The Karakoram is the mountain range that runs about 500 km across northern Gilgit-Baltistan and along Pakistan's border with China, and it holds almost all of the region's famous scenery: K2, the Baltoro and Biafo glaciers, the peaks above Hunza and Nagar, and the Karakoram Highway that takes its name. It is a separate range from the Himalaya, though the two are often confused, and it is one of the most heavily glaciated places on Earth outside the poles.
This guide covers where the Karakoram runs, its highest peaks and longest glaciers, what makes it different from the Himalaya, and which parts a traveller can actually reach by road or on foot.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Length | About 500 km |
| Name | Turkic, usually translated as "black gravel" |
| Highest peak | K2, 8,611 m, the world's second highest |
| 8,000 m peaks | 4 of the world's 14, all in Pakistan |
| Summits above 7,500 m | 18 |
| Ice cover | 28 to 50 percent of the range, against 8 to 12 percent of the Himalaya |
| Longest glaciers | Siachen (76 km), Biafo (63 to 67 km), Baltoro (63 km) |
| Countries | Pakistan, China and India, with edges in Afghanistan and Tajikistan |
Where the Karakoram runs
The range runs north-west to south-east for about 500 km. Its southern edge is marked by the Gilgit, Indus and Shyok rivers, which separate it from the north-western Himalaya. To the north the Yarkand and Karakash valleys divide it from the Kunlun mountains in China; the Hindu Kush lies to the west, the Pamirs to the north-west and the Aksai Chin plateau to the east. Most of it lies in Gilgit-Baltistan, with the eastern end in Indian-administered Ladakh and the northern slopes in Xinjiang.
That river boundary is the easiest way to place yourself on a trip. On the Karakoram Highway north of the Gilgit river, through Hunza and Gojal to Khunjerab, you are in the Karakoram. Nanga Parbat, south of the Indus, is the western anchor of the Himalaya. In Baltistan, the Shigar valley north of Skardu leads into the heart of the Karakoram at Askole and the Baltoro. The name itself comes from the Karakoram Pass, roughly in the middle of the range, on an old trade route between Ladakh and Yarkand that is no longer used.
The giant peaks
Four of the world's fourteen 8,000-metre peaks stand in the Karakoram, all clustered around the head of the Baltoro glacier in Pakistan.
| Peak | Height | Where a traveller sees it |
|---|---|---|
| K2 | 8,611 m | Concordia, about a week's trek from Askole |
| Gasherbrum I | 8,080 m | Upper Baltoro, beyond Concordia |
| Broad Peak | 8,051 m | Concordia |
| Gasherbrum II | 8,035 m | Upper Baltoro |
| Distaghil Sar | 7,885 m | Hispar Muztagh, remote |
| Masherbrum | 7,821 m | Hushe valley and the Baltoro |
| Batura I | 7,795 m | Upper Hunza, above the Batura glacier |
| Rakaposhi | 7,788 m | From the KKH and Nagar, near Ghulmet |
Heights are as listed by Wikipedia; published figures vary by a few metres between sources. Our 8,000-metre peaks of Pakistan guide covers all five of Pakistan's highest, including Nanga Parbat, and Rakaposhi view point is the easiest big-peak view from the road.
Why the glaciers are so big
Between 28 and 50 percent of the Karakoram is under ice, over 15,000 square kilometres, against 8 to 12 percent of the Himalaya and 2.2 percent of the Alps. Its glaciers include some of the longest outside the polar regions:
| Glacier | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Siachen | 76 km | Disputed military zone, closed to visitors |
| Biafo | 63 to 67 km (sources differ) | Meets the Hispar at Hispar La, 5,128 m |
| Baltoro | 63 km | Route to Concordia (4,600 m) and K2 base camp |
| Batura | 57 km | In upper Hunza; its snout ended about 0.5 km from the KKH in 1984 |
| Hispar | 49 km | Joined to the Biafo, the pair form a system of about 120 km |
The Biafo and Hispar together are described as the longest glacier system outside the poles, and the trek across them by Hispar La, with Snow Lake near the top, is one of the classic routes in the range. See our Biafo glacier, Hispar glacier and Snow Lake trek guides.
The Karakoram Anomaly
Some recent studies show glacier mass in the central and western Karakoram holding steady or slightly increasing, while glaciers in most other mountain ranges shrink. Researchers call this the Karakoram Anomaly. It is not universal: glaciers in the eastern Karakoram are retreating, and overall the range's glaciers are thought to be only slightly retreating. The thick rubble that covers many of them, insulating the ice, is one part of the explanation.
Karakoram or Himalaya: what's the difference?
They are neighbouring but distinct ranges, divided along the Indus, Gilgit and Shyok rivers. In practice:
- The Karakoram is far more glaciated, with roughly two to six times the Himalaya's share of ice cover.
- Its glaciers are longer and heavily debris-covered, so much of a Baltoro or Biafo trek is spent walking on rubble over ice rather than on clean snow.
- Access is harder. K2 base camp is about a week's walk from the roadhead at Askole, and there are no lodges on the way; treks are camping trips.
- Nanga Parbat, Pakistan's other 8,000-metre peak, stands in Gilgit-Baltistan but belongs to the Himalaya, south of the Indus.
Which parts can travellers visit?
By road, with no permit for Pakistanis. The Karakoram Highway from Gilgit through Hunza, Nagar, Gulmit, Passu and Sost to the Khunjerab Pass runs through the range, and you see Rakaposhi, Batura and the Passu Cones from the road. Foreign visitors travel the KKH on a passport and visa. Our Karakoram Highway road status page covers current conditions.
On foot, with paperwork. The Baltoro and K2 base camp, the Biafo and Hispar, and the high glaciers lie within Central Karakoram National Park, set up in 1993 and covering about 10,000 square kilometres, with some 60 peaks above 7,000 metres. Parts of this area are a restricted zone: foreign trekkers need a permit applied for through a tour operator registered with the government, which one guide puts at four to six weeks, and there are park and waste-management fees. We could not confirm the current rules for Pakistani citizens, so ask a licensed operator or the Gilgit-Baltistan tourism department. Our trekking permit and K2 base camp trek guides cover the process.
When. Above about 4,000 metres, snow and glacier travel is workable mainly from June to September, which is why the big treks cluster in those months. See our trekking season guide, and our plan page if you want help building a trip around the range.
Frequently asked questions
Is K2 in the Himalaya or the Karakoram?
The Karakoram. K2 stands at the head of the Baltoro glacier in Gilgit-Baltistan, north of the Indus, in the Karakoram range.
How many 8,000-metre peaks are in the Karakoram?
Four: K2, Gasherbrum I, Broad Peak and Gasherbrum II. Pakistan's fifth, Nanga Parbat, belongs to the Himalaya.
What is the longest glacier in the Karakoram?
The Siachen, at about 76 km, but it lies in a closed military zone. The Biafo and Baltoro, both over 60 km, are the longest that trekkers can walk.
Why aren't Karakoram glaciers shrinking like others?
Many in the central and western Karakoram have held steady or grown slightly, the Karakoram Anomaly, partly because thick rock debris insulates the ice. Glaciers in the eastern Karakoram are retreating.
Do I need a permit to see the Karakoram?
Not to drive the Karakoram Highway through Hunza to Khunjerab. Foreign trekkers going to restricted areas such as the Baltoro need a permit arranged through a registered tour operator.
