Welcome To North Pakistan

Gilgit-Baltistan borders the Wakhan corridor of Afghanistan to the northwest, China’s Uygur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang to the northeast, the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir to the south and southeast, the Pakistani-controlled state of Azad Jammu and Kashmir to the south, and Pakistan’s North-West Frontier Province to the west.

Gilgi-Baltistan is home to five of the “eight-thousanders” and to more than fifty peaks above 7000 meters. Gilgit and Skardu are the two main hubs for expeditions to those mountains. The region is home to some of the world’s highest mountain ranges—the main ranges are the Karakoram and the western Himalayas. The Pamir mountains are to the north, and the Hindu Kush lies to the west. Amongst the highest mountains are K2 (Mount Godwin-Austen) and Nanga Parbat, the latter being one of the most feared mountains in the world.

Three of the world’s longest glaciers outside the polar regions are found in Gilgit-Baltistan — the Biafo Glacier, the Baltoro Glacier, and the Batura Glacier. There are, in addition, several high-altitude lakes in Gilgit-Baltistan:

Sheosar Lake in Deosai Plains – Astore region

Satpara Tso Lake in Skardu – Baltistan

Katzura Tso Lake in Skardu – Baltistan

Zharba Tso Lake in Shigar – Baltistan

Phoroq Tso Lake in Skardu – Baltistan

Bara Tso Lake in Gangche – Baltistan

Byarsa Tso Lake in Gultari – Baltistan

Borith Lake in Gojal upper Hunza – Gilgit

Rama Lake near Astore

Rush Lake near Nagar – Gilgit

Kromber Lake In Kromber Pass – Ishkoman Valley, Ghizer District

Barodaroksh lake in Bar valley Nagar

The Deosai Plains, are located above the tree line, and constitute the second-highest plateau in the world at 4,115 meters (14,500 feet)after Tibet. The plateau lies east of Astore, south of Skardu and west of Ladakh. The area was declared as a national park in 1993. The Deosai Plains cover an area of almost 5,000 square kilometres. For over half the year (between September and May), Deosai is snow-bound and cut off from rest of Astore & Baltistan in winters. The village of Deosai lies close to Chilum chokki and is connected with the Kargil district of Ladakh through an all-weather road.