Food on Trips

The food was amazing... At every meal I was pleasantly surprised at the delicious food and magic that the kitchen crew conjured up.
Khumbu Peaks & Passes 2011.

Perhaps one of the most important aspects of any expedition is whether you can eat and drink well as you climb. We think it is important that members are eating good quality food but also food they will eat. We work hard with you to ensure that you have a good diet for the trip ahead!

All members are expected to supply themselves with food for any days above base camp. Some people opt for the classic freeze dried meals while others simply purchase food locally. With the recent increase in baggage charges on airlines, many members are only bringing things from home that they really cant live without. We ask all members and guides to bring a group item to share amongst teammates at base camp. This can be anything from a special bottle of hot sauce to a nice bottle of scotch. This is up to you.

Freeze dried meals may be difficult to find in Pakistan & Nepal, especially during the height of the climbing season. If you are having difficulty finding freeze-dried meals in your home town, please contact us and we will help you arrange something.

Pakistan Specific Information

Skardu, Pakistan is the jumping off point for the majority of expeditions to the Karakorum. Members can expect to find a good selection of food in the ‘main bazaar’ which is located right in the middle of town. It is not recommended that members purchase all of their mountain food locally however. Here is a list of items that you are pretty much guaranteed to find in Skardu:

• Powdered soup packets (all contain MSG)
• Chocolate (pretty low quality)
• Dried Apricots & other assorted fruits
• Almonds, Pistachios, Peanuts, Almonds
• Maggie, Ichhiban & Ramen noodles
• Hard Candies
• Gum, Mints etc.

Things you will not easily find in Pakistan:

• Alcohol
• Pork products
• Energy bars or gels
• Dried meat
• Quality freeze dried meals
• Nearly all western brand name goods
• Cheese

The Average Day on the Mountain

The menu for an average day above base camp might look something like this:

• Breakfast: tea, cheese, dried meat & biscuits
• Lunch: juice, sausage, power bar, nuts, dried fruit, chocolate
• Dinner: soup, noodles, freeze-dried meal, sweets, tea

In general, members should bring about 10 days of mountain food for the sub 8000 meter peaks & 15+ days for the 8000 meter climbs. It is also highly recommended that while on the hill, you eat & drink pretty much constantly throughout the day. This is not only easier on the already taxed digestive system but moreover, it gives the body a constant supply of much needed fuel. Some people will prepare daily ration baggies with nuts, chocolate, cheese, candies and some other high fat, calorie rich snacks. This is a great idea but it is recommended that this is all done before we leave for the mountain. There is already too much garbage on the Baltoro!

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us and we will be happy to help you out.