Trips Pakistan

Snow Lake & Biafo Hispar Trek

Snow Lake - An Introduction
The Karakoram, the westernmost range of the Himalayas, is a desolate land of extremes that encompasses the earth's most dramatic, jagged high peaks and its longest glaciers outside the polar regions. In the middle of it all, in remote northeastern Pakistan, is Snow Lake - a vast basin of ice at 16,000 feet ringed by sawtooth peaks that explorer Martin Conway described as "beyond all comparison the finest view of mountains it has ever been my lot to behold, nor do I believe the world can hold a finer."

This is a place that is so overpowering in its visual drama that a number of qualified observers have been willing to declare unequivocally that this is The Most Beautiful Place in the World. It is starkingly remote, a week's trek from the nearest human habitation of Askole which is itself the last outpost in the hardscrabble frontier region of Baltistan. The fact that only about 200 people a year manage to reach it is a testimony to the difficulty of trekking this remotest of remote glacier land at extreme altitude.

The Trek
The journey to Snow Lake typically begins in Islamabad, the main jumping-off spot for mountaineers and trekkers bound for the Karakoram Range. After flying or driving (there's a 50-50 chance bad weather will cancel your flight) from Islamabad to Skardu, trekkers travel by jeep along the terrifyingly narrow and precipitous road through the Braldu Gorge (brace yourself for two- to three-point turns to negotiate the winding bends) to the medieval-looking village of Askole, where the trek begins.

The route to Snow Lake starts at Askole and proceeds up the 40-mile long Biafo Glacier. The glacier ends at Snow Lake, an inland sea of ice punctuated by mountainous "islands" that thrust up from its surface. Trekkers then cross the 17,000-foot Hispar La to the Hispar Glacier, which descends 35 miles to the Hunza Valley, the prototype for James Hilton's Shangri-La. This is the longest glacial trek in the world outside polar regions with the incredible length of 126 km. Return is an overnight trip via jeep to Karimabad and Gilgit, then by plane or jeep to Islamabad.

Although the terrain is gentle by Himalayan standards — most of the time you're walking on the glaciers themselves — the footing can be difficult. And the utterly barren landscape, devoid of vegetation and people, can be mentally trying for some. But for one glance at the grandeur of Snow Lake, these are scant drawbacks indeed.

Included

• Return transfers between Islamabad & Skardu / Karimabad
• Full accommodation arrangement ( 7 nights in hotels & 15 nights camping )
• Full trek arrangement inclusive of guides, porters, cook and all camping & kitchen equipment
• Full meals on trek & breakfast only in hotels
• Full transport arrangement including airport transfers, Islamabad-Skardu (if inland flight is not possible), transfers to trailheads & back
• All necessary fees & permits
• Complimentary use of sleeping bags & down jackets, if departing from Singapore

Excluded

• 2-way international economy class return airfares between Singapore & Islamabad
• All airport taxes and fuel surcharges
• Pakistan travel visa, if applicable
• Tipping & gratuities to guide & driver
• Personal travel insurance, pre-trip medical immunizations, and all expenses of a personal nature

This is a physically hard and rugged trek - one of the toughest commercial treks in the world. Because the Karakoram is significantly further north compared to the Himalaya, this give rises to a much harsher climate - colder nights and very hot days.

Almost half of the trek will be spent traveling over very rocky glacial terrain - possibly some of the roughest glacier travel around. We will hike six to eight hours a day and reach altitudes above 4,500-m. Exercise at high altitude compounds the physiological stress. You need to be in excellent health and top physical condition to enjoy such an experience, with an excellent sense of balance. In addition, high altitude may create discomfort and symptoms of illness that you do not experience while exercising at low elevations, such as shortness of breath, restlessness or sleeplessness at night, and headaches. Be prepared for very basic amenties as there's no teahouses ( very unlike trekking in Nepal ) along the trail once the trek gets underway. Other qualifications considered essential for this trip are self-reliance, flexibility and a good sense of humor.

The Snow Lake trek is an extremely challenging proposition. Crevasses on the Biafo and Hipar Glaciers have claimed lives, and blizzards, whiteouts, and tricky, crevasse-obscuring snow cover are possible throughout the year. Trekking to Snow Lake is impractical on your own. A guide and porters are a virtual necessity. This is a potentially dangerous trek, with ice crevasses, and you definitely need a competent guide ... meaning, you need a good local operator to make things happen for you.