What Country Is K2 In? Pakistan or China?

K2 stands on the border between Pakistan and China, in the Karakoram Range. Its southern and western slopes fall in Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan, while its northern side lies in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, part of Xinjiang, China. At 8,611 metres (28,251 feet), it is the second highest mountain on Earth, after Mount Everest.

So the accurate answer to “what country is K2 in” is both, because the international boundary runs across the summit. In practice, almost every trekker and climber approaches from Pakistan, where the established routes and base camp are found.

Where Exactly Is K2 Located?

K2 rises in the northwestern Karakoram, where northern Pakistan meets the far southwest of China. It stands at the head of the Godwin Austen Glacier, near Concordia, where the Godwin Austen and Baltoro glaciers meet.

You cannot see it from any road or town. The mountain is hemmed in by glaciers and by other giants, including Broad Peak (8,051 m), Gasherbrum I (8,080 m) and Gasherbrum II (8,035 m). That isolation explains why K2 stayed off outside maps until the 1850s, and why many people are surprised by how far inside the range it sits.

Detail	Information
Height	8,611 m (28,251 ft)
Mountain range	Karakoram
Subrange	Baltoro Muztagh
International border	Pakistan and China
Pakistani side	Baltistan, Gilgit Baltistan
Chinese side	Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, Xinjiang
Nearest Pakistani gateway	Skardu
Coordinates	35°52′57″ N, 76°30′48″ E

K2 is Pakistan’s highest mountain, and our guide to major mountain peaks in Pakistan puts it in context. For more information about its elevation, read our article on how tall K2 is.

Is K2 in Pakistan or China?

Both, in the usual geographical description. The 1963 boundary agreement between Pakistan and China describes the boundary line as crossing K2’s summit. The two sides could hardly be more different.

On the Pakistani side, K2 belongs to Baltistan in Gilgit Baltistan. This is the face most people know, reached through Skardu, the village of Askole and the Baltoro Glacier. It is the route used by almost all trekkers and by climbers on the Abruzzi Spur.

On the Chinese side, K2’s northern face rises above the remote Shaksgam Valley. Climbers approach the North Ridge from Xinjiang through a long overland route that crosses the Aghil Pass and the Shaksgam River. A Japanese expedition made the first ascent of the North Ridge in 1982, and the route has seen far fewer ascents than the standard routes approached from Pakistan.

Why Some People Ask About India

The confusion comes from Kashmir. Gilgit Baltistan is administered by Pakistan and forms part of the wider Kashmir region, which is disputed. India claims the whole of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, including Gilgit Baltistan. India also claims the Shaksgam area north of K2 and rejects the 1963 boundary agreement between Pakistan and China. Article VI of that agreement provides for the sovereign authority concerned to reopen negotiations with China after the Kashmir dispute is settled.

These are competing territorial claims, not a description of K2’s physical location. K2 is not on the Line of Control between India and Pakistan, and there is no practical visitor access route to it from Indian administered territory. Geographically, it is commonly described as lying on the border between Pakistan and China.

What Mountain Range Is K2 In?

K2 is in the Karakoram Range, specifically the Baltoro Muztagh subrange. It is not part of the Himalayas in the usual geographical sense.

The Karakoram and the Himalayas are neighbouring but separate ranges, generally divided by the upper Indus valley. Both are sometimes grouped under the broader Hindu Kush Himalaya region, which is why K2 is occasionally called a Himalayan peak in loose usage. The Karakoram holds four of the world’s fourteen 8,000 metre peaks: K2, Gasherbrum I, Broad Peak and Gasherbrum II. It also contains some of the longest glaciers outside the polar regions, including the Baltoro, Biafo and Hispar.

The name itself points back to the range. In 1856, during the Great Trigonometrical Survey of British India, Thomas Montgomerie sketched two prominent peaks from Mount Haramukh, about 210 kilometres to the south. He labelled them K1 and K2, with the K standing for Karakoram. K1 was later identified as Masherbrum, while K2 kept its survey label, as Encyclopaedia Britannica also notes.

Two alternative names appear in geographical references: Chhogori (also spelled Chogori) and Qogir. Chhogori is often explained as a combination of Balti words meaning “big mountain,” but its status as a traditional local name is disputed. An American Alpine Journal account describes it as a name coined by Western explorers rather than one established in everyday Balti use. Qogir is also used as the Chinese name for the peak.

Mount Godwin Austen was proposed in honour of Henry Godwin Austen, who explored the Baltoro Glacier in 1861, but it never replaced K2 in general use.

Where Is K2 Located on a Map?

To find K2 on a map, locate Skardu in northern Pakistan, then follow the Braldu and Baltoro valleys northeast toward the Chinese border. The Gilgit Baltistan Tourism Department lists K2 at 35.8808° N, 76.5133° E, approximately 35°52′51″ N, 76°30′48″ E.

Different mapping services may show slightly different summit pins, so for navigation, search for “K2” and select the summit marker rather than relying on a manually entered coordinate. Switch to satellite or terrain view as well. In standard road view the region looks almost empty, which is exactly why people lose it. On satellite view, look for the Baltoro Glacier running toward the border, with K2 at its head and Broad Peak just to the south.

Is K2 Near Skardu, Pakistan?

Skardu is the main gateway, but the mountain is a long way from it. The straight line distance is roughly 100 kilometres, yet the real journey takes days: a jeep drive from Skardu to Askole, the last village, then a trek along the Baltoro Glacier through Central Karakoram National Park to Concordia and on to K2 Base Camp.

Itineraries usually run two to three weeks including travel and rest days. Our Skardu travel guide covers what to do before you leave town, and the K2 Base Camp Trek guide explains the route, permits and costs. If your goal is the summit rather than the trek, see our guide to climbing the world’s second highest mountain.

Frequently Asked Questions About K2