June 2026 · 9 min · By Zain Karim
Snow Lake and the Biafo-Hispar Traverse
The Biafo-Hispar traverse crosses 100 km of glacier and tops out at Snow Lake, one of the great wilderness walks left on earth. We run it as a 21-day expedition.
The snow lake trek pakistan is the popular name for the Biafo-Hispar traverse, a 100 km glacier crossing that links Askole in Baltistan with Hispar village in Nagar, topping out at the Hispar La (5,151 m) and the Snow Lake basin, an upper reservoir of compressed snow large enough that early explorers thought it might be the source of every Karakoram glacier. It is the longest continuous glacier crossing outside the polar regions.
Overview
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Length | ~100 km on glacier |
| High point | Hispar La 5,151 m |
| Days on trail | 16-18 |
| Total trip length | 21 days |
| Difficulty | Very hard |
Route summary
From Askole in Baltistan we walk up the Biafo glacier over six days to Snow Lake, cross the Hispar La in a long technical day, and descend the Hispar glacier over another seven days to Hispar village in Nagar. Drive back to Karimabad and out to Islamabad. The traverse goes one way, there is no looping back.
Difficulty
Very hard. Crevasse-prone glacier travel requires rope work and the team moves in roped teams of three or four. Previous glacier travel experience is required, not optional. Altitude is sustained, four nights above 4,500 m. We do not run this trek for first-time high-altitude trekkers.
Season
Mid-June through mid-August. The Hispar La closes safely outside this window.
Q. Do I need mountaineering experience?
You need glacier travel experience, roped movement, crampon work, basic crevasse rescue. We run a pre-trek refresher day in Askole.
Q. Can the route be done in reverse?
Yes. We sometimes run Hispar to Askole when seasonal conditions favour it.
Q. How does it compare to Concordia?
Concordia is harder altitude-wise; Snow Lake is harder technically. Different challenges. Most experienced trekkers do Concordia first.
Written by
Zain Karim
Head of mountain operations
Zain has run private trips through Hunza, Skardu and the Karakoram since 2019. He spends about 120 nights a year above 2,500 m and writes about the routes he guides.
Has guided the Hunza-Skardu loop more than forty times.
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