Karakoram Open For Organised Trekking

On 15 January, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office revised its travel advice for Pakistan, as a result of which, the Karakoram - including the classic trek to K2 along the Concordia Glacier - is now accessible to organised climbing and trekking groups for the first time since 2001.

Porters on the upper Biafo Glacier www.keadventure.com

The move reflects the recent thaw in the frosty relationship between Pakistan and India who are scheduled to hold talks over the ongoing conflict over the disputed Kashmir region, site of the world's highest battlefield, the Siachen Glacier. The Karakoram, incidentally, is home to the densest concentration of hig altitude mountains in the world.

British specialists KE Adventure have announced a three-week trek to K2 base camp this summer to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the first ascent of arguably the most difficult 8,000-er and the second highest mountain in the world.

To see the Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel advisory section click here. Note that the advisory still says that there is a significant risk of terrorist activity in the country.