Journey to the throne of gods - Climbing the Gondogoro La from Hushe

It was back in 2016 that the tides of time turned and the explorer within me sat up straight and decided to go on an adventure. Different names were written and thrown in a bowl. Each piece of paper nicely folded so as to not reveal the secrets within. Then with a churn to the left and a churn to the right, the ingredients in the bowl were nicely mixed. With a reluctant smile, and a trembling hand, one folded member of the paper family was picked up..."K2 Base Camp & Gondogoro La", read the caption. There, in just few seconds, the decision was made to be at the foot of the second highest mountain in the world. 

 

You can hear all about it below:

But as fate would have it; while i was able to stand in the shadows of Chogori, the Gondogoro La pass remained elusive. Many moons passed and the yearn to climb this marvel at 5,650m continued like an ache that needed to be cured. And as fate would have it, this was the year that I finally decided to listen to the calling and return to the giants. Hence started the planning for the journey to the throne of gods, The Gondogoro La, but this time from Hushe! 

This last minor detail is important because the usual route is to take the challenge from Concordia to Ali Camp, to Gondogor La and climbing down the steep descent into Hushe. My plan was to complete my unfinished dream in five days, climbing the steep climb up from Hushe and back down the same way. 

 Aggressive? Yes

 Worth it? absolutely!.

Day 1: Hushe to Saicho

It all started in Hushe. A village 42kms north of Khaplu and a heavenly place few get to hear about. Many of our High-Altitude Porters (HAPs) come from this region. Machlu, Kande and Hushe host many a story of warriors battling the odds, looking eye to eye at the spanners thrown at them by nature, and returning to their families, victorious and proud. While we were there for a night, we heard of a porter who had been part of an expedition that had successfully scaled K2 earlier that morning and the whole family was receiving accolades for the success. 

 Hushe should not be an untold story - it deserves so much more.  

Hushe

50 shades of green

First day of hike is a casual stroll along the valley. Barren Rocky Mountains starting to rise on either side, a constant view of the Masherbrum with its snowy peaks and the oasis of multicolored flowers within its laps. The track takes you through couple of river crossings, with the gushing tributaries rushing downhill to meet their neighbors. And if you are lucky, like we were, you might catch a glimpse of a snow leopard's foot mark on the track. This valley is famous for its "markhors" that come down to graze here in winters, and the game of prey and predator continues amongst ice covered peaks. Roughly three hours in and you reach Saicho, the first camp site. 

Day 2: Saicho to Dalsangpa

The day started with a discussion on whether we should be staying overnight in Dalsangpa, the base camp of Leila Peak or carry on forward to Khuspang, which is the last camp site before the 1300m, one night ascent to the Gondogoro La. After some discussion, some experienced sky watching by my guide Nabi, and the wisdom shared by the cook Ali Khan, it was decided that the night will be spent at Dalsangpa. This will allow better climatization and break the journey into easier three-to-four-hour daily hikes. 

Dalsangpa is where the climbers set their camp for ascending the Leila Peak, also known as "Queen of Mountains," for its beautiful shape. It is once again a nice 3-hour trek which takes you through some riverbeds, sloping valleys and some herder's huts. Before opening to the majestic view of Masherbrum - now, so very nearby. It is a gentle climb of around 200m and you are finally above 4000m during this trek. The air starts getting thinner and you do start feeling the need to breath heavier and more. 

Leila Peak

We were welcomed at the camp by an expedition support team. The climbers had gone up to scale the mountain three days ago and the team had just received the confirmation of the summit. We were part of the welcoming committee that lined up to present garlands and hot tea to the three men as they returned to Dalsangpa just before the sunset. 

Day 3: Dalsangpa to Khuspang

We woke up to see some cotton white clouds towards our destination, and that uneasy feeling started creeping in...is the weather going to to turn on us? For Gondogoro La, the weather plays an important role on two fronts. First, you need it to be not windy or raining to climb up the sharp angles towards the pass. And second, when you reach the top, you need to be lucky enough to get the view that you came for - the four 8000m peaks, led by K2, lined up in panorama - hence the name, "throne of gods". So, with beating hearts, and crossed fingers, we started our journey towards Khuspang. 

Today we climb another 300m to a net elevation of around 4300m. However, the climb starts becoming more exciting. As soon as we leave Dalsangpa, the terrain changes. Masherbrum continues to guide us from behind while the Leila Peak allows us her first look on the right. We leave the valley to walk onto the glacier. Up and down, we climb on the moraine. Three such cycles and we will be at Khuspang. 

Standing guard at Masherbrum

Climbing onto the Glacier

Leila Peak

Around three hours later, we reach the last camp site before the pass, Khuspang. As it hosts the trekkers climbing down from the Concordia route as well, it is a sizable camp, and gives the vibe of a multinational route that this trek has become over the years. . 

Approaching Khuspang Camp

The weather started turning blue as we reached Khuspang. Based on the combined wisdom of the group, it was decided that we will rest here for few hours, then before sunset I will trek to the Gondogoro La high camp with Nabi, my guide and Raheen - our senior porter who was supposed to provide me both emotional and physical support. And he did! 

We will stay at the high camp for three to four hours, and then around mid-night start the climb from high camp to the summit, 1300m in total, in under six hours. Spend fifteen minutes at the top and then climb down the sharp, 45-to-60-degree slopes, with loose rocks and cliff edges, to Khuspang. 

I had butterflies in my stomach...was I rested enough? Was I climatized enough? Will I be able to use the "Jumar" to assist me climb the roped slopes? In hindsight, the answer was, "not really" and if I do this route again, I would love to have another day at Khuspang to get better hold of the declining oxygen levels at these heights. However, luck favors the brave they say - so we decided to set off for the high camp...an anxious trekker, an experienced guide and a young second lead.

Day 4: Khuspang to High Camp to Gondogoro La, and back

Now the going got tough so the tough must get going. Couple of hours before sunset we did final checks on our essentials. Day pack, check!, Head lamp, check!, Cramp-ons, check!, Jumar, check!, Carabiners, check!, Spare batteries for go pro, check!, Sleeping bag, check!, tent, check!, thermals and gloves, check!, bites to eat, check!, my little Pakistan flag, check! - butterflies in stomach, check!...and so we started, just like the people of shire, in the Lord of the rings, but a fellowship of three...I, Nabi my guide and Raheen, the second lead. 

Leaving behind Khuspang, and keeping Leila Peak on our backs, we start our climb towards the Gondogoro La high camp, at around 4,600m. After a track of around one a half hour, we reached the location, at the bank of the Gondogoro La glacier and decided to camp for the next four to five hours. 

Looking back at Leila Peak from the High Camp

This is where I got to get a better look at that notch in the mountain, that was the Gondoro La pass. Flanked on one side by snow cap, and on the other by a sharp wall of rubble stone. a climb of over 1,000m. Raheen told me that this is the first time he has seen no snow near the top. Must be the climate change, he said. He and Nabi had crossed this pass from Concordia just a week back and it was knee deep in snow. While this was good news for me climbing up, it also meant that we need to be back, and out of the danger zone very quickly on our way down. No ice means more loose rocks, and rocks can be very dangerous - be it slipping below your feet or getting dislodged above your head. 

Setting up the tent at High Camp - First look at Gondogoro La pass

We had a few bites to eat and then we decided to tuck in our sleeping bags. Just after mid night our alarms went off and we started to pack up for the hike. The wind had a strong chill to it, and the gloves felt cold on first touch. Donning my head lamp, I started following Nabi. Raheen was walking behind me to make sure that I keep on the track. I have climbed Kiliminjaro, so have had an experience of climbing over a 1000m to reach a summit above 5,500m in the night - however the air felt thinner here. I was soon stopping to catch my breath every 100 steps, and then 50. The first hour and a half was a casual climb, around 30 degrees, watching for crevices, finding our way around a glacier, choosing the best rock to sit under for a few breaths - and then once again continuing our journey in the halos of our head lamps. 

Around 400m from the top, we reach the point from which the ropes had already been set all the way to the summit. The climb here would not be possible for a novice like me without the aid of the rope and the carabiner tied to it for safety. The slope sharply increases to 45 and at times 60 degrees.  Nabi was hopping along ahead of me like a kid running up a slide, casually holding on to the rope. I, on the other hand would pull myself up, and then stop to catch my breath every 50 steps, and then 25. This is where I got my first experience with Jumar...a highly recommended device that latches on to the rope, acting like a hook, that allows you to use your legs to push yourself up. Just after the sunrise we reached a junction point, where we saw the first porters climbing down from the Concordia side, and behind them the members of the rescue team. The rescue team regularly climbs down on either side of the pass to check on health of the ropes and to clean the path as much as they can. 

As we paused to let them pass, I got to see the marvelous landscape around us. We had climbed almost a kilometer above Khuspang, and the scenery was just out of this world. With massive glaciers hanging off their mountain hosts, leading down into a valley. One could spot the small lake with a yellow dot in some distance. That would be our tent at the high camp. And then further below the green hue of Khuspang. And of course, the Leila Peak, as she welcomed the dawn out in the distance. 

Hanging by the rope - as we climbed up the slopes

Glaciers looking over the valley - approaching the summit

One last push and we reached the top of the ropes. A small stone hut signaled that we are approaching the pass. There was snow at the top, and we started walking towards the small crest in front of us. I was still marveling at the scenery below when Nabi nudged me and said, look...K2. And there she was, Chogori, the second highest mountain in the world right in front of us. Even up close, it looked daunting, and I marveled at the skills of people who managed to climb another 3,000m to get to its summit. 

At Gondogoro La summit - 5,650m

The yearning stopped - the aches and fatigue, a distant memory. I could spend a lifetime looking at the scene. The heavens had been kind and we had a picture-perfect weather. The white snow at our feet and the cotton clouds in the sky. Framed perfectly between them the scene that I had so wanted to be a witness to. Four of the highest peaks in the world, in one frame - K2, Broad Peak, G2 & G4 - right there, close enough to touch.

The Gondogoro La summit - From center of picture to right, K2, Broad Peak, G2 & G4

I was around an hour late at the summit then planned so Nabi rushed us to take some quick pictures, make a short video and then head back down before the sun starts melting the ice and the mountain starts dislodging stones at us. So down we went, and after a few slips, a couple of small bruises, a close encounter with a crevice, dodging a couple of stones, and helping a team of three American brothers find their way...we reached the high camp. 

Couple of teacups later, we started the climb down to Khuspang. Exactly ten hours since I had started my climb from the high camp, I was back in the now familiar company of our porters and cook, Ali Khan. Not many people have done Gondogoro La, and ever fewer have climbed it from Hushe - with that thought in my mind, I slept well that night. 

Day 5/6: Khuspang to Saicho to Hushe

The next morning, we packed our bags, and set out for Saicho. With every downward step, the breathing became easier. Crossing the three up and down cycles of glacier, passing by the now empty Dalsangpa and searching for another footprint of a big cat, we reached Saicho in seven hours. Something to celebrate with bottles of Mountain Dew and Coca Cola in the evening. 

Next morning, we started the walk back to Hushe, through the blue and red flowers, Masherbrum by our side and the green valley hustling us in. Surprisingly, I reached the park ranger's office in under ninety minutes, and well ahead of both Nabi and Ali Khan. I am sure they planned it that way to make me feel good about myself. 

Hence ended the journey. Another item ticked off the "to-do" list. We packed our jeep to return to civilization and the ringing of cell phones, paying of bills, and replying of emails - but for many days afterwards, whenever I closed my eyes all I saw was the four giants framed perfectly in the white of the snow and the blanket of the clouds.