General
Spantik Expedition 2025-26 (Karakoram)
Spantik Expedition registration is now open. We are offering Spantik Expedition departures (guided and non-guided) for mountaineers and alpinists from around the world.
Including Spantik Peak, we also offer other peaks and few of them are given in the table below.
Spantik Expedition – Dates and Cost – 2025-26
Why dates in July/Aug?
We highly recommend and have planned the climb in August, based on past experience. There are many factors linked to a successful climb of Spantik in the Chogolungma Glacier area. Based on facts and past experiences, we have the following observations:
- Spantik’s South-East Face is in Baltistan/Arandu Valley side while North-West Face is in Hunza/Nagar Valley side. It is exposed to the winds from the valleys on both sides.
- Spantik region in the Karakoram (unlike the rest of the Central Karakoram) does get affected by the moonsoon rains. The weather patterns are no more suitable for June/July climbs.
- The parties who began the expedition in June in the last 2 years were mostly unsuccessful. All parties were presented by a very small good weather window towards the very end of the expeditions when climbers were tired and exhausted, waiting for the good window.
- Apricot Tours previously started the expedition between June 20th to June 25th. After our June 2022 expedition to Spantik, we decided to delay this by one month to maximize our climb success rate.
- Our new dates are also more favourable because of availability of “experienced” guides and “strong” High Altitude Porters & Rope Fixers. The guides and porters get free from other expeditions and some are are already acclimatized and fit for the job.
Spantik Expedition – Holiday Information
What's Included in Full-board Service?
*inclusions are given below
- High Altitude Climbing Leader from Pakistan
- Rope fixer(s)/porters for group equipment according to the table below.
- Lodging above base camp
- Group climbing gear/equipment (tent, rope, ice crew, snow-bar, EPI gas, cooking pots, stoves, gas, etc)
- Meals above base camp during climb ((high altitude food/snacks)
- High Altitude Porters for "Group Equipment"
- All meals during trek to base camp and at base-camp (B,L,D)
- All hotel accommodation according to itinerary
- Lodging at base camp
- Full base camp with dinning tent, mess tent & bathroom
- All internal/domestic transport
- All domestic flights
- 50kgs (110 lbs) personal baggage
- Group emergency equipment/satellite phone service with fixed calling charge
- Staff insurance (guide, cook, kitchen staff, assistant(s) & porters etc)
- Experienced cook from Pakistan
- Kitchen staff
- Porters for all expedition supplies
- Solar power at base camp
- Electricity generator (backup for high voltage devices)
What's Included in Base Camp Service?
*crossed out items below are not included in Base Camp service.
High Altitude Climbing Leader from PakistanRope fixer(s)/porters for group equipment.Lodging above base campGroup climbing gear/equipment (tent, rope, ice crew, snow-bar, EPI gas, cooking pots, stoves, gas, etc)Meals above base camp during climb ((high altitude food/snacks)High Altitude Porters for "Group Equipment"- All meals during trek to base camp and at base-camp (B,L,D)
- All hotel accommodation according to itinerary
- Lodging at base camp
- Full base camp with dinning tent, mess tent & bathroom
- All internal/domestic transport
- All domestic flights
- 50kgs (110 lbs) personal baggage
- Group emergency equipment/satellite phone service with fixed calling charge
- Staff insurance (guide, cook, kitchen staff, assistant(s) & porters etc)
- Experienced cook from Pakistan
- Kitchen staff
- Porters for all expedition supplies
- Solar power at base camp
- Electricity generator (backup for high voltage devices)
What's not Included in both Base Camp Service & Full-Board Service?
- Government Royalty Fee (revised in Sep 2024) based on the seasonal rates outlined below.
- Personal HAP (High Altitude Porter) from Pakistan - USD 1,400 (includes wages, kit allowance (est. USD 650), royalty fee, meals, accommodation, etc).
- Supplemental Oxygen (1 cylinder recommended/optional) for climbers - USD 990 for brand new cylinder and USD 650 for used cylinder
- Oxygen set for climber - includes regulator, mask, hoses, carriage to high camps - USD 980
- Summit bonus for personal HAP of USD 200
- International airfare
- Personal climbing equipment for any 7,000m peak, clothing & sleeping equipment
- High Altitude Porters for "Personal Equipment". Only "group equipment" covered for full board.
- Mountain climbing rescue and evacuation insurance policy - mandatory
- Personal equipment cargo to/from Islamabad
- Pakistan visa fee
- Tips/gratuities to staff, cook, assistant(s) of US$ 390 in total
- Extra hotel nights before/after the climb
- Trip cancellation insurance
- All expenses incurred in the event of early wind-up/summit (extra hotel nights, meals at hotels, evacuation)
- Charges incurred due to delays beyond the control of Apricot Tours (Force majeure)
- Personal communication (phone, fax, e-mail) between Pakistan and home country.
Spantik Climb Route/Map
The route/map for Spantik peak climb is given below.
Highlights – Spantik Expedition
- Competitive prices for a seven thousander peak in the wild mountains of Pakistan
- Field office and permanent staff for logistical arrangements to and from the mountain
- Itinerary based on our mountain guide's indigenous knowledge and vast experience
- Spectacular mountain vistas during the expedition
- Apricot Tours is a fully licensed native adventure company
- Fixed departures are normally guided by our Pakistani High Altitude Climber(s) (HAC)
- Private groups are always one of our top priorities
- We cater to both guided expeditions and non-guided (alpine style) climbing
- We cater to both "base camp services" and "full board services"
- Nepalese Sherpas available upon timely request (at least 6 months prior to arrival in Pakistan)
- The following High Altitude Support available at extra cost
a. Pakistani High Altitude Porter (HAP) - Will carry 20 kg of personal equipment between camps
b. Nepalese Private Sherpa (personal guide/porter) - Carries up to 20 kg (44lbs) of your personal equipment, climbs with you, melts water, cooks, and will be with you every step of the way.
c. Personal equipment carriage service - Sherpa carries up to 10kg (22lbs) of personal equipment up and down the mountain between camps
Itinerary
Why should you register very early?
1. Team building: It takes time to formulate a good team. We go through all incoming applications and formulate the best team of mountaineers (on the basis of experience). Although our vet process is not very strict, our top priority is always the safety of fellow climbers. We will not accept all applications only to maximize the number of the mountaineers.
2. Logistics: Our climbing adventures involve a lot of logistics. This includes reserving/assigning high altitude porters, guides and other staff in advance. It also involves a lot of procurement (equipment, food etc). This is not possible during the last hours. During winters expeditions, most of the supplies are transported to base camps two to three months prior to the expedition because winters in the mountains of Pakistan are very harsh and it becomes almost impossible to for porters to walk through the trail with heavy supplies.
3. Permit: Pakistani government tourism laws require tour operators to submit applications for climbing (along with all documents e.g. passport copies, photos, CVs etc) at least 70 days prior to arrival in Pakistan.
4.Domestic Flights: We might not be able to get you on the domestic flight to Skardu if you do not pay your deposit on time. Domestic flight seats are sold very fast way ahead of time because there are only two flights to Skardu during peak season. This is a very serious concern.
5. Price changes: The given prices are early bird discount offers and are subject to change. There can be increases in price after January. Service providers including (but not limited) to hotels increase prices in peak-season. Early reservations cost less than peak-season (May to September). Our prices will not change once you have paid the deposit so the price when you book is the price you will pay. Register yourselves early to avoid increase in holiday prices.
6. Pay less deposit: Given below is our deposit schedule for 2020 departures.
- 8 months before departure (deposit: 35%)
- 6 months before departure (deposit: 40%)
- 5 months before departure (deposit: 50%)
- 4 months before departure (full payment)
Note: The same deposit time frames above apply to 2021-22 departures.
Refund policy
Deposit: Once paid, the deposit is non-refundable as it will be spent on making in-country arrangements, organizing logistics, procurement of equipment (e.g. oxygen sets) and supplies (including food), hiring of staff/sherpa etc.
Balance: All balances are due 120 days prior to arrival in Pakistan unless otherwise specified. Participants whose balances are not received by the 120-day deadline as stated above, risk forfeiture of their funds and their place on the expedition. For this expedition, there are no refunds for the deposit or balance payments. This includes but is not limited to, expeditions that conclude without a summit or progress towards a summit for participants due to route conditions, weather, insufficient manpower, or any other factor outside the control of Apricot Tours. Expedition leader has the final say on the expedition conclusion and will make all the best efforts for a happy return home.
Currency
All international climbers are charged in US Dollars (USD).
Other Notes
- Deposit should only be paid after filling out the registration form and confirmation/approval from Apricot Tours.
- Due to the nature and heavy costs of government and operator permits, Apricot Tours must follow a precise refund policy.
- Participants that choose to leave an active expedition for any reason are not entitled to any refunds
- Apricot Tours highly recommends trip cancellation insurance for all expeditions
Photo Gallery – Spantik Expedition
As Featured In:
Spantik Expedition – Royalty Fee
The royalty fee/rates assigned by Pakistan’s Tourism Ministry for climbing Spantik Peak in spring, summer and fall start from USD 7,200 after a discount of 40%. The details of royalty fees for three seasons are given below.
Spantik Peak Royalty Fee/Rates – Spring, Summer & Fall
The royalty fee/rates assigned by the government for climbing Spantik Peak in winters start from USD 600 after a discount of 95% in winters. The details of royalty fees for winters are given below.
Spantik Peak Royalty Fee/Rates – Winter
The discounts above are being offered since over a decade as part of the government policy to promote adventure tourism.
Overview – Spantik Expedition
Spantik Expedition gives you an opportunity to climb the easiest 7000er in the great karakoram ranges of Pakistan. Spantik Peak (7,027 m) is situated in the Arandu Valley, a valley that is about 90 km jeep ride away from Skardu City. The first successful spantik expedition was led by a German mountaineer Karl Kramer, who ascended the summit of the peak in 1955. It was previously attempted by an American couple (Fanny & William Bullock-Workman) in 1906, who could only reach up to 6700m.
Spantik Expedition participants will arrive in Islamabad; they will be picked up from the Islamabad International Airport and will be transferred to the hotel. The participants will then fly to Skardu, which is the administrative hub of Baltistan, you will get to meet many expedition and trekking groups in Skardu as it is the main town for Karakoram valleys in Baltistan region.
The participants will spend 1-2 days in Skardu City for the group preparations and documentation. The group will also get time to explore the town’s busy baazar along with with the famous Kachura Lake, manthal (Buddha rock carving) and Katpana Desert (one of the very few deserts in the world, where it snows). Once the group preparation & documentation is complete the participants of the Spantik Expedition will drive off to Arandu via Shigar Valley. The campsite is located on the edge of Arandu Valley.
After three days of trekking, and camping at Chogo Brangsa and Bolocho camps respectively the Spantik Peak Expedition participants will arrive at the Spantik BC (4,360m). The participants will rest on the very next day as they sort out their equipment and acclimatize themselves for the climb. The climbing route for the Spantik Peak Expedition is 9km in length which rises at an elevation of about 3000m (south east ridge).
The heights of camp I, II & III are 5100m, 5500m and 6250m respectively and slopes for the climb range from 10° – 30° with small sections of 40°. The participants will have 16 days for the climb. After the climb the participants will follow the same route back to Skardu on jeeps, then flying back to Islamabad for the grand dinner after the success of the expedition. If time allows, the participants of the spantik peak expedition will also explore the twin cities (Islamabad & Rawalpindi) as well. The participants will be dropped off at Islamabad International Airport and they will fly out to their home country.
Apart from expeditions, we also offer trekking holidays. Our most popular trekking holidays are given in the table below.
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