Passu and the Batura glacier
Overview
A ten-day trek from Passu up the side of the Batura glacier to the summer pastures at Yashpirt and beyond. The Batura is one of the longest glaciers outside the polar regions, and this walks its flank rather than crossing it — no rope, no crampons, and a season that runs from May to October.
Along rather than across
Most Karakoram glacier treks put you on the ice. This one keeps to the ablation valley on the northern side, which is why it grades Moderate and why it runs so much longer in the year than its neighbours. You are beside the glacier all day without ever being roped to anyone.
The pastures
Yashpirt and the pastures above it are worked through the summer by families from Passu, and the trek runs through a working landscape rather than an empty one. That is a large part of what makes it worth doing, and it asks something of visitors in return — we go with Passu guides and we ask before photographing people, on the terms set out in our porter charter.
The Passu cones
The ridge of rock spires above the village is one of the most recognised silhouettes in Pakistan, and they stay in view for most of the walk in.
When it runs
May to October, the longest season of any trek in this catalogue, because there is no glacier crossing and no high pass to hold snow.
What is inside the price
Permits and fees, transport on our own vehicles, hotels in Gojal, full camp with cook and mess, a Passu porter crew with loads weighed in front of you, guides on our payroll, satellite comms above the village and a written evacuation plan for every camp. For the view from above the glacier instead, Patundas is the harder trip in the same valley, and Hunza, Attabad and Passu reaches it by road. See the rest of Gojal and Khunjerab and our other Karakoram treks.
- Duration
- 8 – 10 days
- Trek days
- 5
- Maximum altitude
- 4,000 m [confirm]
- Grade
- Moderate
- Group size
- Max 10
- Guides
- 2 certified, 1 WFR
- Season
- May – October
- Starts / ends
- Gilgit / Gilgit
- Accommodation
- Hotels in Gojal, full camp on the mountain
- One of the longest glaciers outside the poles, walked along rather than across
- No rope, no crampons and no glacier crossing at any point
- The Yashpirt summer pastures, worked by families from Passu through the season
- The Passu cones in view for most of the walk in
- May to October — the longest season of any trek in this catalogue
Private departures and group pricing
Your party, your dates. The per-person figure falls as the party grows, because the guides, the vehicles and the camp cost the same split more ways. Everything in the inclusions list applies, and the safety standard is the one published above.
| Party size | Price per person | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | USD 2,900 | A full crew for two people |
| 3 – 4 | USD 2,450 | |
| 5 – 8 | USD 2,050 | Second guide joins at six |
Deposit is 25% of the trip price. The payment schedule and the cancellation terms are published and sent with every quote, before you pay anything.
Day by day
Buffer days are built in, not padding. If the weather takes them, nothing downstream collapses and you are not charged twice.
01 Arrive Gilgit Hotel
Met at the airport or off the highway. Briefing, SIM and cash.
02 Gilgit to Passu Hotel
Up the Karakoram Highway past Attabad. The cones above the village by evening.
03 Passu — acclimatisation Hotel
A short walk to the glacier snout and back. Crew and loads prepared.
04 Passu to Yunz Camp
Into the ablation valley on the north side of the Batura.
05 Yunz to Yashpirt Camp
Up to the summer pastures, with the glacier below all day.
06 Yashpirt to Lupdor Camp · 4,000 m
The high point of the trek, with the Batura running out of sight in both directions.
07 Lupdor to Yunz Camp
Back down the ablation valley.
08 Yunz to Passu Hotel
Out to the village. Crew settlement, kit return and debrief.
09 Passu to Gilgit Hotel
Down the highway with stops you choose. Buffer held against the flight.
10 Gilgit, and onward —
By air or road, and on to whatever comes next.
What is included
- Visa sponsor letter
- All permits, park fees and NOCs
- Met inside the terminal, all transfers
- Our own 4x4s and drivers
- Certified guides and insured crew
- Camp equipment, cook and all meals on trek
- Porter crew under our published charter, loads weighed
- Medical kit, oxygen where the route calls for it
- Satellite comms and a daily message home
- International flights
- Visa fee itself
- Travel insurance covering evacuation and repatriation
- Personal equipment
- Tips
If our price is wrong for you we will move you to a lower tier or remove a named inclusion. We do not discount a published price, and we do not cut the crew.
Fitness and difficulty — read this honestly
Five walking days, four to six hours on the longer ones, on ablation valley and moraine beside the glacier. Undulating rather than relentlessly steep, with no single day that stands out as hard.
There is no glacier crossing, no rope and no crampons, which makes this the most accessible multi-day trek in Gojal and a reasonable first Karakoram trek. The ground is still rough and loose in places and you are camping for four nights, so it is a real trek rather than a long walk. If you want the view from above the glacier instead, Patundas is the harder trip in the same valley.
Kit list
The full list with quantities is sent with your quote. Rental is available in Skardu for most of it, priced separately. Your kit is checked item by item in Islamabad, not the night before the trek.
Group — we provide
- Sleeping, mess, kitchen and toilet tents
- Group first aid and the medical kit
- Satellite phone and messenger
- All cooking and camp equipment
Personal — yours
- Sleeping bag rated to −15 °C or better
- Insulated jacket and waterproof shell
- Walking boots, worn in before you arrive
- Trekking poles
- Sun hat, glacier glasses and high-factor sunscreen
- Headtorch with spare batteries
- Water bottles or bladder, two litres minimum
- Personal medication and a declared medical history
Safety, evacuation and insurance
Helicopter rescue in the Karakoram is not guaranteed. Weather, altitude, daylight and clearance all decide whether a helicopter flies, so every stage carries a named drive-out or walk-out plan. Your insurance must cover helicopter evacuation and repatriation to the maximum altitude on your itinerary, and we verify the certificate before the trip starts.
A graded medical kit sized to the trip, oxygen, a portable altitude chamber, a satellite phone and a messenger, and a wilderness first responder in the crew.
The lead guide’s decision to turn back is final. Not a guest, not an agent, not this office — whatever has been paid.
Getting there
Islamabad
Met inside the terminal by a member of our team, not a driver with a sign outside it. Briefing the same evening, SIM and cash sorted.
Islamabad to Gilgit
By air when the weather allows, which is the short way and the one that cancels. By road up the Karakoram Highway when it does not — long, reliable, and scenery rather than dead time.
On the ground
Our own vehicles and our own drivers from Gilgit onward.
Questions people actually ask
Do we walk on the glacier?
No. The route keeps to the ablation valley on the northern side the whole way, which is why it grades Moderate and why the season runs so much longer than its neighbours. No rope, no crampons.
How many days is the Batura glacier trek?
Ten door to door, of which five are walking. Operators sell versions between five and ten days; the shorter ones start and end at Passu and skip the Gilgit buffer.
How fit do I need to be?
Four to six hours a day on rough and sometimes loose ground, for five consecutive days, with a daypack. No single day stands out as hard.
Is this a good first trek in Pakistan?
Yes. No glacier crossing and moderate altitude, and the only thing that makes it a real trek rather than a long walk is that you camp for four nights.
How high does it get?
Around 4,000 m at the highest camp. We have no reliable second source for that, so it prints with a marker until we do. Altitude is rarely the problem on this trek.
Do I need a permit?
No restricted-zone permit — Gojal is an open trekking zone. Local and park fees apply and we pay them. Your Pakistan visa is the paperwork that matters.
What does it cost and what moves the price?
Party size, then porter stages. The approach is a road, which keeps this among the cheaper real treks we sell. Deposit is 25 per cent.
When is the best time to go?
May to October, the longest season of any trek we run. May and June are green and the streams are full; September and October are clear and cold at night.
If this one is not quite right
The commonest reason a trip is wrong is that it is too hard or too easy, not that it is in the wrong place.
- A step harder Charakusa valley and K6/K7 Base Camp
You have already chosen the region, which is the harder decision. These run from the same roadhead.
- Gojal & Khunjerab · Day excursion Duikar, Eagle’s Nest and Borith
- Gojal & Khunjerab · Riding & cycling Cycling the KKH — Gilgit to Khunjerab
- Gojal & Khunjerab · Jeep safari Hunza, Attabad and Passu