Ultar Sar Base Camp Trek

Ultar Sar Base Camp Trek overview

Ultar Sar rises 7,388 metres directly behind Karimabad, so close that the town sits in its afternoon shadow. Beside it stands Bublimotin, the slender granite needle better known as Ladyfinger Peak. The Ultar Sar Base Camp Trek climbs from Baltit Fort through a narrow gorge to Ultar Meadows, the summer pasture at the foot of the Ultar Glacier that trekkers treat as the mountain’s base camp.

Because it starts in the middle of Hunza, this is the most convenient overnight trek in the valley. It is short, steep and spectacular, and it fits easily into a wider tour.

Route and scenery

The path begins just before Baltit Fort and follows an old irrigation channel into the mouth of the Ultar gorge. It then climbs steeply over moraine beside the stream to the shepherds’ huts at Ultar Meadows, around 3,270 metres. Avalanches rumble off the icefall above camp through the day. On the second morning a steep trail leads to Hon Pass at 4,257 metres, where the view takes in the Hunza Valley, Rakaposhi, Diran and the distant peaks of the Hispar and Spantik ranges.

Climbing expeditions to Ultar Sar itself use a different base camp on the far side of the mountain. For trekkers, Ultar Meadows gives the closest and most dramatic view.

How difficult is the Ultar Sar Base Camp Trek?

The trek is moderate. The climb to the meadows gains about 800 metres in four to five hours on a steep, sometimes loose path. The optional ascent to Hon Pass adds roughly 1,000 metres more and is a demanding day. Good boots and trekking poles are important.

Best time to go

May to October. The meadows are green from June, and October brings autumn colour to Karimabad below. Early starts avoid the afternoon heat in the gorge.