Despite giving it our all, we didn’t get anywhere near the summit of Laila Peak. Our high point was just beyond Camp 2. To be honest, this mountain was far beyond our level. I was up there as the most experienced in our group, which says a lot.
In the end, it was a lack of rope to be able to fix the entire route but also our guides had never been further either. We discovered (and should’ve known prior) that usually the local Pakistani guides only take you to Camp 2 at a maximum and then you are on your own for the rest of the expedition. We weren’t prepared for this with gear no with expertise.
Nonetheless, we had amazing views from Camp 2 and it was still a great expedition. It was a similar price and duration to an EBC trek, which it surpasses in many ways. We will all remember this trip for the card games, patience at base camp, amazing views on our summit push, and immense fear this sharp slope put into us. Until next time Laila Peak.
