Batura Glacier is one of the most majestic sights in Pakistan, the land of wonders. It is one of the largest and longest glaciers outside of the polar regions. It is in the upper region of Hunza, Gilgit Baltistan. The Hunza Batura trek will be one of the most memorable journeys of your life with its breathtaking view of mountains and valleys.
As someone who has always enjoyed the thrill of trekking, I have wanted to take a trip through the beautiful trails of the Hunza Batura trek after my memorable trip to Batura Werthum Trek. Booking the first flight to Islamabad, my friends and I commenced this memorable trip to the striking mountains of Gilgit.
After arriving at Islamabad Airport, we got ourselves checked in at a hotel for a day. While our stay there was brief, we made many memories while visiting the beautiful places in Islamabad.
From Islamabad, we rented a car to travel further to Chilas. After a 6-to-7-hour drive via Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad pass, we reached Naran. There we had lunch and then continued a 3-to-4-hour drive to Chilas. The whole journey was pleasing because of the enthralling landscapes that came in between our drives. The next morning, we continued our drive to Karimabad and Passu.
It took us another 6 to 7 hours to finally reach Karimabad through the route where we could see the junction point to the greatest mountain ranges of Pakistan i.e., the Himalayas, Hindukush, and Karakoram range at Thalichi. The picturesque view was glorious to witness. After reveling in nature’s beauty we drove to Passu to stay for the night.
We started our thrilling trekking adventure from Passu the next morning. The 4-to-5-hour trek to Yunzben gave us the pleasure to witness the beautiful Passu Glacier and Batura Glacier a little further too. The Batura Glacier is even longer than the famous Baltoro Glacier in K2. The view before my eyes was unreal with one of the largest glaciers standing proudly in all its glory. After staying for the night at the beautiful campsite we continued our trek to Yashpirt.
To reach Yashpirt, we had to move diagonally across the Batura Glacier. It was a tiresome almost 4-hour trek. But walking on the rocky trail for a while was completely worth the breathtaking scenery at Yashpirt. Yashpirt is a beautiful high meadow with many Shepherd huts with a strikingly beautiful view of the Batura Peaks and the well-known Batura ice fall across the glacier. We could also see Distaghil Sar (7,885 m), one of the highest and most western mountains in the Trans-Himalayan region.
Our stay in Yashpirt ended as we started trekking further to Kukhil. It took us approximately 4 hours to reach our destination. The view at Kukhil was beyond any words could describe. We got to witness one of the best views of the Batura group of peaks with an elevation from 7,500 meters to 7,785 meters. After a night of camping underneath the starry sky at Kukhil, we moved to our next spot, Guchesham.
With multiple breaks, it took us almost 5 hours to complete the peaceful trek to Guchesham. We encountered a series of ablation valleys with popular trees like Juniper, Willow, and Birch. The environment of Guchesham was truly remarkable. After some exploration, we camped there for the night.
The next day we had the time to wander around, rest, or acclimatize to adjust to the freezing weather. This free day turned out to be a blessing as I could rest for a while and also bask in the glory of the beauty that was surrounding me. We all got time to enjoy the last moments of our Hunza Batura trek at one of the best locations during this whole journey.
It took us 3 days in total to trek back to Guchesham to Yashpirt to Yunzben and then to Passu. Visiting these places again was a blissful experience. Re-experiencing the enchanting beauty of this trek made me want to stay here longer. The peaceful atmosphere was addictive with the blooming valleys and majestic mountains.
From Passu, we rented a car again to visit the ancient forts of Karimabad, Altit, and Baltit. The historical Baltit Fort was built 700 years ago and the Altit Fort was built 900 years ago. After visiting the beautiful forts, we decided to explore the villages there. The richness of the culture, the men working in the fields, and their love and respect for each other inspired and fascinated me.
On the last day of the trip, we drove back to Naran via the Babusar pass and then to Islamabad to fly back home. To say this journey was one of the best I have ever had would be an understatement. The trek was easy, the route was filled with beautiful villages and mountains and the Wakhi people were also really friendly.
So, if you are looking for an easy trek with one of the best scenery, the Hunza Batura trek is made for you!
To explore the extraordinary beauty of Hunza some more, you should definitely check this article out: