Baltoro Glacier

The Baltoro glacier is situated on the southern slopes of the central Karakoram range in the Baltistan area of Jammu and Kashmir. It is located in a huge amphitheater hemmed by high peaks.

This glacier gives rise to the Shigar River which is a tributary of the Indus River. With a length is about 62 km, it is the second largest glacier in the Himalaya. Large tributary glaciers feed the main Baltoro glacier. These include a glacier from the southwestern slopes of the Gasherbrum peak and a tributary glacier from the northwestern slope of the Masherbrum peak, both in the Karakoram.

The trough of this glacier is very wide. Its central part is a vast snowfield. Small valley glaciers form icefalls where they meet the trunk glacier. The side walls vary from very steep to precipitous. The Baltoro glacier has carved striations on the surrounding country rocks. Moving ice has formed depressions which serve as basins for numerous glacial lakes. The Baltoro glacier can be approached via Skardu in Ladakh.