Karakoram Mountains

The Karakoram is a major mountain range in Central and South Asia, spanning parts of northern Pakistan, the Xinjiang and Gilgit-Baltistan regions of China, and India. It contains some of the world’s highest peaks and extensive glacier systems.

The range includes K2, the world’s second-highest mountain at 8,611 metres, and several other eight-thousand-metre summits such as Broad Peak and the Gasherbrums, as well as large glaciers like the Siachen. The area is noted for steep relief, complex geology and high-altitude mountaineering challenges.

Historically the Karakoram has been traversed by trade routes and explored by mountaineers and surveyors from the 19th century onward; the modern era has seen major climbing expeditions and scientific glaciological studies. Some valleys and passes have strategic and geopolitical significance due to the international borders that cross the range.

Geographically the Karakoram sits to the northwest of the Tibetan Plateau and forms part of the greater Himalayan-Karakoram mountain system, with remote high-altitude terrain, deep valleys and extensive ice fields.

• Overview: The Karakoram spans the borders of Pakistan, China and India and contains multiple eight-thousand-metre peaks including K2, Broad Peak and the Gasherbrums.

What to See#

• K2: K2 - the highest peak in the range and the world’s second-highest mountain at 8,611 metres, located on the China-Pakistan border.
• Major glaciers: Siachen Glacier and the eastern Karakoram glaciers that feed major river systems and form significant alpine and glacial landscapes across the range.

• Plan visits in the summer months (roughly June-September) when high‑altitude passes and trekking routes are most reliably open and weather is milder.
• Most classic expeditions and trekking approaches (e.g., Baltoro/K2 region) are organized from hubs such as Gilgit and Skardu on the Pakistani side; remote logistics, permits and local transport are complex-book an experienced operator.
• Many parts of the Karakoram lie in sensitive border regions with restricted access; research permit requirements well in advance and allow extra time for weather or road delays.