Field guides / Gilgit-Baltistan / Passu & Gulmit
Field guide · Nature
Passu & Gulmit
Passu and Gulmit are twin Gojal villages on the upper Karakoram Highway, roughly 100 km north of Karimabad, the launching pad for some of the most accessible adventure in Pakistan. The Passu Cones tower immediately behind the village, two glaciers are walkable in half a day, the Hussaini Suspension Bridge is a 30-minute walk, and the road north continues to Khunjerab Pass and the Chinese border.
Passu and Gulmit are twin Gojal villages on the upper Karakoram Highway, roughly 100 km north of Karimabad, the launching pad for some of the most accessible adventure in Pakistan. The Passu Cones tower immediately behind the village, two glaciers are walkable in half a day, the Hussaini Suspension Bridge is a 30-minute walk, and the road north continues to Khunjerab Pass and the Chinese border.
Why go
- ✦Gateway to Passu Cones, Passu and Batura Glaciers
- ✦Hussaini Suspension Bridge walk
- ✦Upper KKH to Khunjerab
- ✦Shimshal and Chapursan trekking base
A Day of Adventures
A full day from Passu covers the Hussaini Bridge walk (30 min), the Passu Glacier snout (2-3 hours return), a late afternoon walk to the Batura snout (2 hours return), and evening views of the Cones from the village. It is one of the highest-value adventure days available anywhere on the KKH.
Chapursan Valley
From Gulmit, a dirt track leads into the Chapursan Valley, a remote Upper Gojal area approaching the Afghan Wakhan Corridor, used by Marco Polo on the Silk Road. It is reachable by jeep and offers multi-day trekking with minimal other visitors.
Planning tip
When to go, April to October; the upper KKH to Khunjerab is fully open May to October.
Getting there, Drive the KKH from Attabad Lake north for 50 km, about 1.5 hours from Karimabad. Passu is the main village; Gulmit is 2 km further on the highway.
Allow, 1-2 nights covers Hussaini Bridge, Passu Glacier, Batura Glacier, and the Cones; 3-4 nights for deeper valley trekking.
