rapidly expanding modern Chinese city. The buildings of the old Russian and British consulates, once centres of "Great Game" intrigues, can be visited, together with Kashgar"s historic city walls and the huge Idkah mosque.

Leaving Kashgar a two day jeep drive skirts the western edge of the Taklamakan desert and passes through the town of Yenghisar famous for its metalwork and daggers. At Yilik, pack camels will be waiting to carry the group baggage for the five day walk to base camp. These animals are invaluable in helping the group make the many deep water river crossings needed along the way. Kirghiz nomad encampments will be encountered during the walk. The group can sample fresh milk and yoghourt produced from their large herds of yak. The highest point reached on the approach march will be the 4870m Aghil pass. From here there is a magnificent view of the Karakoram 8000m peaks.

After fording the silt laden waters of the Shagskam river the group will reach the pleasant site of Sughet Jangal. This camping spot was used by Younghusband in 1887 and was the base camp site of Shipton's 1937 expedition. It is now known as "K2 base camp". At an altitude of only 3800m and lying 15km from the start of the climbing most expeditions attempting K2 from this side use an advance camp on the K2 glacier. During seven days spent in this area the group should be able to trek to this site for closer views of the north face of K2. The peak was first climbed from this side by a Japanese team in 1982. Only a handful of mountaineers have tried to repeat their route, and few have succeeded. Trekking on the north side of the Karakoram is virtually unknown. Few westerners have ventured into this area.

This is not a difficult trek, but the extreme remoteness and complicated logistics make it a challenging undertaking. The Shagskam river cannot be forded safely in the summer months, therefore trekking in this area is restricted to the spring and autumn. We ussually select September, when the intense heat of the summer will have passed and the water levels in the rivers are reduced.