Hispar Glacier

The Hispar Glacier lies in the Karakoram Mountains of Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, running about 49 kilometers and historically forming a connecting route between the mountain kingdoms of Nagar to the west and Baltistan to the east. At Hispar La, a pass 5,128 meters high, it joins the 67 kilometer Biafo Glacier, and together the two glaciers form the longest glacial system found outside the polar regions. Meltwater from the Hispar Glacier feeds the Hispar River, a tributary of the Hunza River. The route across the combined glaciers is demanding, crossing steep terrain, lateral moraines that require boulder hopping, and meltwater streams fed by four major tributary glaciers descending from the north.