Skardu is the capital of Baltistan, a high desert town where the Indus and Shigar rivers meet at around 2,230m, ringed by the biggest mountains on earth. It is also our home — the town most of our treks and every Baltoro expedition set out from. If you are coming to the Karakoram, you are almost certainly coming through here.
Why Skardu is the launch point
K2, the Baltoro glacier, Concordia, Gondogoro La and the eight-thousanders are all reached from Skardu — it is where porters are hired, permits finalised and jeeps loaded for the drive to Askole and the trailheads. We are a Skardu-based, Balti-run operator, which is simply the practical way to work here.
What to see around town
Even before you head for the mountains, the Skardu valley is worth a few days.
- Kharpocho Fort, perched above the town, for the view over the Indus.
- The Manthal Buddha Rock, a carved relief from Baltistan’s Buddhist past.
- Satpara (Sadpara) Lake, just above town, often paired with the Deosai drive.
- The Kachura lakes — Upper Kachura and the resort lake at Shangrila (Lower Kachura) — for boating and a calm day.
- The Katpana and Sarfaranga cold desert, a stretch of high-altitude sand dunes unusual at this elevation.
The heritage valleys: Shigar and Khaplu
Two side valleys reward a day each. Shigar, about 35 km from Skardu, has a beautifully restored fort on the old route to the Baltoro. Khaplu, roughly 100 km east, holds the Khaplu Palace and the centuries-old Chaqchan Mosque — the greener, gentler face of Baltistan.
Deosai
South of Skardu, the Deosai Plains sit above 4,000m — one of the highest plateaus on earth, snowbound and empty for much of the year and open only in high summer. It is a national park, home to Himalayan brown bears and the alpine Sheosar Lake, and it makes a long day trip or an overnight camp.
When to come
Spring brings blossom to the valley floor; late June to September is the window for the high treks and expeditions; autumn is clear, cold and quiet. The Skardu flight from Islamabad is spectacular but weather-dependent, and the overland Karakoram Highway is long — we plan spare days for both.
Plan a trip from Skardu
We live here and run everything from here, with no middlemen in between. Tell us whether you want the blossom, a base camp trek or an eight-thousander, and we will build it around the season and your dates.
