Snow Lake and Hispar La

You arrive in Skardu, the gateway to Baltistan, and meet the guides and crew who will walk with you for the next two weeks. The afternoon is for gear checks and a briefing on the route across the two great glaciers. The Indus valley around town gives a calm start before the ice.

Night at Hotel, 2,228 m.

A day of jeep track follows the Braldu river to Askole, the last village before the glaciers. The road narrows between enormous walls, with tiny terraces and poplar groves along the water. In Askole you meet the porter team and settle into the rhythm of the trek.

Night at Askole, 3,048 m.

The route leaves Askole and climbs onto the Biafo glacier, the longest glacier route used for trekking in the Karakoram. The first hours are over rough moraine, and then the ice opens up into a broad highway. Namla camp sits beside the glacier with the Latok group coming into view.

7 hours on foot. Night at Namla, 3,500 m.

You continue along the true left bank of the glacier through ablation valleys, the long troughs between the ice and the mountain walls. Mango is a quiet pasture camp with small wildflowers and sheltered grass. The mood is peaceful and the views keep growing.

6 hours on foot. Night at Mango, 3,700 m.

A pleasant walk takes you to Baintha, a campsite with grass, a stream and the last gentle ground before the snow line. Baintha Brakk, known as the Ogre, rises sharply across the ice. It is one of the loveliest camps on the route.

6 hours on foot. Night at Baintha, 3,900 m.

A rest day at Baintha lets the group settle into altitude. Your guides run a session on roped glacier travel, and there is time to wash, repair gear and enjoy the meadow. The Ogre and Latok peaks put on a show in the evening light.

Night at Baintha, 3,900 m.

You are in the centre of the glacier now, with the Ogre, Latok and Uzun Brakk towers on both sides. Marpogoro camp sits on a broad ice plateau and feels like the middle of the Karakoram. The walking is steady and the scenery is among the most dramatic of the trip.

7 hours on foot. Night at Marpogoro, 4,300 m.

At Karphogoro you reach the snow line, and from here the group travels roped for the rest of the crossing. The glacier opens into a white landscape with peaks standing in every direction. Camp is on snow, with a great sense of arrival in the high basin.

6 hours on foot. Night at Karphogoro, 4,600 m.

The day brings you into Snow Lake itself, the vast icy basin where the Biafo and Hispar glaciers meet, with twenty kilometres of white stretching around you. Early surveyors gave it the name because of the way it looks from above. You camp in the open in one of the most remote and beautiful places on earth.

6 hours on foot. Night at Snow Lake, 4,900 m.

A steady climb crosses Hispar La at 5,151 metres, the high pass that links the Biafo and the Hispar glaciers. From the lip you look down onto the longest glacier valley outside the polar regions. Camp is just over the top, with views along the Hispar all the way to Nagar.

7 hours on foot. Night at Hispar La, 5,151 m.

You descend onto the Hispar glacier, a long white road with big peaks on either side. Khani Basa is a spacious camp with views toward Kanjut Sar and the mountains of Hunza. Your guide picks the route across the ice and the day passes in a sweep of scenery.

8 hours on foot. Night at Khani Basa, 4,300 m.

A day of crossing side glaciers and moraine, with turquoise lakes and ice walls beside the trail. Jutmaru is a grassy camp on the edge of the ice. The terrain is varied and keeps the day interesting from start to finish.

7 hours on foot. Night at Jutmaru, 4,000 m.

Grass and flowers return as you descend, and at Bitanmal you meet shepherds and their flocks in the summer pasture. It is a gentle, rewarding walk with a first taste of village life. Camp is on green ground beside a stream.

6 hours on foot. Night at Bitanmal, 3,700 m.

You walk off the ice and into Hispar village, with apricot trees, walnuts and the first roof you have slept under in two weeks. The villagers welcome the group with tea, bread and fresh fruit. It is a joyful day and a fitting end to the crossing.

6 hours on foot. Night at Hispar, 3,200 m.

Jeeps take you down the Hispar valley to Nagar, with views of Rakaposhi and Diran, then on along the Karakoram Highway to Karimabad in Hunza. The valley is green and the terraces are full of fruit trees. A hot shower and a soft bed feel particularly good tonight.

Night at Hotel, 2,450 m.

A restful day in Karimabad with time to visit Baltit Fort and Altit Fort, the old seats of the Hunza rulers. The bazaar has dried apricots, walnut cake and local crafts, and the views over the valley are superb. It is a well earned day of leisure after the glaciers.

Night at Hotel, 2,450 m.

You travel the full length of the Karakoram Highway south to Islamabad, passing through the Indus gorge below Nanga Parbat with its dramatic views. It is a long day but a scenic one, with stops for tea and photos along the way. The evening is relaxed in the capital.

Night at Hotel, 540 m.

After breakfast the team transfers you to the airport for your flight home. You leave with memories of one of the great glacier crossings in the world.

540 m.