Around Nanga Parbat — the Mazeno circuit
Overview
A twenty-four-day trek right around Nanga Parbat, from the Rupal side over the Mazeno La to Diamir and out through Fairy Meadows. It is one of the hardest trekking routes in Pakistan and the only way to see all three faces of an 8,126 m mountain on foot.
Three faces, one mountain
Nanga Parbat stands alone, which is what makes a circuit of it worth doing — there is no range to walk through, just the one mountain turning slowly as you go round. The Rupal face at the start is the biggest wall on earth; the Diamir side is where the normal climbing route goes; the Raikot side above Fairy Meadows is the one in all the photographs. Few mountains reward a circuit this completely.
The Mazeno La
The pass is the crux and it is a serious one: a high crossing with a steep descent on the far side that needs rope, ice axe and crampons. Published elevations disagree by more than twenty metres and we have not settled which is right. What is agreed is that the north side is the difficult one, and that groups turn back here.
There are further passes beyond it — Kado Sagar and Khustu — before the route drops to Diamir. This is a committing route with no road crossings in the middle of it.
What we ask of you
Previous multi-day trekking at altitude, competence on a rope, and the fitness to keep walking well in the third week. This is not a first Karakoram trek and we will say no if it would be your first.
When it runs
July to September, which is narrower than the valley season at either end, because the Mazeno La is the constraint.
What is inside the price
Permits and fees for both sides, road transport on our own vehicles, full camp with cook and mess throughout, porter crews under our published porter charter on both sides with loads weighed in front of you, guides on our payroll with rope and group hardware for the pass, satellite comms for the whole route, and a written evacuation plan for every camp — which on the middle section is a long way from anywhere — the evacuation procedure is published before you pay. See the rest of the Rupal valley and our other Karakoram treks.
- Duration
- 20 – 24 days
- Trek days
- 16
- Maximum altitude
- 5,400 m [confirm]
- Grade
- Very hard
- Group size
- Max 8
- Guides
- 2 certified, 1 WFR
- Season
- July – September
- Starts / ends
- Islamabad / Islamabad
- Accommodation
- Hotels either side, full camp throughout the circuit
- A complete circuit of Nanga Parbat — all three faces of an 8,126 m mountain on foot
- The Mazeno La, with a steep north side that needs rope, axe and crampons
- Two further passes beyond it before the route drops to Diamir
- Sixteen walking days with no road crossing in the middle of the route
- Out through Fairy Meadows, which most people only ever arrive at
Private departures and group pricing
Your party, your dates. The per-person figure falls as the party grows, because the guides, the vehicles and the camp cost the same split more ways. Everything in the inclusions list applies, and the safety standard is the one published above.
| Party size | Price per person | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | USD 5,300 | A full crew for two people |
| 3 – 4 | USD 4,450 | |
| 5 – 8 | USD 3,700 | Second guide joins at six |
Deposit is 25% of the trip price. The payment schedule and the cancellation terms are published and sent with every quote, before you pay anything.
Day by day
Buffer days are built in, not padding. If the weather takes them, nothing downstream collapses and you are not charged twice.
01 Arrive Islamabad Hotel · 540 m
Met inside the terminal. Briefing, SIM and cash.
02 Islamabad to Astore Hotel
The long road day down the Karakoram Highway and up into Astore.
03 Astore to Tarashing Camp
Up the Rupal valley by jeep. Crew and loads meet us at the village.
04 Tarashing to Herrligkoffer Base Camp Camp
Along the valley beneath the Rupal face. The circuit begins under the biggest wall of it.
06 Up the valley to Shaigiri and Latoba Camp
Two days west along the Rupal valley, with the face turning beside you.
08 To Mazeno Base Camp Camp
The last camp before the pass. Rope and crampon technique checked, not introduced.
10 Mazeno La Camp · 5,400 m
The crux. Up to the pass and down the steep north side on rope. A long and committing day.
12 Kado Sagar and Khustu passes Camp
Two further passes before the route turns down toward Diamir. Remote ground throughout.
15 Down to the Diamir valley Camp
Off the high route and into Diamir, under the face the normal climbing route uses.
17 Diamir to Nanga Parbat Base Camp Camp · 4,000 m
Up to the base camp on the Diamir side. The second of the three faces.
19 Across to Fairy Meadows Camp
Over to the Raikot side and the meadow. The third face, and the one in all the photographs.
21 Fairy Meadows to Tato and Chilas Hotel
Down on foot to Tato, then the Raikot jeep road to the highway. The circuit closes.
22 Chilas to Islamabad Hotel · 540 m
The long road day down the Karakoram Highway.
23 Islamabad — buffer and debrief Hotel · 540 m
Buffer against the road, and a proper debrief.
24 Islamabad, and home —
Airport transfer.
What is included
- Visa sponsor letter
- All permits, park fees and NOCs
- Met inside the terminal, all transfers
- Our own 4x4s and drivers
- Certified guides and insured crew
- Camp equipment, cook and all meals on trek
- Porter crew under our published charter, loads weighed
- Medical kit, oxygen where the route calls for it
- Satellite comms and a daily message home
- International flights
- Visa fee itself
- Travel insurance covering evacuation and repatriation
- Personal equipment
- Tips
If our price is wrong for you we will move you to a lower tier or remove a named inclusion. We do not discount a published price, and we do not cut the crew.
Fitness and difficulty — read this honestly
Sixteen walking days, six to nine hours on the longer ones, over three passes with a committing crossing in the middle. The demand is cumulative — it is the fourteenth day, not the hardest one, that decides whether you enjoy this.
The Mazeno La needs rope, ice axe and crampons on a steep descent, and groups turn back there. You need previous multi-day trekking at altitude and competence moving roped before you arrive; we are not teaching it on the pass. If this would be your first long trek, take the Rupal Face trek on the same mountain and come back for the circuit. We will say no rather than take a booking we think is wrong.
Kit list
The full list with quantities is sent with your quote. Rental is available in Skardu for most of it, priced separately. Your kit is checked item by item in Islamabad, not the night before the trek.
Group — we provide
- Sleeping, mess, kitchen and toilet tents
- Group first aid and the medical kit
- Satellite phone and messenger
- All cooking and camp equipment
Personal — yours
- Sleeping bag rated to −15 °C or better
- Insulated jacket and waterproof shell
- Walking boots, worn in before you arrive
- Trekking poles
- Sun hat, glacier glasses and high-factor sunscreen
- Headtorch with spare batteries
- Water bottles or bladder, two litres minimum
- Personal medication and a declared medical history
- Harness, two locking carabiners and a prusik loop
- Crampons that fit your boots, fitted before you travel
Safety, evacuation and insurance
Helicopter rescue in the Karakoram is not guaranteed. Weather, altitude, daylight and clearance all decide whether a helicopter flies, so every stage carries a named drive-out or walk-out plan. Your insurance must cover helicopter evacuation and repatriation to the maximum altitude on your itinerary, and we verify the certificate before the trip starts.
A graded medical kit sized to the trip, oxygen, a portable altitude chamber, a satellite phone and a messenger, and a wilderness first responder in the crew.
The lead guide’s decision to turn back is final. Not a guest, not an agent, not this office — whatever has been paid.
Getting there
Islamabad
Met inside the terminal. Briefing the same evening, SIM and cash sorted.
Islamabad to Astore
The long road day down the Karakoram Highway to Jaglot, then up into Astore. There is no flight to this side.
Astore to Tarashing
Several hours by jeep up the Rupal valley on our own vehicles.
From Tarashing
On foot, with a Rupal porter crew from the valley.
Questions people actually ask
How many days is the circuit, and when does it run?
Twenty-four door to door, of which sixteen are walking. July to September, which is narrower than the valley season at either end because the Mazeno La is the constraint.
How hard is the Mazeno La?
It is the crux of the route. A high crossing with a steep north side that needs rope, ice axe and crampons, and groups turn back there. The climb to the pass is less of a problem than the descent off it.
How fit do I need to be?
Sixteen walking days, six to nine hours on the longer ones, over three passes. The demand is cumulative — the fourteenth day decides it, not the hardest one. Not a first Karakoram trek.
How high is the Mazeno La exactly?
Published elevations disagree by more than twenty metres and we have not settled which is right, so the figure prints with a marker. It makes no difference to how the pass is crossed and we would rather show the uncertainty.
What experience do you require?
Previous multi-day trekking at altitude and competence moving on a rope before you arrive. We are not teaching rope work on the Mazeno. If this would be your first long trek we will say so rather than take the booking.
What permits does it need?
Trekking permits and fees for both the Rupal and Diamir sides, since the route crosses between them, plus a registered guide. We obtain all of it and it is in the price. Your Pakistan visa is the paperwork that matters and a trip this long is worth starting the file early for.
What does it cost and what moves the price?
Porter stages dominate — three weeks of supplies carried over three passes with no road resupply — and two separate crews are needed because the Rupal and Diamir porters do not cross. Then party size, capped at eight. Deposit is 25 per cent.
What happens if we cannot cross the Mazeno?
We turn back and walk out the way we came, which is a normal outcome rather than a failure. The decision belongs to the lead guide. There is no refund for an unused portion, which is on the payment and refunds page before you pay.
If this one is not quite right
The commonest reason a trip is wrong is that it is too hard or too easy, not that it is in the wrong place.
- A step easier Charakusa valley and K6/K7 Base Camp
You have already chosen the region, which is the harder decision. These run from the same roadhead.
- Diamir & Fairy Meadows · Expedition Nanga Parbat expedition