General
Ultar Sar Expedition 2024-25
Ultar Sar Peak registration is open for all seasons. We are offering Ultar Sar Peak for mountaineers, climbers and alpinists from around the world.
Including Ultar Sar Peak, we also offer other 7,000 to 7,500m peaks and few of them are given in the table below.
| Mountain/Peak | Price (USD) |
| Malubiting Peak (7,458m) | 4200 |
| K12 Peak (7,428m) | 4500 |
| Spantik Peak (7,027m) | 4300 |
| Link Sar (7,041m) | 4500 |
| View all 7,000 - 7,500m peaks | - |
| View all peaks in Pakistan | - |
Ultar Sar Expedition – Cost – USD 3,700
Our estimated costs are given below. The minimum cost of Ultar Sar Peak expedition starts from USD 3,690 per person.
| Solo Climber | 2 Persons | 3 Persons | 4 Persons | 5 Persons | 6-8 Persons | 9-10 Persons |
| 5990 | 4990 | 4590 | 4290 | 3990 | 3790 | 3690 |
Highlights – Ultar Sar Expedition
- Competitive prices for a seven thousander peak in the wild mountains of Pakistan
- Field office and permanent staff for logistical arrangements to and from the mountain
- Itinerary based on our mountain guide's indigenous knowledge and vast experience
- Spectacular mountain vistas during the expedition
- Apricot Tours is a fully licensed native adventure company
- Fixed departures are normally guided by our Pakistani High Altitude Climber(s) (HAC)
- Private groups are always one of our top priorities
- We cater to both guided expeditions and non-guided (alpine style) climbing
- We cater to both "base camp services" and "full board services"
- Nepalese Sherpas available upon timely request (at least 6 months prior to arrival in Pakistan)
- The following High Altitude Support available at extra cost
a. Pakistani High Altitude Porter (HAP) - Will carry 20 kg of personal equipment between camps
b. Nepalese Private Sherpa (personal guide/porter) - Carries up to 20 kg (44lbs) of your personal equipment, climbs with you, melts water, cooks, and will be with you every step of the way.
c. Personal equipment carriage service - Sherpa carries up to 10kg (22lbs) of personal equipment up and down the mountain between camps
Ultar Sar Expedition – Holiday Information
- Lodging at base camp (single supplement)
- Full base camp with dinning tent, bathroom, showers & solar charge
- All internal/domestic transport
- All domestic flights
- 50kgs (110 lbs) personal baggage
- All meals during trek and at base camp (B,L,D)
- Group emergency equipment/satellite phone service with fixed calling charge
- Two nights stay in Islamabad hotel on arrival and two on return (bed & breakfast only)
- Staff insurance (guide, cook, kitchen staff, assistant(s) & porters etc)
- Experienced cook from Pakistan
- Kitchen staff
- Porters for all expedition supplies
- Solar power at base camp
- Electricity generator (backup for high voltage devices)
- International airfare
- Permit/royalty fee according to number of persons
- Personal climbing equipment, clothing & sleeping equipment
- Group climbing gear (rope, ice crew, snow bar, EPI gas, cooking pots and others)
- Mountain climbing rescue and evacuation insurance policy - mandatory
- Lodging and meals above base camp
- Any service above base camp
- Communication radio (walkie talkie)
- Weather reports
- Personal equipment cargo to/from Islamabad
- Pakistan visa fee
- Tips/gratuities to staff, cook, assistant(s) of US$ 250 per person in total
- Meals in Islamabad
- Extra hotel nights after the climb
- Trip cancellation insurance
- All expenses incurred in the event of early wind-up/summit (extra hotel nights, meals at hotels, evacuation)
- Charges incurred due to delays beyond the control of Apricot Tours (Force majeure)
- Personal communication (phone, fax, e-mail) between Pakistan and home country.
Why should you register very early?
1. Team building: It takes time to formulate a good team. We go through all incoming applications and formulate the best team of mountaineers (on the basis of experience). Although our vet process is not very strict, our top priority is always the safety of fellow climbers. We will not accept all applications only to maximize the number of the mountaineers.
2. Logistics: Our climbing adventures involve a lot of logistics. This includes reserving/assigning high altitude porters, guides and other staff in advance. It also involves a lot of procurement (equipment, food etc). This is not possible during the last hours. During winters expeditions, most of the supplies are transported to base camps two to three months prior to the expedition because winters in the mountains of Pakistan are very harsh and it becomes almost impossible to for porters to walk through the trail with heavy supplies.
3. Permit: Pakistani government tourism laws require tour operators to submit applications for climbing (along with all documents e.g. passport copies, photos, CVs etc) at least 70 days prior to arrival in Pakistan.
4.Domestic Flights: We might not be able to get you on the domestic flight to Skardu if you do not pay your deposit on time. Domestic flight seats are sold very fast way ahead of time because there are only two flights to Skardu during peak season. This is a very serious concern.
5. Price changes: The given prices are early bird discount offers and are subject to change. There can be increases in price after January. Service providers including (but not limited) to hotels increase prices in peak-season. Early reservations cost less than peak-season (May to September). Our prices will not change once you have paid the deposit so the price when you book is the price you will pay. Register yourselves early to avoid increase in holiday prices.
6. Pay less deposit: Given below is our deposit schedule for 2020 departures.
- 8 months before departure (deposit: 35%)
- 6 months before departure (deposit: 40%)
- 5 months before departure (deposit: 50%)
- 4 months before departure (full payment)
Note: The same deposit time frames above apply to 2021-22 departures.
Refund policy
Deposit: Once paid, the deposit is non-refundable as it will be spent on making in-country arrangements, organizing logistics, procurement of equipment (e.g. oxygen sets) and supplies (including food), hiring of staff/sherpa etc.
Balance: All balances are due 120 days prior to arrival in Pakistan unless otherwise specified. Participants whose balances are not received by the 120-day deadline as stated above, risk forfeiture of their funds and their place on the expedition. For this expedition, there are no refunds for the deposit or balance payments. This includes but is not limited to, expeditions that conclude without a summit or progress towards a summit for participants due to route conditions, weather, insufficient manpower, or any other factor outside the control of Apricot Tours. Expedition leader has the final say on the expedition conclusion and will make all the best efforts for a happy return home.
Currency
All international climbers are charged in US Dollars (USD).
Other Notes
- Deposit should only be paid after filling out the registration form and confirmation/approval from Apricot Tours.
- Due to the nature and heavy costs of government and operator permits, Apricot Tours must follow a precise refund policy.
- Participants that choose to leave an active expedition for any reason are not entitled to any refunds
- Apricot Tours highly recommends trip cancellation insurance for all expeditions
As Featured In:
Ultar Sar Expedition – Royalty Fee
The royalty fee/rates assigned by Pakistan’s Tourism Ministry for climbing Ultar Sar Peak in spring, summer and fall start from USD 1,500 after a discount of 40%. The details of royalty fees for three seasons are given below.
Ultar Sar Peak Royalty Fee/Rates – Spring, Summer & Fall
| Mountain | Full team | Royalty fee for full team | Additional member fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7,501m to 8,000m | 7 members | US$ 4,000 (revised in 2023) | US$ 1000 (revised in 2023) |
The royalty fee/rates assigned by the government for climbing Ultar Sar Peak in winters start from USD 125 after a discount of 95% in winters. The details of royalty fees for winters are given below.
Ultar Sar Peak Royalty Fee/Rates – Winter
| Mountain | Full team | Royalty fee for full team | Additional member fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7,501m to 8,000m | 7 members | US$ 200 | US$ 50 |
The discounts above are being offered since over a decade as part of the government policy to promote adventure tourism.
- List of 3000 - 4000m Peaks (Download PDF)
- List of 4000 - 5000m Peaks (Download PDF)
- List of 5000 - 6000m Peaks (Download PDF)
- List of 6000 - 7000m Peaks (Download PDF)
- List of 7000 - 8000m Peaks (Download PDF)
- List of 8000m Plus Peaks (Download PDF)
Overview – Ultar Sar Expedition
Ultar Sar or Ultar Peak is a 7,388 meter (or 24,239ft) peak in the sub-range of the Karakoram Mountains known as the Batura Muztagh. It comprises of two peaks called Ultar I and Ultar II, and it’s near the village of Karimabad (10km northeast) in Hunza Valley, Pakistan. It is well known in the region for its spectacular vertical ascent and hosts many beautiful views from all around the Hunza-Nagar Valley.
Ultar Sar is also neighbor to Lady Finger Peak (or ‘Bubli Mo Tin’ known by the locals) which is considered one of the most challenging summits in Pakistan but still hosts one of the most amazing sites, along with Shispare 7,611 meters (or 24,970ft), and Hunza Peak 6,270 meters (or 20,570 ft). It is also surrounded by the Hunza River, and glaciers that include Attabad, Ultar, Hassan Abad and Batura.
Ultar Sar was very famous during the 1990s because it was referred (incorrectly) as the highest unclimbed independent peak in the world which is also the reason why there were around 15 attempts during the 1980s and 1990s to climb to the summit of this peak but none were successful.
The first successful ascent was made by Akito Yamazaki and Kiyoshi Matsuoka of the Japanese Alpine Club in 1996 via Bathbakor Base Camp. In recent times, Ultar Sar Base Camp was a popular trekking and hiking site for all kinds of tourists, and it was even further helped by the recent increase in flux of tourism in the Hunza and Nagar Valley region.
Ultar Sar is a technically harder peak in this region with overhanging rocks, crevasses, sharp ridges, and bad weather conditions. It’s for mature and experienced climbers, and requires advanced mountaineering skills.
The peak is also infamous for its avalanches. In July, 2018 an avalanche hit 3 foreign mountaineers stuck at 19,000 ft high on the Ultar Peak. A daring rescue mission by Pakistan Army Aviation took place and 2 of the mountaineers were rescued while the third one had succumbed to the extremes of the avalanche.
The services of such a trip includes hotel booking, government permits because it is a peak higher than 7000m, domestic flights, chefs, tour guides, visa assistance, porters, camping equipment, daily food, kitchen equipment & tools etc.
Other Holidays
Apart from mountaineering and climbing adventures, we also offer trekking holidays. Our most popular trekking holidays are given in the table below.
