Rakaposhi Base Camp: Summer Green, Autumn Gold

About 40 to 50 minutes by road. You head south on the Karakoram Highway, turn off and cross the Hunza River into Nagar, then follow the road up to Minapin.

About 1.5 to 2 hours north on the Karakoram Highway, then the same turn into Nagar.

About 6 km (3.7 miles), 800 m (2,600 ft) of climbing, 4 to 5 hours.

The trail leaves Minapin through the village fields and orchards and follows the river for a while. Then it turns uphill. Most of the day is a long series of steep switchbacks on dusty ground, with juniper and pine on the higher slopes and glimpses of the glacier opening up as you gain height. It's not difficult walking, just relentless. It took us 4 to 5 hours with regular breaks. Take it slowly and drink often.

Hapakun is a flat clearing in the trees with a small stream and a few shepherd huts. It's where nearly everyone spends the first night. We pitched our own tents on the grass there, and after dark the only lights were the villages far down in the valley.

About 3 km (1.9 miles), 500 to 700 m (1,600 to 2,300 ft) of climbing, 2 to 4 hours.

The trail keeps climbing above Hapakun, then comes out onto the crest of the lateral moraine beside the Minapin Glacier. This is the part people remember. You walk along the ridge with the glacier on one side, its surface broken into grey and white ice, and Rakaposhi getting bigger with every step.

If you have the time, don't turn around the morning after you arrive. Spend two nights at Tagaphari. The first evening you're usually tired from the climb, and cloud often sits on the face in the afternoon. A full day at camp gives you two sunsets and two sunrises on Rakaposhi, time to walk up to the ridge viewpoint without rushing, and a better chance of a completely clear day. It also gives your body a day to settle at altitude before the long descent.

The plan we'd suggest:

If you have energy left, the slopes above Tagaphari climb to a viewpoint at around 3,900 m (12,800 ft). On a clear morning you get Rakaposhi, Diran and the whole sweep of the glacier, plus peaks over in Hunza. Go early, before the cloud builds.

Some groups cross the Minapin Glacier to the Diran side. This means walking on a crevassed glacier and should only be done with an experienced local guide. It's a full extra day, not a side trip.

Tagaphari back to Minapin is about 9 km (5.6 miles) and 3 to 5 hours. The descent is steep and loose in places, so trekking poles help a lot.

The meadows at Hapakun and Tagaphari are fully green, with wildflowers through July. Shepherds from Minapin bring their animals up to Tagaphari and live in the huts all season, so the camp has life to it. Days are warm in the valley and pleasant at base camp. Nights are cool but rarely freezing.

Rakaposhi is often clear in the morning, then cloud builds around the face by early afternoon. Plan to be on the ridge or at camp early. Summer haze can soften the distant views.

The climb from Minapin is hot and dusty in July, and it's the busiest time on the trail, especially on Pakistani holiday weekends. Afternoon storms happen, so carry a rain layer.

The crowds thin out from September. The air gets very clear, and the mountain stays out of the cloud for longer each day. By October the shepherds have brought their herds down, so Tagaphari is usually empty apart from other trekkers.

Up high, the ground cover along the moraine turns deep red and rust, which you can see in our photos. Lower down, Nagar and Hunza turn gold. Poplars, willows and apricot trees colour up through October and peak around late October and early November. The trek itself is best done before that peak, so the classic autumn plan is to trek in early to mid October and spend the following days in the valley for the colour.

Nights at Tagaphari drop below freezing from late September. Camps and services start packing up. The first snow usually arrives around mid October, and once it settles the upper trail becomes harder going. You need a proper warm sleeping bag and a down jacket.