Dreaming Big, Starting Small

Soooooo I have been off the trail for awhile. Life just gets in the way, other passions come to the fore, etc. I have a lot of excuses and other things to go but the mountains still call to me. I have a few hiking goals I have been kicking around that I want to share in an effort to re-motivate me for actually trying to accomplish them.

Of course, you probably all know by now that I want to see K2 in person. http://www.eastwesthike.com/2017/11/k2-calling-post-1.html

I still dream of K2 and it is out there, taunting me. Given the realties of work and life, I don't think I can do the 20 day trek to the base but there are plenty of 5-10 day hikes to viewpoints in Pakistan and I am researching like crazy.

Next up is the Lost Coast trail in Cali. This used to be the most under the radar trail out there but there has been a lot of pub in recent years although still not that many hikes. My buddy Jeff has put together a great overview of the trail which I am going to study with abandon:

https://socalhiker.net/the-lost-coast-trail-an-overview/

Last but not least is a trek that I read about a long time ago in Backpacker magazine through the Goat Rocks wilderness. Having spent some time recently in Seattle, I have become absolutely entranced by Mt. Rainier and I want to spend as much time as possible around that mountain and the Goat Rocks is as pretty as they come.

All of these treks are, well, treks and require me building back up my trail legs. I am starting small. First up a few mile roundtrip hike in the high desert. After that, a few more hikes of longer duration (as long as the SoCal wildfires calm down). With the weather in SoCal cooling down, I am getting onto the trail more and getting back into it.

Be on the lookout for more content coming about hikes, gear and more!

K2 Alternate Treks

So I have been looking into K2 and completely ignoring all the first steps I need to take in order to train for the trip (typical me).  The first thing I have learned is that the trekking season seems to be between May and October which pairs well with the vacation schedule here in the US so that is good.

The second thing I learned is that if I want to go to base camp I need to set aside 3 whole weeks for the trek. Most treks are between 21-22 days which doesn't include flights (from LAX it looks like it will take me two days to get to Skardu, the jumping off point of the Karakorum.

I seriously doubt my employer would let me travel the world for three weeks so I need something more in the 7-10 day range. Enter the K2 viewpoint solution.

I won't get right next to K2 but I can get close. The Internet is a powerful tool but man is it short on details about treks that will get me close to K2. Here are a few I have found so far.

Iqbal Trek:

A 10 day trek leading up to the Iqbal Top which has amazing views of not only K2 but Broad Peak and GI and GII. This seems like an easy, short trek but what that actually means is tough to determine from online posts.

http://www.vepakistan.com/itinerary.php?id=27
http://www.karakoramtours.com/iqbal-top-trek

Burgeh La Trek:

This sounds like a really fun trek. You trek through villages so you get the experience of high alpine living and you also get to camp in many historical sites, following the trail of Geofrey Vigne.

http://adventurelandpakistan.com/tour/k2-view-point-trek/

The downside of my research is coming across State Department travel warnings about traveling in Pakistan: https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/alertswarnings/pakistan-travel-warning.html

Has anyone traveled there recently and how are you viewing the security situation there?

So what do you guys think? Should I do a viewpoint trek or should I get myself to base camp? Does anyone know anything about these trek companies and/or these treks? Let me know in the comments as I continue to explore!

K2 Calling- Post 1

Halo! It has been awhile on this blog. Blame my silence on my general burnout on hiking, the hot SoCal weather or any number of other factors. After I had climbed Mt. Baldy with my buddy Jeff, I felt a sense of accomplishment but the downside was I didn’t feel like hiking much more after that.

I have been slowly dipping my toe back into the outdoors but was still pretty unmotivated until I had an idea. I have been fascinated with K2 for a long time and while I would never climb the mountain, I’ve always wanted to see it in person.

This I have a new goal, to do a trek to K2!

This is a newly formed plan in my mind but I think it is important to set goals especially to prod me in getting back outside. Given all of this, I’m starting to put a plan into motion and will be updating this blog with my progress over the next few years.

Yes “years” as this will not be a 2018 and 19 or maybe event a 20 trek as I have get myself and my gear back into shape, do a lot of planning, etc. Who knows, maybe I never even go to K2 but if it gets me back outside then it will be well worth it.

Be that as it may here are some initial plans:

Getting Back In Shape:

The only way you can really train for a trek is to do a trek and here are my hiking goals over the next couple of years:

1) Goal 1, Hike the TransCatalina Trail. It is close to LA, doable in a couple of days and I can maybe see a buffalo? What is not to like about hiking this trail?
2) Goal 2, Hike the Lost Coast Trail. This has been on my list for awhile and needless to say this is a must do before
3) Goal 3, Hike the Sunshine Coast Trail. Such a pretty trail, so much variety and you can even hike hut to hut. Few people have heard of this trail but it is one of the ones I want to do the MOST!
4) Final Goal, Before leaving for K2 I am going to hike the rest of Jeff's 6 Pack of Peaks, 1 down, 5 to go!

The Great Gear Shakeout:

Over the years I have accumulated a lot of gear. Some better than others. Over the next few years I am going to restock and get my gear lean and mean. What should be on my list? What is your go-to sleeping bag, hiking pack, jacket, etc.? Tell me in the comments what I should be looking at!

Figure Out Logistics:

I have ton of hikes on my own but this is a different beast entirely. Should I try to find a group that is going? Should I hook up with a trekking company and if so which one? Part of my updates will be exploring who is out there and who can help me get to K2.

So that is it, nothing to report yet but more to report over the days, months and years to come. Stay tuned for the updates and let's get it on!

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