Central Karakorum National Park

I commence this “review” of the "Central Karakorum National Park" (CKKNP) by stating that I am somewhat shame-faced to proffer a report of such a “puny” visit to this magnificent natural T List site. I do so purely to contribute to the “Community objective” of having as many T List sites reviewed here as possible and not from any suggestion that we, in any way, fully visited and appreciated it. The space remains for a Community member who has achieved rather more than we have in that respect to report on their experiences and conclusions! However, beyond merely providing a record of our “limited” visit, there is also much which has been un-highlighted to date about the site and its history which I believe is worth recording here (at some length!) …..

The “Background”

To whet your appetite if you haven't considered going, I quote from Isobel Shaw’s “Pakistan Handbook” - “The most concentrated block of high mountains anywhere in the World, and the longest glaciers outside the polar regions”. Indeed the CKKNP apparently contains c608 glaciers - give or take a few! Moreover, the area has been subject to what has been titled the “Karakoram Glacier Anomaly” by which its glaciers are actually increasing their total mass. This review arises from a trip in Aug 1996 when we traveled along the Karakoram Highway (KKH) over into China. Much will have changed since those days. What was one of the …