The Route to the Summit of Mustagata

Planning, Acclimation and Careful Progress


After eating 10,000 shish-kebabs and packing 1,000,000 extra calories for the climb, the group is ready for Mustagata. It will take, 15-19 days to get to the summit: one full day by bus to the first (acclimatization) camp and the remaining days spent getting closer and closer to the summit. The main reason for this slow progress is because human bodies need time to adapt to surviving in the low air pressure environment of the mountains at high altitude. If you were to be taken directly from Kashgar to the summit of Mustagata (at 24,757 ft - 7,546 m) you would fall unconscious within 10 minutes (and cash in our chips after another 10-20 minutes). However, by following a pattern of carefully planned ascents and descents you can adapt beautifully and after two weeks you can spend several days at 20,000+ ft (6,100+ m). Here is Cris' progress by day and altitude:


 Day   Progress & Comments   Elevation 

1 Kashgar to Acclimatization Camp (Karakul Lake) 3,937 ft (1,200 m) to 12,139 ft (3,700 m)

2 Acclimatization Camp
12,139 ft (3,700 m)

3 Acclimatization Camp to Base Camp
12,139 ft (3,700 m) to 14,763 ft (4,500 m)

4 Base Camp 14,763 ft (4,500 m)

5 Base Camp to Camp 1 and back to Base Camp 14,763 ft (4,500 m) to 17,552 ft (5,350 m)

6 Base Camp
14,763 ft (4,500 m)

7 Base Camp to Camp 1
14,763 ft (4,500 m) to 17,552 ft (5,350 m)

8 Camp 1 to Camp 2 and back to Camp 1
17,552 ft (5,350 m) to 19,711 ft (6,008 m)

9 Camp 1
17,552 ft (5,350 m)

10 Camp 1 to Camp 2 17,552 ft (5,350 m) to 19,711 ft (6,008 m)

11 Camp 2 to Camp 1 to Base Camp 19,711 ft (6,008 m) to 17,552 ft (5,350 m)

12 Base Camp to Camp 1 14,763 ft (4,500 m) to 17,552 ft (5,350 m)

13 Camp 1 to Camp 2 17,552 ft (5,350 m) to 19,711 ft (6,008 m)

14 Camp 2 to Camp 3 19,711 ft (6,008 m) to 22,309 ft (6,800 m)

15 Camp 3 to just below summit and back to Camp 3 22,309 ft (6,800 m) to 24,573 ft (7,490 m)

16 Camp 3 to Camp 2 22,309 ft (6,800 m) to 19,711 ft (6,008 m)

17 Camp 2 19,711 ft (6,008 m)

18 Camp 2 to Camp 3 19,711 ft (6,008 m) to 22,309 ft (6,800 m)

19 Camp 3 to Summit and back to Camp 3 22,309 ft (6,800 m) to 24,757 ft (7,546 m)

20 Camp 3 to Base Camp 22,309 ft (6,800 m) to 14,763 ft (4,500 m)

21 Base Camp to Kashgar 14,763 ft (4,500 m) to 3,937 ft (1,200 m)