This trek is a worthwhile proposition on 2-weeks time scale and for a variety of reasons it promises to be very interesting indeed. We start from the town of Skardu and Shigar, to the tiny seasonal settlements of the upper valleys where the fascinating Balti culture is well displayed. In terms of natural landscape also the trip is particularly varied ranging from the sands of the Indus valley, by way of the ” Alpine ” lower valley, to the high snows of the spectacular peaks, which surround the Thalay La. To each of the campsites we must climb up beside the snout of the Masharbrum glacier and follow a ridge of lateral moraine to a flat area at the mouth of a second large tributary valley. Skirting the valley’s edge on a narrow rock ledge, before rejoining the moraines passing a cluster of deserted stone huts and climbing up to the jumble of ice and rocks that lead us to Masharbrum.