Author: Zulfiqar Ali
Founder & Licensed Mountain Guide
Zulfiqar Ali is the founder of Karakoram Venture and a licensed mountain guide with more than ten years of experience across Pakistan's Karakoram, Himalaya and Hindu Kush ranges. A product designer by profession, Zulfiqar leads the Skardu-based Balti team that plans and runs the company's treks, expeditions and tours.
Best Treks in Pakistan: Top Karakoram Routes & Costs (2027)
The best treks in Pakistan, from easy 6-day walks to 32-day Karakoram expeditions: real costs, difficulty, altitudes, permits and how to choose, from the Balti team.
Gondogoro La Trek: Cost, Route, Difficulty & 2027 Dates
A complete, honest guide to the Gondogoro La trek: cost, route, the 5,585 m pass crossing, difficulty, permits, safety and 2026 dates from the Balti team.
K2 Base Camp Trek: Cost, Route, Difficulty & 2027 Dates
A complete, honest guide to the K2 Base Camp trek from the Balti team: cost, route, altitudes, difficulty, permits, safety and 2026 dates.
Climbing Season on the Baltoro: K2, Broad Peak and the Gasherbrums in 2027
The 2026 climbing season is open on the Baltoro's four eight-thousanders — K2, Broad Peak, and Gasherbrum I and II. An honest local guide to the season window, the approach from Skardu and Askole, permits, and what these mountains really demand.
Crossing Gondogoro La (5,585 m): The High Pass That Turns K2 Base Camp Into a Loop
Gondogoro La (5,585 m) turns the K2 Base Camp trek into a one-way crossing into the Hushe Valley. The honest guide to the route, the crossing day, when the pass is open, and the fitness and permits it demands.
Sarfaranga Cold Desert: A Jeep Safari Across the World’s Highest Dunes
Sand dunes at 2,300 m with 7,000 m peaks on the skyline. Here’s how to do a Sarfaranga Cold Desert jeep safari from Skardu — the season, the route, what to expect, and how to do it right with a local Balti team.
K2 Base Camp Trek Season 2027: June to Late September
June marks the start of the K2 Base Camp trekking season. Here's what the route really demands, what conditions look like right now, and how to walk the Baltoro to Concordia with a local Balti team.
Rakaposhi Base Camp Trek: The Complete 2027 Guide
A friendly, honest guide to the Rakaposhi Base Camp trek from Minapin in Hunza-Nagar — route, itinerary, difficulty, best season, costs and what it's really like, from a local Balti team.
Acclimatisation Guide for High-Altitude Trekking in Pakistan
Essential acclimatisation guide for high-altitude trekking in Pakistan — avoiding altitude sickness on K2, Snow Lake and Gondogoro La treks.
Baltoro Glacier: The Frozen Highway to the Mountain Gods
Complete guide to the Baltoro Glacier — the 63km frozen highway to Concordia and K2 Base Camp. Routes, camps and permits.