Batura Glacier | Karakorum Range, Pakistan, 2008

Distance:   46.6 miles (75 km) approx.

Avg.Time :   3 or 4  days

Start / Finish :

• Passu

• It is possible to store any extra gear you might have at the welcoming Passu Inn, which also sports a restaurant and a small shop across the street.

Season:  June – September

Maps / Info :

• At 35 miles (57 km) in length, the Batura Glacier is one of the world’s longest outside of the polar regions. The out-and-back hike along its course offers spectacular scenery including some 14 peaks higher than 7000 metres, the incredible Batura ‘Wall’ and one of the most scenically set villages you will ever see, the seasonal hamlet of Yashpirt.

• I used the map and trekking notes contained in the 2002 edition of Lonely Planet’s Trekking in the Karakoram & Hindukush. I found this guide to be adequate for navigation purposes, as the trail never strays too far from the glacier itself.

• I also had the 1:200,000 Loemann Maps: Karakoram Himalayas #1 (out of print as of June, 2010).

• If you are coming from the south, it is best to buy your supplies in Gilgit or Karimabad.

• A good source of general information on the area is Lonely Planet’s Pakistan & the Karakoram Highway.

Route / Conditions :

• No steep passes and two relatively simple glacier crossings. Much of the hike follows ablation valleys and water courses that parallel the glacier.

• Due to the lack of altitude gain and mostly easy terrain, the Batura Glacier trek represents a good choice for your first hike in the Karakorum range.

• There is no reliable water source until a few kilometres past the hut at Uzhokpirt. Be sure to carry enough when you leave Passu.

Sleeping :

• Although there are huts at Yunzben and Uzhokpirt, you will still need to bring along a tent.

• Great camping with incredible views and reliable water at the village of Yashpirt. Not to be missed.

Overview :

• Fantastic hike with non-stop jaw-dropping vistas.

• Be sure to do the out-and-back side trip from Guchesham to Ludpur.