Snow Lake trek is an experience of a lifetime. This is a detailed day-by-day guide to Snow Lake trekking adventure.
All you need to know before you go on the Snow Lake trek.
Overview of Snow Lake Biafo Hispar
The Biafo Hispar also the Snow Lake trek in the words of The first foreign visitor Martin Conway described Snow Lake 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 view.”
Once you are on the Snow Lake trek you realize how true the worlds of Martin convey are! When you cross the Hispar La you feel like not in a different but on a different planet altogether. Every rock on every mountain was more photogenic than the last on the Hispar and Biafo glaciers.
A place so huge that you could build more than 500 football fields. It is indeed the land of the giants! Some passes connect the valleys of Shimshal, Nagar, Arandu, Haramosh, and Shigar to the mystical snow lake. The 120-long ice highways serve as a connecting route between two ancient mountain kingdoms: Nagar in the west and Baltistan in the east.
Surrounded by some of the unknown 7000 and 6000 peaks. The mountains look like a true work of abstract art. Some of the famous mountains include the Latok peaks (7,145m)Biantha Brakk also called the Ogre(7,285m), Sosbun Brakk(6900m)
The 14-day trekking adventure of crossing 120km long Biafo Hispar glacier is done by very few adventurers because of its remoteness and period of crossing it making it unique and a real adventure experienced by very few.
The Snow Lake or Biafo Hispar Trek is one of the ultimate trekking destinations in the world, the trek starts from the remote Askole Valley, which is famous for the starting point of the k2 basecamp trek, Biafo hispar is lesser known compared to the Baltoro Trek, because of there is no view of 8 thousand meter peaks, but the 140 kilometers long Biafo hispar glacier makes it much more adventures, breathtaking and s9urreal compared to Baltoro region k2 trek, and it’s much more challenging, and for 3 4 days you are on the snow-capped glacier with the danger of hidden crevasses, you need at be tied to a roop, and harness and crampons, the best time to do the snow lake trek is from mid-July to mid-august, these conditions make it more challenging but it is worth it, in my experience it is the real adventure and for adventure expedition photographer it one of the best in the world.
14 day trek starts from the pastures of Askole starting from Nam La the first small pastures and camping place next to Biafo Glacier, it takes around 5 hours from Askole
After 2 following the same trail as the k2 trek you have to split on the left side to Biafo Glacier side where the glacier ends, trekking on the left side of the Biafo Glacier it takes 3 hours on a side trail to reach Nam La camping place.
From Nam la 3566m, the next day trek towards the next pasture on the same side to Mango(3730m) the next camping site, the trail is fairly simple, and the terrain is not so steep. The next day 3 you have to descend to the Biafo glacier moraine towards Biantha, the trail might be a bit tricky as you are on the damaged moraine of the Biafo glacier, it takes around 3 hours to be on the flat terrain of the Biafo glacier once you are done with the rough glacier the way to the Biantha pasture (4,035m)
is not so challenging there are some open visible small crevasses you have to bit careful with, just before reaching the right side of the glacier and reaching the Biantha pasture
On this day you see some amazing peaks of Biafo the shapes of these peaks are mesmerizing and the Biafo glacier is so wide and mostly flat, it’s the day you get into this trek you will understand the hype is real, and it is just the starting
On day 4 you start to trek on the flat Biafo glacier, the glacier goes on for 30 kilometers until you reach Karfogoro 4,680m which is the camping place for the day. There is a camping place between Biantha and Karofogoro called Marphogoro but it’s not that far from Biatha so it is better to skip it to reach Karfogoro where you have a view of Snow Lake and Sosbun Brak (6950m) the camping place is on the side of where snow lake, it’s in between big road boulders the place for camping is limited but there are rarely any other trekking expedition so you have all camping places on your own
On day 5, the real adventure starts as move towards Snow Lake from Karfogoro, you trek on the snow-capped glacier so you have to be tied with a rope and a harness, the first 2 hours you have to be careful there small hidden crevasses, you have to trek slow and tied with each other. After a couple of hours, it’s pretty much safe to trek and enjoy the unreal landscape, you get to know how vast the glaciated zone is, and you get humbled by the mountains, it’s one of the unique feelings you feel like you have landed on a different mountain and you get to camp on the of snow lake, just before the ascent of hispar la(4650m).
Day 6 starts early when the snow is hard you ascend towards the Hispar la skipping the big visible crevasses and some hidden you hike slowly towards the Hispar la(5200m), viewing the Latok peaks(7,140m) and you see the full view of the snow lake, the ascent is steep but enjoyable you have to trek slowly and be close to your fellow trekkers to ascend the top of the snow lake it takes around 4 hours to reach to the top. You can camp at the top at 5200m or you can ascend down to the other side of hispar glacier to khani basa(4510m) pasture.
Day 7 you start the trek from Kani Basa to Bakhtur Baig crossing the Pumori glacier you see the 7 thousand-meter peaks of Hispar Muztagh including Pumori Chish 7,490m) Kanjut Sar 2(6821m) the glacier takes around 2 hours to cross at the end of the glacier there is a steep section which can bit challenging for some, you trek on the right side of Hispar glacier along the pastures of Hispar the pastures are green and beautiful you slowly descend the altitude is getting lower, the day ends after 7 hours of trekking at Bakhtur baig campsite (4,470)
Day 8 from Bakhtur Baig to Shigam Baris (4,170) Going along the pastures the terrain is mostly flat and simple there is no glacier crossing on this day you cross some pastures like Hagur Chananlichin and Burum bum you can view on the left side of Balchish peaks(6,000m) and in south side Makhrong chish(6,607m). You trek for 6 hours before you reach the next campsite Shigam Baras
Day 9 Shigam baras to Bittenmal (3800m) another 7 hours to Bittenmal pasture which is the biggest pasture of the Hispar village there are water channels on the pasture and some signs of trees and shepherd hut you are 4 to 6 hours away from Hispar village.
Day 10 Bitten Mal to Hispar Valley (2900m) just after the Bittenmal pasture is Khunyung Chhish Glacier which you have to cross is a rough bouldery glacier there might be no trails but it is not that long to cross. Once you are on the other side you see the Khunyung Chhish Peak (7,813m) which is the 21st highest peak in the world.
The way to Hispar is easy the terrain is mostly flat once you cross the glacier it takes 6 to 7 hours to reach the remote valley of Hispar.
Day 11 you drive from Hispar village to Karimabad on topsy turvy road in a jeep.
About the author
Salim khan is a trekking guide/travel/adventure photographer and travel writer from Hunza Pakistan. He has been hiking and climbing in the Himalayas for the past 8 years and has captured and compiled many stories along the way on these adventures. his photographs, articles, and photo essays have been featured on several big platforms such as Worldnomads, Everyday Pakistan, Dawndotcom, Geomorphic Landscapes, Pamir Times, etc
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