Skardu is famous for the highest peaks in the globe. Skardu, Khaplu and Shigar valleys are very popular for mountaineering expeditions and excessive altitude trekkers, who trek to Baltoro Glacier, K2 Base Camp and Concordia.
It’s an important city and district of Gilgit-Baltistan. Skardu is a beautiful city surrounded by the Karakoram Mountains. Skardu is also the capital of Gilgit-Baltistan. The beautiful places here include Shangri-La, Sadpara Lake and Katpanah Lake.
Every year millions of domestic and foreign tourists visit Skardu. The people of Skardu speak Balti, a branch of the Tibetan language. While the people of Skardu are very friendly, cheerful, peaceful and hospitable.
Skardu is the largest city and capital of Baltistan. Skardu is a commercial center of Baltistan as well as a center of health education and political and social activities. The only commercial airport and bus stand in Baltistan is also available.
District Skardu is located on the confluence of river Indus and the Shyok River and makes the base camp for main tourist destinations in Gilgit-Baltistan such as the amazing mighty K-2. The Skardu Valley is surrounded by dry rugged mountains and it is well-known for trekking and Mountain climbing.
This region has the 4 of the world’s fourteen Eight-thousander peaks (8,000 meters and above), this makes it the heaven for trekkers expeditions enthusiasts and mountain climbers. The main tourist season begins from May to September.
Adventure tours and jeep safaris to the Deosai Plains, the second highest one is the globe (at 4,100 meters or 13,500 feet) after the Chang Tang in Tibet with a place of about 3,000 square kilometers begins from Skardu City. The Deosai plains extend to Ladakh India and provide habitat for snow Leopards, Ibex, and Tibetan Brown Bears.
What is Skardu famous for?
Askoli and Hushe Valleys are the main gateways to the snow-covered 8,000 meters highest peaks including Masherbrum, K2, Gasherbrum, Broad Peak, and the Trango Towers, and additionally to the huge Glaciers of Baltoro and Biafo.
Skardu by road lies approximately 20 h 20 min (634 km) via N-15 from Islamabad and 5 hours (201 km) via S-1 away from Gilgit City. Since the KKH is still under construction in 2019 and the Skardu road still has to be repaired, the road can take up to 30 hours by public transport.
Pakistan International Airlines also offers regular flights on Boeing 737s between Skardu City and Islamabad. The flying time from Islamabad to Skardu is about 50 minutes.
All flights are subject to climate conditions. In winters, flights to Skardu and Gilgit are frequently delayed by several hours and days. A flight postpones generally means it’ll fly out the next day.
Skardu Weather
During the summer Skardu’s climate is moderated by its mountain setting. From April to October, temperatures vary between a maximum of 30 °C and a minimum of 8 °C in October. Temperatures can drop to below -15 °C to 20°C in December to January for the duration of the iciness period.
Lowest Temperature in Skardu
The lowest recorded temperature in Skardu was -24.1 °C on 7 January 1995. and the second-lowest recorded temperature in Skardu was -22.1 °C on 24 January 2019.
Read also: Deosai: The land of giants
