There is a place in northern Pakistan where four of the world's fourteen 8,000-metre peaks rise from the same glacial bowl, where a river of ice stretches 62 kilometres through the most concentrated collection of high mountains on Earth, and where even the world's most seasoned alpinists fall silent. That place is the Baltoro Glacier — and the trek along its length is, by almost any measure, the most dramatic mountain journey a human being can make on foot. The Baltoro Glacier sits deep within the Karakoram range in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. At 62 kilometres long, it ranks among the longest non-polar glaciers in the world, and its upper basin — a glacial amphitheatre called Concordia — is where the Baltoro, Godwin-Austen, and Vigne glaciers converge beneath K2, Broad Peak, Gasherbrum I, and Gasherbrum II simultaneously. Photographer Galen Rowell called it "the Throne Room of the Mountain Gods," and not a single trekker who has stood there has ever disagreed. This is not a trek for the casual hiker. It is, however, a trek for anyone who has ever looked at a mountain and felt something stir. This complete Baltoro Glacier trek guide will tell you everything you need to know before you go. Trek Overview Detail Information Trek Type High-altitude glacier trekking Total Distance ~160 km round trip Duration 18–25 days Difficulty Expert / Strenuous Maximum Elevation 5,150m (K2 Base Camp) / 4,690m (Concordia) Starting Point Askole village, Gilgit-Baltistan Permits Required Yes — via Pakistan Alpine Club, Skardu Licensed Guide Mandatory Best Season June – early September Nearest City Skardu (fly or drive from Islamabad) Route Breakdown: Campsite by Campsite The Baltoro Glacier trek follows a single corridor from Askole into the heart of the Karakoram. There are no alternate routes — the glacier and the valley walls dictate the
There is a place in northern Pakistan where four of the world’s fourteen 8,000-metre peaks rise from the same glacial bowl, where a river of ice stretches 62 kilometres through
