Mountains of Gilgit Baltistan

With over millions of tourists flooding towards the Northern areas of Pakistan each summer for the past recent years, Pakistan has been ranked the world’s top travel destination for the year 2018 by the British Backpacker Society, which described Pakistan as “one of the friendliest countries on earth, with mountain scenery that is beyond anyone’s wildest imagination”. Northern Pakistan or Gilgit Baltistan is famous for its majestic landscape and the lofty snowcapped mountains which attract people from all over the world to come and witness their beauty. Northern Pakistan is home to world’s highest Mountain Ranges. These Ranges not only include high peaked mountains and tough deadly treks but they also possess magnificent beauty. The breathtaking views of the valleys from the mountaintop motivate the adventurers to take on the climbing expeditions. Majority of the tourists only enjoy the beauty of the mountains from the valleys, only a few courageous people take on the challenge of climbing these mighty peaks.

So here is everything you need to know about the mountains of Gilgit Baltistan.

The Mountain Ranges

Gilgit Baltistan is an attraction point because of its scenic beauty and also because it has the world’s highest mountain ranges: The Karakoram Range, the Himalayan Range, and the Hindu Kush range. Gilgit Baltistan is home to 18 out of 50 of the world’s highest mountain peaks and 3 out of 7 of the world’s longest glaciers. With an abundance of wilderness, adventure, peace, and beauty Gilgit Baltistan is a renowned destination for mountaineers, climbers, hikers, and trekkers.

K2

Gilgit Baltistan is home to the world’s second highest peak K2, also known as Mount Godwin-Austen. K2 is located on the Pak-China border near the Baltaro Glacier. With the height of 8,623 meters (28,250 feet) K2 has two entrances but because of the extreme harsh difficulties from the Chinese side, K2 is mostly mounted from the entrance in Pakistan. The hardship of mounting K2 has been depicted in many Hollywood movies such as K2, Vertical Limit, and K2: Siren of the Himalayas and The summit.

 

Nanga Parbat

Nanga Parbat is the world’s 9^th highest peak. It is located in the western Himalayas, Diamer, and Gilgit Baltistan. With a height of 8,126 meters (26,660 feet), Nanga Parbat is notoriously known as the killer mountain. It is surrounded by the Indus River. Nanga Parbat’s climb is known to be extremely difficult as it has caused numerous deaths. Movies which have featured this mountain are: \ The Climb, Seven Years in Tibet, and Nanga Parbat.

Gasherbrum I

Gasherbrum I is the world’s 11^th highest peak. It is also known as K5 and the Hidden Peak. With the height of 8,080 meters (26,510 feet), Gasherbrum I is located on the Pak China Border and it is owned by Karakoram Range. Gasherbrum is the word in the language Balti and it literally translates into “beautiful Mountain”. This mountain is often claimed to mean “shining wall”. It is called the “hidden peak” in reference to its extreme remote geographical location.

Gasherbrum II

Gasherbrum II is the world’s 13^th highest mountain and the 2^nd high highest of the Gasherbrum peak. This shining mountain has a height of 8,035 meters (26,362 feet). This mountain is also known as the K4, which stand for the fourth mountain of the Karakoram Range. This is also located on the Pak-China border.

Broad Peak

Broad Peak is the world’s 12^th highest mountain with the height of 8,051 meters (26,414). This mountain is also located on the Pak-China Border. It was named as “Falchan Brak” because of its broad peak, by the Balti people. The English name was introduced in 1892 by the British explorer Martin Conway.

Rakaposhi

Rakaposhi is a mountain in the Karakoram Range, situated in the middle of the Nagar Valley. Rakaposhi literally translates into “Snow Covered”. With the height of 7,788 meters (25,551 feet), Rakaposhi is ranked as the world’s 27^th highest mountain. It is not Rakaposhi’s height, but its majestic beauty which makes Rakaposhi stand out as one of the most beautiful peaks in the world. This mountain is covered in snow throughout the year and one of the most loved trekking destination of nature lovers.

Passu Cones

Passu Cones or Cathedrals are located in the small town of Passu. These are a set of great mountain peaks, more than 6,000 meters. These jagged mountains have a height of 6,106 meters (20,033 feet). These are the most photogenic set of mountains and are famous for its golden peaks in the form of pyramidal shape. This sun-drenched mountain is a tourist attraction because of its magnificent lavish aesthetic beauty.

 

The above-mentioned mountains are just a handful among hundreds of other mountains. These mountains are home to the people with an extremely rich culture and values. The beauty of Northern Pakistan’s Landscape when fused with the rich Culture of Gilgit Baltistan, becomes one of the most appealing experiences which one never forgets. Because of the gloriousness of the mighty peaks and the rich cultural heritage of Gilgit Baltistan, it has become the number one travel destination, not just for the residents of Pakistan but also for the international tourists who are seeking true adventure and learning experiences.

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