Nangma Valley Trek

Nangma is a granite side valley of the Hushe Valley in Ghanche district, Baltistan, and it is the fastest way we know to stand under a genuinely world-class big wall. Three days of walking from the village of Kanday puts you on a meadow at 3,950 m, ringed by clean granite towers, with a day viewpoint at 4,300 m looking across at K6 (7,282 m). Climbers call it the Yosemite of Pakistan. Walkers get the same amphitheatre without touching a rope.

Where is Nangma Valley?

Nangma opens off the eastern side of the Hushe Valley, above Kanday village at about 2,680 m. Hushe is the same valley that feeds the southern approaches to Masherbrum and K6, so the scale is serious from the moment you leave the Shyok road. From Skardu it is roughly three hours on sealed road to Khaplu, then about two hours by jeep up the Hushe valley to the trailhead.

The granite: Amin Brakk and the towers

The valley is walled by the Great Tower, Grey Tower, Changi Tower and Amin Brakk, the one that made its name. Amin Brakk stands at roughly 5,850 m and its face runs about 1,200 m of near-vertical granite, among the larger walls anywhere. Silvia Vidal, Pep Masip and Miguel Puigdomenech made the first ascent in August 1999 after weeks on the wall. In July and August you will usually share the meadow with a climbing team or two, which is worth seeing even if you never leave the grass.

No permit, and why that matters

Nangma sits in an open zone. There is no No Objection Certificate to arrange, no Alpine Club of Pakistan trekking permit, and no peak royalty below 6,000 m. That is a real difference from the Baltoro side, where a trek to K2 Base Camp or Concordia needs an NOC, a permit and a per-person restricted-area fee. For Nangma we need your passport details and enough notice to arrange guides, porters and a jeep. Nothing else.

Who this trek suits

Fit walkers, including first-timers in the Karakoram. There is no technical ground, no glacier travel and no altitude high enough to be dangerous for a healthy trekker: you sleep at 3,950 m and the high point is a day walk to 4,300 m. What it asks for is steady uphill fitness on rough ground, comfort on two suspension bridges, and tolerance for cold nights. If you have done any two-day trek in Hunza, this is within reach.

When to go

Late June to mid-September. July and August are the most reliable: the meadows are green, the bridges are in, and the rock is dry. Late September can be beautiful and cold, with the risk that the herders have already brought their stock down. Before June there is snow on the upper meadow and the stream crossings run high with meltwater.

Combining Nangma with the Baltoro

Nangma works well as an acclimatisation leg or as a short second trip. The Gondogoro La crossing starts from this same Hushe side and finishes on the Baltoro under K2, so the two can run back to back from Skardu. For the full background on the valley, see our Nangma Valley trek guide.