Charakusa Valley - Pakistan - 2023

From L - R: K7 West, K7 Central and K7 Main (6935m), Charakusa Valley, Pakistan. Photo: Tad McCrea

In the summer of 2023, American Tad McCrea and I travelled to the Charakusa valley in Pakistan’s Karakoram mountains. Only two days walk from Hushe village and with almost every type of climbing on offer, the valley has been deservedly popular for a few decades. A flat, sandy meadow makes for a perfect base camp, and there’s everything from decent bouldering to multi-pitch crags, and snowy alpine peaks to technical big-walls. This valley is a place you’ve really got to visit.
Tad and I made an attempt at K7 Main (6935m), before switching to try the unclimbed spire of K7 Central. Unfortunately, through a combination of factors such as bad weather, lack of time, sun- or snow-blindness and poor conditions, we bailed only a short way up K7 Central’s spire. You can read more about it here.

All photos: Tad McCrea