Rakaposhi and Diran base camps
Overview
A fourteen-day trek in Nagar reaching the base camps of both Rakaposhi at 7,788 m and Diran, which stand at either end of the Minapin glacier. It is the longer, harder version of the Minapin trek, and the only way to see both faces properly in one trip.
Two mountains, one glacier
Rakaposhi’s north face dominates the base-camp meadow above Minapin. Diran sits at the far end of the same glacier system and is a different proposition entirely — a snow dome rather than a wall, and the mountain most people in the valley point at first. Walking between them takes a day and changes the shape of both.
Why it is harder than the Minapin trek
Because it keeps going. The climb out of Minapin to the base-camp meadow is the same relentless ascent, and then instead of turning round you carry on along the glacier to the Diran side and camp higher. More days, more height, and the ground between the two camps is moraine rather than path.
When it runs
June to September. Earlier than that the upper glacier holds too much snow to be worth the walking; later it is cold at the high camp in a way that stops being interesting.
What is inside the price
Permits and fees, transport on our own vehicles, a hotel in Hunza either side, full camp with cook and mess, a Nagar porter crew under our published porter charter with loads weighed in front of you, guides on our payroll, satellite phone above the village and a written evacuation plan for every camp. Climbing Diran is a different trip entirely; Rush Lake is the other long trek in the valley. See the rest of Nagar and our other Karakoram treks.
- Duration
- 11 – 14 days
- Trek days
- 8
- Maximum altitude
- 4,200 m [confirm]
- Grade
- Hard
- Group size
- Max 10
- Guides
- 2 certified, 1 WFR
- Season
- June – September
- Starts / ends
- Gilgit / Gilgit
- Accommodation
- Hotel in Hunza, full camp on the mountain
- Rakaposhi's north face at 7,788 m from the meadow directly beneath it
- Diran at the far end of the same glacier — a snow dome, and a complete contrast
- Both base camps in one trek, which needs a week more than Minapin alone
- Moraine walking between the two camps rather than a path
- A Nagar porter crew under our published charter, loads weighed in front of you
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 2,850 | A full crew for two people |
| 3 – 4 | USD 2,350 | |
| 5 – 8 | USD 2,000 | 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 Gilgit Hotel
Met at the airport or off the highway. Briefing, SIM and cash.
02 Gilgit to Minapin Hotel
Up the highway into Nagar. Crew and loads meet us at the village; kit check in the afternoon.
03 Minapin to Hapakun Camp
Steeply out of the village through the forest to the meadow. Short day, all of it uphill.
04 Hapakun to Tagaphari Camp
Along the edge of the Minapin glacier to the base-camp meadow under Rakaposhi's north face.
05 At Rakaposhi Base Camp Camp
A day under the face. Walk higher along the glacier edge if the weather is good.
06 Tagaphari to Diran Base Camp Camp
Across the moraine to the far end of the glacier. Slower than the distance suggests.
07 At Diran Base Camp Camp
The snow dome above, and Rakaposhi back down the glacier behind you.
08 Diran to Hapakun Camp
Back along the glacier and down to the lower meadow.
09 Hapakun to Minapin Hotel
The descent in one go, which is hard on the knees and quicker than you expect.
10 Minapin to Hunza Hotel · 2,400 m
Short drive to Karimabad. Kit return, debrief and a proper bed.
11 Hunza — rest day Hotel · 2,400 m
The valley, the forts, or nothing at all. Yours.
12 Hunza to Gilgit Hotel
Down the valley with stops you choose.
13 Gilgit — buffer day Hotel
Held against the flight. Yours if it is not needed.
14 Gilgit, and onward —
By air or road, and on to whatever comes next.
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
Eight walking days, five to seven hours on the longer ones. The climb out of Minapin is relentless and gains most of the height in a day; the ground between the two base camps is loose moraine rather than path, and it is slower than the distance suggests.
No rope and no technical ground, but this is a clear step above the Minapin trek — more days, more height and a higher camp. If you have not camped above 3,500 m before, say so at enquiry. The descent is where people find out about their knees, and poles are worth more here than on most treks we run.
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
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 by a member of our team, not a driver with a sign outside it. Briefing the same evening, SIM and cash sorted.
Islamabad to Gilgit
By air when the weather allows, which is the short way and the one that cancels. By road up the Karakoram Highway when it does not — long, reliable, and scenery rather than dead time.
On the ground
Our own vehicles and our own drivers from Gilgit onward.
Questions people actually ask
How is this different from the Rakaposhi Base Camp trek?
It is the same walk as far as the Rakaposhi meadow, then carries on along the glacier to Diran instead of turning round. About a week longer, a higher camp, and the only way to see both faces properly.
How many days does it take?
Fourteen door to door from Gilgit, of which eight are walking. The Minapin trek on its own is seven days and four of walking.
How fit do I need to be?
Five to seven hours a day on steep ground and loose moraine, on consecutive days, with a daypack. A clear step above the Minapin trek.
How high does it get?
Around 4,200 m at the Diran camp. We have not matched that against a reliable second source, so it prints with a marker until we have — figures for this valley are copied between operators and we would rather show the gap.
Do I need a permit?
No restricted-zone permit and no liaison officer — Nagar is an open trekking zone. Local and park fees apply and we pay them as part of the trip. Your Pakistan visa is the paperwork that matters and we send a sponsor letter for it.
What does it cost and what moves the price?
Party size first, because camp, crew and a cook cost nearly the same for three people as for eight. Then porter stages, which the route fixes. Deposit is 25 per cent and the balance is due before departure.
When is the best time to go?
June to September. Earlier and the upper glacier holds too much snow to be worth the walking; later and the high camp is cold in a way that stops being interesting.
Can I climb Diran afterwards?
Not on this trip. Diran is a 7,000 m expedition with its own permit, royalty and requirement. If that is where you are heading, this trek is a good reconnaissance and we will say so.
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 Rush Lake and Rush Pari
- A step harder Four 8,000 m base camps
You have already chosen the region, which is the harder decision. These run from the same roadhead.
- Nagar · Day excursion Hopper glacier and Nagar
- Nagar · Expedition Rush Peak — K2 viewpoint summit
- Nagar · Expedition Diran expedition