Thalle La Trek (4,572m): Khaplu to Shigar | Go With Guide
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Masherbrum (7,821 m) above the brown ridges and poplars of the Hushe valley, the peak seen from Thalle La
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Trekking Gilgit-Baltistan

Thalle La Trek

A 4,572m pass from Khaplu to Shigar, the easiest high crossing in Baltistan

Masherbrum (7,821 m) above the brown ridges and poplars of the Hushe valley, the peak seen from Thalle La
The braided channels of the Shyok River below Khaplu, the approach to the Thalle valley trailhead
Barley fields and poplars in a village on the Skardu to Khaplu road, Ghanche district, Gilgit-Baltistan
Green pastures at Thalle Broq on the way up to the Thalle La
The Thalle glacier above Thalle Broq, the high pasture below the Thalle La
Livestock grazing on green pasture below Karakoram peaks in the Shigar valley, where the trek ends
Trekkers and a tent at a stone-walled camp on a Karakoram trek in Gilgit-Baltistan

Last updated: · Reviewed by Javeed Iqbal, Founder

About This Tour

Thalle La is a 4,572 metre pass linking the Thalle valley near Khaplu with the Shigar valley near Skardu, and it carries no glacier at all. That single fact is what sets it apart: it is one of very few unglaciated passes in Baltistan, which makes it the easiest high crossing in the region and the trek we most often recommend for a first time in the Karakoram.

The walking is three days, or four with a rest day at the pastures. You start from a jeep road at Thalle Broq, climb through farmed valley and open summer pasture, sleep a night at about 4,100 metres, and cross the pass to a view of Masherbrum (7,821 m) and the sharp cone of Mango Gusor (6,288 m) before dropping into Shigar.

There is no technical ground, no rope, no crampons in season and no trekking permit. What the trek does ask is a sensible acclimatisation plan, because you sleep high within two or three days of leaving sea level, and a tolerance for rough jeep roads at both ends.

We run Thalle La from Skardu with local Balti guides and a porter or pony team from the Thalle and Shigar villages, who have been using this crossing far longer than any of us. Read our full Thalle La trek guide

Curated Program

Day-by-Day Itinerary

All Transfers & Permits Included

1

Islamabad to Skardu
Fly to Skardu in about an hour, weather permitting, or drive the Karakoram Highway over two long days. Settle in, check kit and meet the guide.
  • Flight option
  • Meet your guide
2

Skardu: acclimatisation day
A gentle day to let the altitude settle, with the Sarfaranga cold desert and Shigar Fort nearby. This is also the buffer day if the Skardu flight was delayed.
  • Acclimatisation
  • Bufferย day
3

Skardu to Thalle Broq (3,200m)

3,200 m
Drive east along the Shyok towards Khaplu, turn up the Thalle valley at Doghoni, then take the jeep road about two hours to Thalle Broq. Camp at the roadhead and meet the porter and pony team.
  • Jeep road
  • Night in camp
  • Porter team
4

Thalle Broq to the upper pastures (3,600m)

3,600 m
Five to six hours through farmed valley and past Olmo, the highest summer settlement on this side, to a pasture camp at about 3,600 metres. An easy first day on the feet, gaining only 400 metres.
  • Night in camp
5

Pastures to the high camp (4,100m)

4,100 m
A short day of three to four hours up to the high camp at about 4,100 metres, below the pass. Deliberately short: the point of the day is to sleep high before the crossing rather than to cover ground.
  • Night in camp
6

Over Thalle La (4,572m) to Deserpa

4,572 m
The big day. Six to seven hours, climbing 470 metres of scree and grass to the pass, with Masherbrum and Mango Gusor across the valley, then a 900 metre descent to camp on the meadows of Deserpa.
  • High pass
  • Night in camp
7

Deserpa to Shigar, drive to Skardu
Four to five hours down the Bauma Lungma to the Shigar roadhead through pasture and orchard country, then a jeep to Shigar and on to Skardu for a hot shower and a bed.
  • Road transfer
8

Skardu to Islamabad
Fly or drive back to Islamabad, where the trip ends.
  • Road transfer

From

$1,450

per person

* Prices may vary. Contact us for accurate, customized pricing.

Duration7-9 Days
DifficultyEasy-Moderate
Group Size2-12 People
Best SeasonJun-Sep
Max Altitude4,572m

What's Included

  • All camping equipment and tents
  • Local Balti mountain guide
  • Porter or pony team for the loads
  • All meals during the trek
  • Transport: Skardu-Thalle valley and Shigar-Skardu
  • All local fees and community charges

Not Included

  • International flights
  • Travel insurance
  • Personal expenses and tips

Best Time to Trek Thalle La

Late June to mid September is the window. Before mid June there is still snow lying on the pass and the high camp, and the streams run high with melt. From late June into July the pass is clear, the pastures are at their greenest and the shepherds are in residence, which is the liveliest time to be in the valley.

September gives the clearest air and the sharpest views of Masherbrum, at the cost of cold nights that drop below freezing at the high camp. After late September the pastures empty and the first snow can close the pass without much warning.

Permits and Logistics

Thalle La is in an open zone, so no trekking permit, no fee and no liaison officer. A Pakistan tourist visa is the whole of the paperwork. This surprises people because the far more famous Baltistan treks, the Baltoro and K2 base camp, sit in the restricted zone where a permit is required; several listings borrow that language for Thalle La by mistake.

Ghanche is a border district, so you will pass army check posts on the Khaplu road where passports and visas are written into a ledger. Carry photocopies and allow a few minutes each time. Access is by air or road to Skardu, then jeep to the Thalle valley roadhead, with the return jeep from Shigar. We plan a contingency day around the Skardu flight as a matter of course.

The Route from Thalle Broq

The Thalle Lungma runs north-west off the Shyok river, 15 km west of Khaplu and about 85 km east of Skardu. Driving up the right bank of the Shyok you turn off at Doghoni, and a jeep road climbs roughly two hours to Thalle Broq at about 3,200 metres. This is where the walking starts.

Above Thalle Broq the valley is farmed and grazed most of the way. Olmo is the highest permanent summer settlement on this side, and beyond it the valley opens into pasture with stone shepherd huts and animals out on the grass. Higher up the valley forks: the north branch leads to the seldom-crossed Tusserpo La at 5,084 metres, the south branch to Thalle La.

From the high camp at about 4,100 metres it is a long walk up scree and grass to the pass at 4,572 metres, then a 900 metre descent to the meadows of Deserpa and down the Bauma Lungma to the Shigar roadhead. The crossing is walked in both directions, and we pick the direction on the day based on jeep positions and how the group is acclimatising.

How Hard Is the Thalle La Trek?

Easy pass, awkward access. The walking itself is undemanding: no glacier, no exposure, no rope work, and days of five to seven hours at a steady pace with a porter or pony carrying the load. A fit fourteen-year-old manages it comfortably.

What makes it more than a stroll is everything around the walking. You sleep at about 4,100 metres two or three days after leaving sea level, the jeep roads at both ends are rough and worse after rain, the camps have no facilities at all, and weather at 4,500 metres in the Karakoram turns fast in any month. Take the acclimatisation seriously and it is well within reach for anyone with multi-day hill walking behind them.

Where Is Thalle La and How High Is It?

Thalle La sits at 4,572 metres, or exactly 15,000 feet, between the Thalle valley in Ghanche district and the Shigar valley to the west. Digital terrain models put the actual crossing point nearer 4,830 metres, so your watch may read higher at the top than the published figure; either way it is well below the 6,000 metre line where Pakistan's rules change. Between 1891 and 1947 the British used this pass as the preferred link between Skardu and Khaplu, because unlike the river route it offered grazing the whole way for pack animals.

Masherbrum and Mango Gusor from the Pass

The reason people come is the view from the top. Masherbrum, 7,821 metres, is the peak the Survey of India catalogued as K1 before anyone had noticed K2, and it fills the skyline across the valley. Beside it stands the sharp cone of Mango Gusor at 6,288 metres, with the ridgelines running back towards the Baltoro. On a clear September morning the view runs a very long way.

How We Work

Why Book With Us

We are based in Gilgit-Baltistan and run Thalle La with Balti guides and a porter and pony team from the Thalle and Shigar villages, on a crossing local families have used for generations. We build the four-day version with a night at 4,100 metres as standard rather than rushing the pass in three, and we plan a contingency day around the Skardu flight, because that flight is the single thing most likely to move your dates.

Safety First

Certified guides, comprehensive insurance, and rigorous safety protocols on every expedition.

  • Emergency protocols
  • Medical support
  • Satellite communication

Local Expertise

Our team includes local guides who know every trail, village, and hidden gem in the region.

  • Born & raised locally
  • Cultural ambassadors
  • Language fluency

Curated Experiences

Each journey is carefully designed to balance adventure, culture, and authentic encounters.

  • Handpicked routes
  • Hidden gems
  • Authentic stays

Sustainable Travel

Committed to responsible tourism that benefits local communities and preserves nature.

  • Community support
  • Leave no trace
  • Carbon offset
Testimonials

Stories from Our Travelers

5.0Google rating ยท 4 reviews
Google review
“We did a set of tours with Go Witu Guide, starting in Lahore and continuing in Shigar and Hunza Valley. Organisation was very good throughout. Knowledgeable guides. Fluent in English and all local languages. An excellent trip. Highly recommend using them.”

Emran Mian

Read on Google

Google review
“We just visited Pakistan and Javeed was our driver and tour guide for the Northern Pakistan leg which included Skardu, Gilgit and Hunza. We had an exceptional experience! Javeed is a very experienced driver, very knowledgeable about the area, easy to talk to and he went out of his way to show us sites at sunset. We highly recommend his services.”

Gulshan Ramji

Read on Google

Google review
“Javeed Hunzai has been a wonderful guide, he identified exactly what I was looking for when even I did not know what I was in Hunza for, and showed me the best places to trek, and stop and absorb Nature. Highly recommend, 10/10. I came to Hunza with little idea of what I wanted to do or where I wanted to go, in upper Hunza alone, he showed me places I hadn't seen the last 4-5 times I had been to Hunza.”

Osayd Hayauddin

Read on Google

Frequently Asked Questions

How hard is the Thalle La trek?
Easy by Karakoram standards, and the trek we most often suggest for a first crossing. There is no glacier, no technical ground, no exposure and no rope work, and days are five to seven hours with a porter or pony carrying the load. The part that needs respect is altitude, not difficulty. You sleep at about 4,100 metres two or three days after leaving sea level, then climb 470 metres of scree and grass to the pass the next morning. The access is the awkward bit: the jeep roads at both ends are rough and worse after rain, and the camps have no facilities at all. Weather at 4,500 metres can also turn fast in any month. We rate it easy to moderate. A fit fourteen-year-old manages it comfortably, and anyone with multi-day hill walking behind them who takes the acclimatisation seriously is well within reach of the top.

How high is Thalle La?
4,572 metres, or exactly 15,000 feet, in the figure every operator and map caption uses. Digital elevation models put the actual crossing point closer to 4,830 metres, so your watch may read higher at the top. Nothing about the trek changes either way. Both figures are well below the 6,000-metre line where Pakistan's rules change, and the pass carries no glacier. The climb itself is modest because you start from a high camp at about 4,100 metres, so pass day is a steady ascent of around 470 metres up scree and grass, followed by a 900-metre descent to the meadows of Deserpa on the Shigar side. The walking starts lower, at the Thalle Broq roadhead at about 3,200 metres. Sleeping above 4,000 metres within a few days of arriving is the reason we build in an acclimatisation day in Skardu first.

Do you need a permit for Thalle La?
No. The Thalle valley is in Pakistan's open trekking zone, so there is no trekking permit, no fee and no liaison officer. A tourist visa covers it. The permit rules people quote belong to the restricted zone, where K2 base camp and the Baltoro sit, and several listings borrow that language for Thalle La by mistake. The one piece of paperwork you will notice is on the road. Ghanche is a border district, so army check posts on the Khaplu road write passports and visas into a ledger. Carry photocopies of both and allow a few minutes at each stop. The pass is also well below 6,000 metres, so no peak rules apply. All local fees and community charges along the route are included in our price, and we handle the jeep, porter and pony arrangements with the Thalle and Shigar villages before you arrive.

Is there a glacier on the Thalle La trek?
No, and that is the point of it. Thalle La is one of very few unglaciated passes in Baltistan, which is why nobody carries a rope or crampons over it in season and no glacier experience is asked for. Most high crossings in this part of the Karakoram involve ice. Here the route runs from farmed valley through summer pasture to scree and grass, with stone shepherd huts along the way. The British used this pass as the preferred link between Skardu and Khaplu from 1891 to 1947 because, unlike the river route, it offered grazing the whole way for pack animals, and ponies still carry the loads over it today. You will see glaciated peaks, though. From the top, Masherbrum and Mango Gusor stand across the valley. Before mid June snow can still be lying on the pass and at the high camp, so we run it from late June onwards.

When is the best time to trek Thalle La?
Late June to mid September. July gives the greenest pastures and the summer settlements in full use, with the shepherds up in the valley, which makes it the liveliest time to be there. September gives the clearest air and the best view of Masherbrum, at the cost of cold nights that drop below freezing at the high camp. Before mid June there is usually snow lying on the pass and the high camp, and the streams run high with meltwater. After late September the pastures empty and the first snow can close the pass without much warning, which is why the season ends there. Whichever month you pick, bring warm layers: the high camp at about 4,100 metres can freeze in any month and the weather at 4,500 metres can turn quickly. We set the dates around the Skardu flight, with a contingency day in case it moves.

How many days is the Thalle La trek?
Three days of walking, or four with a rest day at the pastures, inside our 8 day package from Islamabad. We run the four-day version as standard, with a night at the high camp at about 4,100 metres, rather than rushing the pass in three. The package starts with the flight or drive to Skardu and an acclimatisation day there, which doubles as the buffer if the flight is delayed. Then comes the jeep to Thalle Broq, two walking days up through the pastures to the high camp, the pass day to Deserpa and a final morning down to Shigar and back to Skardu. The last day is the return to Islamabad. The seven to thirteen day figures advertised elsewhere are whole packages counting flights, Skardu, sightseeing and a contingency day. Our trip is listed at 7 to 9 days to leave room for that flexibility.

Is Thalle La suitable for beginners?
For a beginner with hill-walking fitness who is willing to camp, yes. It is not a first-ever multi-day walk though: you sleep at about 4,100 metres and cross above 4,500 metres, which needs a sensible acclimatisation plan rather than technical skill. The walking itself is undemanding. There is no glacier, no exposure and no rope work, and a porter or pony carries the load while you walk five to seven hours a day with a daypack. A fit fourteen-year-old manages it comfortably. What catches people out is everything around the walking: rough jeep roads at both ends, camps with no facilities, cold nights and weather that can change fast at altitude. We add an acclimatisation day in Skardu and a short day up to the high camp, so you reach the pass rested. If you already have some multi-day hill walking behind you, this is a good first Karakoram crossing.

What will you see from the top of Thalle La?
Masherbrum, 7,821 metres, which the Survey of India catalogued as K1, along with Mango Gusor at 6,288 metres and the ridgelines running back towards the Baltoro. Masherbrum fills the skyline across the valley and is the main reason people make the climb. It earned the K1 label before anyone had noticed K2. Mango Gusor stands beside it as a sharp cone. On a clear September morning the view runs a very long way, and September usually gives the clearest air of the season, so it is the month to choose if the view is your priority. You reach the pass after a climb of about 470 metres of scree and grass from the high camp at roughly 4,100 metres. From the top the route drops 900 metres to camp on the meadows of Deserpa. Bring warm layers for the stop at the top, because pass mornings are cold and windy even when the valley below is hot.

Can you do Thalle La from Skardu rather than Khaplu?
Yes. The pass is crossed in both directions and the Shigar trailhead is the closer of the two to Skardu. Khaplu to Shigar is more common because it spreads the climb over two days, but reversing it is normal and sometimes better for jeep logistics. From the Thalle side you start at Thalle Broq at about 3,200 metres and gain height gradually through pasture to a high camp near 4,100 metres. From the Shigar side you walk up the Bauma Lungma to the meadows of Deserpa, and the pass sits 900 metres above that camp, so pass day involves more climbing. We pick the direction based on where the jeeps are and how the group is acclimatising, sometimes on the day itself. Either way you start and finish in Skardu, and the jeep transfers to the Thalle valley and from Shigar are included in our price.

How do you get to the start of the Thalle La trek?
Fly or drive to Skardu, then drive east along the Shyok towards Khaplu and turn up the Thalle valley at Doghoni. A jeep road climbs about two hours from there to the roadhead at Thalle Broq, around 3,200 metres. The Thalle Lungma runs north-west off the Shyok about 15 km west of Khaplu and roughly 85 km east of Skardu. The flight from Islamabad takes about an hour, weather permitting; the alternative is two long days on the Karakoram Highway. We spend a day in Skardu first to acclimatise and to absorb any flight delay, then drive out on the third day and camp at the roadhead, where you meet the porter and pony team. Expect army check posts on the Khaplu road, as Ghanche is a border district, so keep passport and visa photocopies handy. The jeep road is rough, and worse after rain.

Is trekking in Baltistan safe?
Gilgit-Baltistan carries no travel advisory against it from either the US State Department or the UK FCDO, and the Thalle valley is farmed, grazed and inhabited for most of its length. You will pass army check posts on the Khaplu road, which is routine in a border district. The real risks here are altitude and weather, not security. At the check posts your passport and visa details go into a ledger, and photocopies speed that up. On the trek itself, the risks we manage are sleeping at about 4,100 metres soon after arriving from sea level, and weather at 4,500 metres that can turn within an hour. That is why the plan includes an acclimatisation day in Skardu and a short day to the high camp. Our guides are local Balti, and the porter and pony team comes from the Thalle and Shigar villages, whose families have used this crossing for generations.

What is the weather like on Thalle La?
Warm in the valley and cold high up. The high camp at 4,100 metres drops below freezing in any month, pass mornings are cold and windy even when the valley is hot, and weather at 4,500 metres can turn within an hour. Lower down, the walk from Thalle Broq through farmed valley and pasture can be hot in July, so start in light layers and keep sun protection handy. September brings the clearest air and sharpest views but the coldest nights at the high camp. Before mid June snow still lies on the pass and at the high camp, and the streams run high with melt, while after late September the first snow can close the pass with little warning. Rain also makes the jeep roads at both ends rougher. Pack a proper insulated jacket, a windproof shell, a warm hat and gloves.

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