Up there with trekking in Fairy Meadows, the hike to Rakaposhi Base Camp is regarded as one of the most picturesque climbs you can take in Pakistan. Did you know you can trek the Rakaposhi Base Camp in one day on your own? Most people hike it with a guide over two to three days. I accomplished it in October 2018, and I’m here to share my techniques with you so that you can walk to Rakaposhi Base Camp daily.

In the Nagar Valley of Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, the Rakaposhi peak rises to a height of 7,788 meters and is part of the Karakoram mountain range. Rakaposhi, which means “snow-covered,” got its name because of the remarkable height of its snow-covered peaks, seen all around from the Karakoram Highway route that passes through Nagar Valley. Even from the Hunza Valley, you can see its spectacular snowy wall.

 The Rakaposhi base camp is accessible to hikers at a height of 3,500 meters, allowing them to get a close-up view of the magnificent mountain. The full instructions for hiking the Rakaposhi Base Camp on your own in one day are provided below:

This hike’s direct start from Minapin is one of its best features, in my opinion. Since the entire hike will take around 7 hours without stops, I advise you to go out as early as 8 AM. Drive south along the road from Minapin until you come across a bridge leading to a hydro plant. You must then proceed up the rocky mountain by using a gravel trail from there. The trails zigzag up a mountainside before leveling off as you pass through a dense forest.

As you proceed past a little community, the Minapin Glacier will become apparent on your left. After about an hour of walking on a flat path through the forest, you will begin to climb a slope until you reach the Hapakun campground. The campsite is visible. On a vast expanse of grassy plain, there is one large white tent—which, if you visit in October, is unoccupied—where you can relax and, if necessary, rehydrate by fetching water from the neighboring creek.

From this point on, it is all upward with a hard ascent that winds through an alpine woodland for at least an hour before emerging into the open. As you emerge from the trees, Rakaposhi will begin to roar in the distance.

To acquire a panoramic picture of the mountain range and the glacier below it, keep going up the route until you reach a crest. The Minapin Glacier, if being completely honest with you, is possibly one of the most stunning glaciers you have ever seen. I was much more mesmerized by its kaleidoscopic design than by other glaciers.

It should be close to noon when you get to the ridge. You have a choice of staying put for the following two hours or moving on to the base camp, which is just 15 minutes from the crest. I urge you to turn around if you have not reached the crest by 2 PM because you will probably be hiking in the dark on your way down and, as I previously mentioned, the temperature can drop below zero as the sun sets. It will take you roughly 2.5 hours to descend from the Rakaposhi base camp back to Minapin because the route is entirely downhill. 

There you have it, then. In 8.5 hours, including a 2-hour break at the summit, you can climb from Minapin to Rakaposhi Base Camp and back, giving you plenty of time to take great pictures of the mountain’s colorful glacier and stunning scenery.

From May through October, when the trails are free of snow and you are more likely to enjoy a good clear day, is the best time to trek Rakaposhi. It’s a good thing I recommend a day trip rather than a multi-day hike as most people do because the weather in October may be a little windy, especially on the lookout ridge, and the overnight lows may drop below zero.