Gilgit-Baltistan

Gilgit-Baltistan is where three of the great ranges of Asia meet: the Karakoram, the western Himalaya and the Hindu Kush. K2, Nanga Parbat, Broad Peak and both Gasherbrums are in this one region, and so are some of the longest glaciers outside the polar regions. Yet most visitors spend their days in the valleys rather than on the summits. The usual picture is a stone village, a terrace of apricot trees, a suspension bridge, and a grey river somewhere far below the road.

Hunza is the best known. It has the old forts of Baltit and Altit, orchards that turn gold in October, and the Karakoram Highway running up through Gojal to the Khunjerab Pass. Skardu and the Baltistan side feel closer to Tibet: wide, dry valleys, sand dunes beside glaciers, high lakes, and the road to K2 and the Baltoro. The western districts, Diamer and Ghizer, are quieter. Nanga Parbat is seen from Fairy Meadows, and the Phander valley is known mostly for its trout streams and the road towards Chitral.

The same calendar applies in every valley of Gilgit-Baltistan. Spring, March and April, brings blossom to the lower valleys. Summer, May to September, is the main season: it is the only time Deosai and the high passes are open, and the time for trekking. Autumn, October and November, gives the golden light that many people travel for. Winter, December to February, is cold and quiet; Hunza is still reachable by road, but the high valleys are closed.

The Karakoram Highway from Islamabad takes two days, usually with a night at Chilas or Besham. Flights from Islamabad to Gilgit and Skardu are short and spectacular but depend on the weather, so we never plan a tight connection around them.