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Snow Lake
Snow Lake, or Lukpe Lawo, is a
high-altitude glacial basin in the Karakoram mountain range in the Northern
Areas of  Pakistan. It is not a lake.
Snow Lake is located 16,000 feet (4,877
m) above sea level, and is approximately 10 miles (16 km) wide. The basin lies
at the head of the Biafo and Hispar glaciers, which spread down from the Hispar
Pass in opposite directions, forming a 61 mile (100 km) river of ice that is
among the world's longest continuous glacier systems outside of the polar regions.
The journey to Snow
Lake typically begins in Skardu, which
can be reached by plane or jeep from Islamabad.
From Skardu, a jeep may escort travellers through the Braldu Gorge to the village of Askole. The trek from Askole initially
proceeds towards K2, then turns northwest up the Biafo Glacier to Snow Lake.
The descent differs from the ascent, going through the Hunza
Valley and ending in Gilgit, from
where a return to Islamabad
can be arranged by plane or jeep.
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