UKC

Has anyone crossed the Gondogoro La pass since 2020? How did you find it? 

I'm planning to be there in late July and although there's a reasonable amount of route description information available most of it is a few years old.

 I understand its changed and become significantly more dangerous in very recent years, such that several trekking operators have now dropped it.

Any advice? Any tips would be appreciated. Thanks

We decided not to take trekkers over it last summer following the advice of two leaders who crossed it in July/August 2022. I know other operators who went earlier in the season this past summer (more snow) and also someone working with a school group who crossed it. Our GII team went over it on their way out from BC in August 2023. There’s loose rock across slabs and a lot of slow moving people who aren’t necessarily comfortable on that kind of ground. If you’re on your own or in a small group you can move more quickly of course and maybe get past folk. Doesn’t stop them knocking stuff down onto you (though a team that had an accident in 2022 that I know about weren’t hit by a rock dislodged by someone else, it just came out of nowhere).

Thanks for that - very helpful.

We would indeed be in a small group and are pretty comfortable with loose s**t but I may be slow moving just because of the altitude! I guess late July fractionally better than August. 

I can't offer any up-to-date advice, but it's interesting to read the Gondogoro La is now somewhat risky.   Nostalgia following ....  I was there in 1991 on a trip organised by Karakoram Experience (now KE Adventure).  It was a Hushe valley and Gondogoro peak trip (on which we failed due to conditions), with an extra week added on to explore and see if the pass was feasible from the Hushe side.  Some bad weather, some great weather, overall a tough trip.  We ascended and descended the pass from the Hushe side.  Coming onto the col at first light and seeing over to K2 is still quite a memory.  I don't recall it being technically difficult but I think we did move roped together for parts.  We didn't see any other trekkers or climbers at all beyond Skardu, apart from one Austrian lad who was very hungry, and a small group from a UK university who were digging/buildng a proper toilet at a camping spot.  I imagine it's busier now!

I've been playing with a slide scanner, so here's a photo or two - I haven't 'improved' the images yet.

Hope you have a good trip.

Thanks. I hope we enjoy it as much! 

Coincidentally I was last out in Hushe in 1992j attempting an unclimbed peak. I'm expecting monumental changes to the area one of which, sadly, is the danger surrounding the GL. But I'll keep an open mind. Will be good to see K2 base camp anyway, can't wait. 

I'd be interested to see a photo of the GL if you do get there!  Good luck.

I would love to have been able to say “Ha, ha! Gordon’s done Gondorogoro La!”. Even if it hadn’t been a great climb it would have been fun to say.

... I guess late July fractionally better than August. 

I haven't been to that area since 2007, but our issue then, after a G1 expedition, was that even by late July porters had not been up from the Hushe side yet, so porters leaving BCs on the Baltoro side were reluctant to go up and try to cross. We retraced back down the Baltoro to Askole, which was understandable from an expedition point of view but it would have been disappointing to be in a trekking group whose aim was to go up and over. 

is that Ginette Harrison in the pic?

Thanks for the info.

I'm being pragmatic about it all. We want to stay overnight at K2 base camp but have been warned the porters may simply refuse if its too cold. I'm not going to argue. 

So the GL may, or may not, happen - its not the whole aim - though going back to Hushe after a 30 year + gap would be great to see. I guess I'm just trying to be as prepared personally as possible!

No, it isn't.

I know this is vanishingly unlikely, but if anyone recognises themself in the photo and wants to email me via UKC then that's OK (and indeed if someone doesn't want their photo on the internet then say so and I'll delete it).  I can remember all the first names, but not the surnames.  I'm back row, second from the right.

- Steve

I think you will see huge changes, I haven't been back to Machulo since 2017 but friends tell me there are good roads all the way from Khaplu to Machulo and beyond, possibly all the way to Hushe.  Apparently you can also take a jeep from Askole and up to Jula now. Not sure I like that idea!

Hope you manage to visit some of the schools along the way. If you feel an urge to donate to support teachers in the area, check out the Juniper Trust website. It's not easy to persuade people to support education in Pakistan but you never know, especially once you've met a few of the kids!

You're right. Here we have a small local charity that directly supports 2 schools/orphanages - 1 in Uganda and 1 in Pakistan. Apparently folk are far less prepared to support Pakistan sadly.  So when my Mum died I decided to give the £800 collected direct to the Pakistan orphanage. The charity is called Aim for Change. All the funds go directly to the kids. 

Brilliant! We support the school in Askole, the head teacher is a good friend. Also have helped a couple in the Hushe Valley. But for getting donations it was easier to join forces with the JT.