Muztagh Ata Base Camp : trek to Muztagh Ata Base Camp and Kara Kul in the Pamir Mountains of China

Muztagh Ata Base Camp Trek

Trekking in the Chinese Pamir Range to Muztagh Ata Base Camp: Enjoy the mystique, beauty and rewards of a challenging trek in the Chinese Pamir. This is an 8-day trip to Xinjiang with 4 days spent trekking in the Pamirs from near Subash Pass to Muztagh Ata Base Camp, and on to Kara Kul Lake.                 

Highlights: Experience Kirghiz culture in the Pamirs and the Kashgar Sunday Bazaar and Uyghur culture in Kashgar

 - Travel on a portion of the ancient Silk Road into the Pamirs on the Karakoram Highway

 - Trek with Bactrian camels in the Pamir Mountains near Muztagh Ata (7546m / 24,757ft)

Difficulty level: Medium-strenuous. Multi-day trekking at high elevations - from 3645 meters (11,959 feet) to 4547 meters (14,918 feet). Previous trekking or hiking/backpacking experience helpful. Recommended for children, ages 14 and older.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive Urumqi, transport to hotel. Hotel. No other services.

Day 2: Urumqi. Hotel. No other services.

Day 3: Arrive Kashgar (morning or evening flights available), meet and transport to hotel. The Chinibagh Hotel, site of the old British Consulate. (breakfast included)

Day 4: Experience Kashgar Sunday Bazaar. Option to use a guide to accompany in the morning, free afternoon to explore Old Town. The Kashgar Sunday bazaar is one of the largest and longest running bazaars in Central Asia. Thousands of Uighurs from around Kashgar attend. You can explore the bazaar by yourselves or take along a local Uighur guide who can explain his culture. Walk the winding lanes of the old city of Kashgar. It has an Central Asian flavor with blacksmiths, tinsmiths, musical instrument makers, potters, rug sellers, hatters, tailors, and makers and sellers of many other items of everyday use.Chinibagh Hotel. (breakfast included)

Day 5: Drive from Kashgar to Tashkorgan on the Karakoram Highway. We make our ascent of the Karakoram Highway (KKH) into the Pamir Range. On the way up into the mountains, in the Gez Canyon, the road passes near the west end of the Kongur (7719m). Along the KKH are small villages and yurt encampments where the Kirghiz tend their sheep, goats, yaks and Bactrian camels. Next, we reach Kara Kul or Black Lake (3645m). From the lake are magnificent views of the entire Kongur Massif and Muztagh Ata (7546m), which means "Ice Mountain Father" in local languages. It is another 100 kilometers to Tashkorgan. After checking into our hotel, there will be free time to explore the town and ancient Stone Fortress.

Day 6: Breakfast at hotel, drive about 90km to Subash Pass and meet camels. Trek to an area southwest of Muztagh Ata. Camp. Support transport for trekking is provided by Kirghiz and their Bactrian camels. Trek participants carry only a rucksack with the gear they need for the day's trek. The main Pamir valleys here are very broad and throughout most of the trek both Kongur and Muztagh Ata will be in sight. We'll stop by mid-afternoon and make camp. We sleep in tents. Our cook will prepare meals. We will have a separate tent equipped with tables and stools where we can eat and relax.

Day 7: Trek to near Muztagh Ata Base Camp and then descend, and camp. Today, we trek toward Muztagh Ata and to one of the two main base camps used by expeditions climbing the mountain. It will not be unusual if there are a half dozen expeditions based there. You may even be able to shoot a game of pool on a table at BC! We descend a bit towards the valley bottom and make camp.

Day 8: Trek in a northeasterly direction along the hills flanking Muztagh Ata and pass through some Kirghiz villages. Camp on the Kengshiver River. Today, we trek through several small Kirghiz villages as well as through a section of lower mountains to the west of Muztagh Ata and to the Kengshiver River. We make camp on the river with views of Kongur to the north.

Day 9: Today, after a leisurely morning we break camp and trek to Kara Kul, meet our vehicle, say good bye to our camels and return to Kashgar.

(all meals included while trekking, breakfast only upon return to Kashgar and stay at hotel)

Note: This trek is customizable to be extended and to include trekking to Kongur Base Camp.