Glacier
Hopper Glacier
Nagar district · 2,800 m
A black ice tongue below the village bowl at Hopper, and the start of the walk to Rush Lake.
Hopper is not one village. It is a cluster of five small villages in a bowl above the Bualtar glacier, which the book calls the world's lowest glacier, coming down from the slopes of Diran. The glacier is alive and on the move. Local oral tradition tells of an old settlement that once stood here, with remains said to lie under the ice, and people in the villages will happily tell you about old utensils and other objects found over the years.
Kind GlacierDistrict NagarElevation 2,800 mPosition 36.160° N, 74.747° E
About Hopper Glacier
The jeep road ends at Hopper, and everything beyond it is on foot, which is exactly the point. A popular day walk crosses the glacier to the grazing ground on the far side. Longer trips from here go to the Bualtar and Barpu glaciers, to Diran Base Camp, and to Rush Lake. The Barpu and Bualtar glacier trek is a relatively easy one that suits beginners, a treat for first-time trekkers.
Every route here crosses the glacier, so all treks in the Hopper valley go with a local guide. That is a bonus, because your guide knows the line across the ice and the stories of the five villages.
Basic accommodation is available at the edge of the glacier, at the Hoper Hilton and Hoper Inn, as the book names them. Wake up, step outside and the glacier is right there.
Elsewhere in Nagar
Swipe along the district, from the valley floor to the summits.
Summit · 7,788 m
Rakaposhi
At 7,788 m, Rakaposhi rises nearly six vertical kilometres straight off the highway, one of the steepest rises from valley floor to summit in the Karakoram, and you can enjoy it from your window.
Base camp · 3,500 m
Rakaposhi BC
A green meadow at Tagaphari, 3,500 m above Minapin, two walking days from the road and directly under Rakaposhi and Diran.
Town or village · 2,000 m
Minapin
The roadhead for Rakaposhi: the trek begins at the end of the village lane, and the mountain is above the roofs.
Town or village · 2,700 m
Nagar Khas
The old Nagar capital, facing Karimabad across the Hunza gorge, with a proud history shared with its neighbour.
Lake or water · 4,694 m
Rush Lake
At 4,694 m, Rush Lake is one of the highest alpine lakes on earth, set under the Spantik massif.
Town or village · 2,300 m
Bagrote
Seven villages under the Diran icefall, an hour off the highway and a quiet side trip away from the usual circuit.
- 3,200 m
Town or village
Hispar
The last village on the Hispar side: the fields stop and the glacier begins.
Pass · 5,151 m
Hispar La
At 5,151 m, the pass that links the Biafo and Hispar glaciers, the high point of one of the great glacier journeys in the Karakoram.