Glacier in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
Gilgit-Baltistan Expeditions

Glaciers &
High Passes

Cross the roof of the world through Pakistan's most legendary mountain corridors. Six passes. Six worlds. One guide you can trust at every step.

Easy Moderate Hard Expert
The Ice Corridors of the Karakoram

Where Every Step
Rewrites History

Gilgit-Baltistan holds more glaciers above 5,000 metres than anywhere outside the polar regions. These are not hiking trails — they are ancient corridors used by Silk Road merchants, Victorian explorers, and Wakhi shepherds for millennia. Each pass demands respect, preparation, and the right guide.

THEMTACC's mountain team has crossed every pass on this page. We know where the crevasses open in July, which camps shelter from afternoon storms, and where Marco Polo sheep graze at dusk. That knowledge is what brings every client home safely — and keeps them coming back.

6
Legendary Passes
114km
Longest Ice Traverse
5,585m
Highest Crossing
Jun–Sep
Prime Season
All Glacier Crossings

Five More Worlds
Waiting to Be Crossed

From the ancient Silk Road corridors of Boroghil to the remote frontier of Chillinji, each pass carries a story older than any map.

Hispar La — the world's longest glacial traverse
5,151m
Hunza → Shigar via Biafo
Hard 16–18 Days Jun–Sep

The World's Longest
Ice Highway

Hispar La links two of Earth's greatest glaciers — the Biafo and the Hispar — in a 114-kilometre traverse that Eric Shipton called "the finest mountain scenery in the world." Thirteen peaks above 7,000 metres accompany you. The granite spire of Baintha Brak (7,285m) looms like a sentinel over Snow Lake, the largest glacial basin outside the poles. No technical climbing is required, but roped travel across the ice is mandatory — and humbling.

Wildlife: Brown Bear · Ibex · Golden Eagle
Highlight: Snow Lake — Pakistan's most remote alpine basin
From: $2,100
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Chillinji Pass — the Wakhan crossing
5,290m
Karambar Valley → Chapursan
Hard 18–22 Days

The Wakhan
Crossing

Chillinji guards the door between Pakistan and the Afghan Wakhan Corridor — a snow-clad frontier where Wakhi traders, Tajik nomads, and Kirghiz herders have converged for centuries. At 5,290m, the pass delivers panoramic views across both the Karakoram and Hindukush in a single sweep. The valleys below shelter ibex and marmots; the ridgelines carry the silence of borderlands.

Wildlife: Ibex · Marmot · Migratory Birds
Culture: Wakhi villages · Kirghiz encounters
From: $1,800
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Shimshal Pass — the shepherd's frontier
4,735m
Shimshal Valley → Pamir Plateau
Moderate 14–20 Days

The Shepherd's
Frontier

Shimshal is perhaps the most human pass on this list — a route shepherded by Shimshali families each summer as they drive their herds to high Pamir pastures. Walk with them, and the Karakoram feels less like a wilderness and more like a home. Marco Polo sheep graze the slopes above; marmots whistle warnings from every boulder. The pass opens onto a vast plateau that feels like the top of the world.

Wildlife: Marco Polo Sheep · Marmot · Snow Leopard
Culture: Shimshali pastoral way of life
From: $1,200
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Darkot Pass — the Great Game gateway
4,703m
Yasin Valley → Broghil
Hard 8–10 Days

The Great Game
Gateway

In 1870, British explorer George Hayward crossed Darkot Pass and never returned — his murder in the Yasin Valley became one of the Great Game's most enduring mysteries. The pass itself is no less dramatic today: glacial route-finding on the Karambar and Chattiboi glaciers, with Hindukush and Karakoram peaks as your compass. Nearby Karambar Lake — Pakistan's second deepest — sits turquoise and silent in the shadow of 6,000-metre walls.

Wildlife: Ibex · Wolf · Snow Leopard · Golden Marmot
Highlight: Karambar Lake (Pakistan's 2nd deepest)
From: $950
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Boroghil Pass — gateway to the Pamirs and Afghan Wakhan Corridor
3,798m
Chitral → Afghan Wakhan Corridor
Moderate 5–9 Days May–Nov

Gateway to
the Pamirs

Boroghil is where the Karakoram exhales into vast sky. At 3,798 metres, it is the most accessible pass on this list — but do not mistake accessible for ordinary. Wide jailoos (high pastures) sweep toward the Afghan border, dotted with yak herds and felt-draped camps. Marco Polo sheep descend to graze in the golden hours. This is the original Silk Road — and the Wakhi communities who still live here carry its memory in their blood. An ideal first high-pass expedition, and a gateway to the great mysteries beyond.

Wildlife: Marco Polo Sheep · Snow Leopard · Ibex · Yak Herds
Culture: Wakhi villages · Traditional jailoos · Ancient trade route
Best For: First-time high-pass trekkers, cultural immersion
From: $650
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Quick Reference

Compare All Passes

Pass Elevation Difficulty Duration Best Season Connection From
Gondogoro La 5,585 m Expert 16–20 days Jun–Sep Baltoro → Hushe $2,800
Hispar La 5,151 m Hard 16–18 days Jun–Sep Hunza → Shigar (114 km) $2,100
Chillinji Pass 5,290 m Hard 18–22 days Jun–Oct Karambar → Chapursan $1,800
Shimshal Pass 4,735 m Moderate 14–20 days Jun–Sep Shimshal → Pamir $1,200
Darkot Pass 4,703 m Hard 8–10 days Jun–Sep Yasin → Broghil $950
Boroghil Pass 3,798 m Moderate 5–9 days May–Nov Chitral → Wakhan $650
Ready to Cross?

Every Pass Demands
the Right Guide.

Our guides have crossed every route on this page — in every season, in every condition. Tell us which pass calls to you.

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