The Shisper Glacier, also spelt Shishper, sits above Hassanabad village on the Karakoram Highway in Hunza, and it is one of Pakistan's most closely watched glaciers because of how often it has surged and triggered glacial lake outburst floods. The most damaging of these, in May 2022, swept away the highway bridge at Hassanabad; flooding from the glacier has struck the village again since, most recently in July 2025.
This guide explains what a surging glacier and a glacial lake outburst flood actually are, what has happened at Hassanabad, and how to see the glacier from the highway without putting yourself at risk.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Where | Above Hassanabad village, Karakoram Highway, Hunza |
| What it is doing | A surging glacier that periodically dams meltwater into a lake |
| Known GLOF events | 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, and again in July 2025 |
| Worst event | May 2022: swept away the Hassanabad highway bridge |
| Current road | A rebuilt crossing carries traffic; the area remains flood-prone |
| How to view it | From the Karakoram Highway near Hassanabad, without lingering on the riverbed |
What is a surging glacier?
Most glaciers move slowly and fairly steadily downhill. A surging glacier instead moves in bursts: it can sit relatively still for years, then advance rapidly, sometimes pushing forward tens of metres a day, before slowing again. Shisper is one of a cluster of surge-type glaciers in the central Karakoram, a mountain range known internationally among glaciologists for having more of this behaviour than almost anywhere else on Earth.
When a surging glacier's advancing ice blocks a valley or a side stream, it can dam meltwater behind it and form a glacial lake. If that ice dam fails suddenly, or the lake overtops it, the result is a glacial lake outburst flood, or GLOF: a fast, high-volume surge of water and debris down the valley below.
What has happened at Hassanabad
Shisper Glacier's recent surge phase began in the late 2010s, and it has repeatedly dammed meltwater from the neighbouring Muchuhar glacier, forming an ice-dammed lake above Hassanabad that has burst on several occasions: research on the glacier documents GLOF events in 2018, 2019 and 2020, followed by a larger one in 2022.
The May 2022 flood was the most damaging. Rising temperatures rapidly swelled the glacial lake, and when it broke through, the surge of water and debris destroyed the Hassanabad bridge on the Karakoram Highway, cutting the main road to Gilgit and China for several days and damaging nearby homes and two small hydropower plants. A temporary structure was put up within weeks to restore traffic, and the crossing has since been rebuilt to carry normal highway traffic.
The hazard has not gone away. In July 2025, a further glacial lake outburst flood from Shisper again tore through Hassanabad, damaging houses and irrigation channels in the village. Recovery and reconstruction work has continued since, coordinated with humanitarian agencies working in the area. Given this record, treat Hassanabad as a place where the river and the road can be affected again with little warning, particularly in the warmest weeks of summer when melting is fastest.
Is it safe to visit?
Driving past Hassanabad on the Karakoram Highway is routine, and thousands of vehicles do it every week in season as part of the main road north to Hunza's Gojal villages and Khunjerab Pass. The road authorities and local administration monitor the glacier and the lake behind it, and warnings are issued locally when the risk is judged to be rising.
A few sensible precautions:
- Don't linger on the riverbed or gravel flats near Hassanabad, which are the ground a GLOF would cross first.
- Ask locally if there is any current warning, particularly if you are travelling in the hottest part of summer, when glacial melt is at its peak.
- Treat the crossing like any other river bridge on this road: cross and continue, rather than stopping to picnic beside the water.
Viewing the glacier from the road
Shisper Glacier's tongue and the hollow where its lake has formed are visible from the highway as you pass through Hassanabad, on the drive between Aliabad and the Gojal villages. It is not a signed tourist stop, and most visitors see it only as a striking sight from the car window rather than a place to get out and explore closely.
If you want a longer look, do it from the road itself or a safe pull-off, not by walking down onto the flood plain. For a proper stop on this stretch of highway, the Rakaposhi View Point at Ghulmet and the villages further north in Gojal are better places to get out of the car.
How it fits into a Hunza trip
Hassanabad sits on the main road between Aliabad and Gojal, so anyone driving from Karimabad towards Attabad Lake, Passu or Khunjerab Pass passes through it. It needs no separate detour and no extra time beyond what the drive already takes, covered in our guide to the route from Hunza to Khunjerab Pass.
It is also a useful example for understanding why road conditions in this part of the Karakoram Highway can change quickly. Our guide to Karakoram Highway road status explains how to check current conditions before setting out, which matters more here than on most of the route.
Frequently asked questions
What caused the Hassanabad bridge to collapse?
A glacial lake outburst flood from the Shisper Glacier in May 2022. Rapid melting filled an ice-dammed lake above the village, and when it broke through, the surge of water destroyed the highway bridge.
Is the Shisper Glacier still a flood risk?
Yes. It has produced glacial lake outburst floods repeatedly since 2018, most recently in July 2025, and researchers continue to monitor the lake it forms above Hassanabad.
Can you see Shisper Glacier from the Karakoram Highway?
Yes. The glacier and the hollow where its lake forms are visible from the road through Hassanabad, on the drive between Aliabad and the Gojal villages further north.
Is it safe to drive through Hassanabad now?
Under normal conditions, yes; it is part of the main road north and carries regular daily traffic. Ask locally if there is any active flood warning, especially during the hottest part of summer, and avoid lingering on the riverbed near the crossing.
What is a glacial lake outburst flood?
A sudden, fast release of water and debris when a lake dammed by glacier ice breaks through or overtops its ice dam. It can happen with little warning and travels quickly down the valley below.
