In and around Askole there are some small hamlets built on the south facing terraces above the Braldu Valley. Looking at the various fruit trees and steep plots of maize, the landscape brings into mind Greg Mortensen’s 2007 book, Three Cups of Tea and how the American climber stumbled into a small village nearby after many days lost on the Baltoro Glacier. As the last settlements before K2, the Balti people rely entirely on subsistence farming in this valley for the few months of the year when it is warm enough for crops and fruit to grow.

- 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.