For many trekkers in the Karakoram, the campsite at Urdukas is a destination in itself. It can take up to a week to reach it on foot from Askole, and many people spend a few nights there before turning back down the valley. Located at just over 4,000 metres on the south side of the valley, it is perched a hundred metres above the glacier on a rocky outcrop with space for several separate groups to camp. During the Abruzzi Expedition in 1909, Urdukas was used as their official base camp for their attempt on K2. Alongside Concordia, Urdukas offers the most spectacular views in all directions and one of the first opportunities to look down on to the glacier. Its most distinctive feature is a vast, smooth boulder the size of a small apartment block. Perched on its top, especially at dawn and dusk, Hart Dyke made many sketches looking towards the wall of Baltoro Cathedral and Trango Towers.

- William Mitchell, K2 Artistic Expeditions: James Hart Dyke & Vittorio Sella, 2026

See all the paintings in K2: James Hart Dyke at our London exhibition, which then travels to the Forte di Bard. You can also browse more works by James Hart Dyke or read his biography.