Rush Lake and Rakaposhi Base Camp
Overview
Rush Lake is an eleven-day trek in Nagar to one of the highest alpine lakes in the region at about 4,694 m, with Rakaposhi, Spantik and Malubiting visible from the Rush Pari viewpoint above it. Short, steep and graded moderate — the difficulty here is the rate of ascent, not the terrain.
The route
You start from Hunza, cross to Nagar and drive up to Hopar, where the Barpu and Bualtar glaciers meet below the village. From there it is on foot up the Barpu ablation valley, onto the glacier, and up to the lake itself. The viewpoint at Rush Pari is a further climb above camp and is the reason people come: Rakaposhi at 7,788 m on one side, Spantik and the Malubiting group on the other.
Why a short trek is graded moderate
Because you gain a great deal of height in a few days, and that profile — not distance, not steepness — is what causes altitude illness. We build an acclimatisation day into Hunza before the walking starts, which some operators skip to shorten the trip. If you have not slept above 4,000 m before, tell us and we will look at your itinerary rather than hurry you through it.
The walking is five to seven hours a day on steep and sometimes loose ground. There is no technical climbing and no rope.
When it runs
June to September. The lake is frozen for most of the year and the high camp is below freezing at night in any season we sell it.
What it combines with
Naturally with the Hunza valley, the Karakoram Highway and — in spring — the blossom. Hunza and Nagar sit opposite each other across the river, so you can reach the Baltit and Altit forts, Attabad Lake and the Passu cones from the same base. Tell us how long you have and we will put the pieces together rather than selling you one fixed shape.
What is inside the price
Permits where they apply, all transport on our own vehicles, hotels in Hunza, full camp on the mountain with cook and mess, a Nagar porter crew under our published charter with loads weighed in front of you, guides on our payroll, satellite phone where the signal stops, and a written evacuation plan for every camp.
- Duration
- 8 – 12 days
- Maximum altitude
- 4,700 m
- Grade
- Moderate
- Group size
- Max 10
- Guides
- 2 certified, 1 WFR
- Season
- June – September
- Starts / ends
- Islamabad / Islamabad
- High lake camps above the Hunza valley.
- Rakaposhi and Spantik in view for most of the walk.
Fixed departures
These prices are per person on a fixed departure, and they are the price — we do not discount a published figure. Deposit is 25%; the payment schedule and cancellation terms are published and sent with every quote. For your own dates, see the private pricing below.
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 2,550 | A full crew for two people |
| 3 – 4 | USD 2,050 | |
| 5 – 8 | USD 1,650 | 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 Hunza Hotel · 2,400 m
By air to Gilgit and road to Karimabad, or the full road day up the Karakoram Highway.
03 Hunza — acclimatisation and Baltit Hotel · 2,400 m
A short walk above Karimabad and the fort. Height gained gently on purpose.
04 Karimabad to Hopar Camp
Across to Nagar and up to the Hopar glaciers. Crew and loads meet us here.
05 Hopar to Barpu Glacier camp Camp
Onto the glacier and up the ablation valley.
06 To Rush Lake Camp · 4,694 m
A long climbing day to the lake. Pulse and saturation checks tonight and every night.
07 Rush Pari viewpoint and back Camp · 4,694 m
Up to the viewpoint for Rakaposhi, Spantik and Malubiting, then back to camp.
08 Rush Lake to Hopar Camp
Down the way we came, quicker and on tired legs.
09 Hopar to Karimabad Hotel · 2,400 m
Out by jeep. Kit return and debrief.
10 Hunza to Islamabad Hotel · 540 m
Air from Gilgit or road. Buffer built in.
11 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
- 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
[WRITE THE HONEST FITNESS NOTE FOR THIS ROUTE BEFORE PUBLISHING.]
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. Briefing the same evening, SIM and cash sorted.
Islamabad to Gilgit or Hunza
By air to Gilgit, weather permitting, or by road up the Karakoram Highway. The road is long but reliable and it is scenery rather than dead time.
On the ground
Our own vehicles and drivers throughout.
Questions people actually ask
Why is a short trek graded Moderate rather than Easy?
Because of the rate of ascent. You gain a great deal of height in a few days, which is the profile that causes altitude illness. The walking is not technical; the altitude is the difficulty.
How fit do I need to be?
Five to seven hours a day on steep, sometimes loose ground, with a daypack. Able to repeat that on consecutive days.
What if I have never slept above 4,000 m?
Tell us and we will look at your itinerary. On a trip this short the acclimatisation profile is the entire safety case, and we would rather add a day than hurry you through it.
How cold is it at Rush Lake?
Below freezing at night in any season we run it. The lake is frozen for much of the year.
Can this be combined with anything?
It combines naturally with the Hunza valley, the Karakoram Highway and Hunza blossom in spring. Tell us how long you have and we will put the pieces together.
Is there signal?
In Hunza and Hopar, yes. On the glacier, no. Satellite phone with the group and a message home each evening.
Who carries the bags?
A Nagar porter crew under our published charter, loads weighed in front of you. You carry a daypack.
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 harder Shimshal Pass
You have already chosen the region, which is the harder decision. These run from the same roadhead.
- Hunza & Gojal · Expedition Spantik — the Golden Peak
- Hunza & Gojal · Jeep safari Karakoram Highway and Hunza
- Hunza & Gojal · Cultural journey Hunza and Baltit with the blossom
If this one is not right
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Hard
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Hard
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Very hard
Baltoro & Concordia · Trek