Lake or water
Katpana
Skardu district · 2,300 m
Katpana is a patch of cold desert dunes beside the Indus, with a lake sitting right in the middle of them.
Katpana lies close to Skardu at about 2,300 m, where the Indus has spread sand across the valley floor. The dunes sit against high bare mountains, and a lake lies in the middle of them, which is the delight of the place.
Kind Lake or waterDistrict SkarduElevation 2,300 mPosition 35.319° N, 75.574° E
About Katpana
It is a wonderful spot to see the cold desert up close, with sand underfoot and high peaks all around you.
Our Deosai itinerary visits Katpana on the second day, together with Shangrila and Upper Kachura, and it makes an easy, relaxed way to get used to the altitude before the plateau.
Elsewhere in Skardu
Swipe along the district, from the valley floor to the summits.
- 2,228 m
Town or village
Skardu
Skardu, at 2,228 m, is Balti Yul, the friendly heart of Baltistan and the starting point for the Baltoro and Deosai.
- 2,600 m
Lake or water
Satpara Lake
Satpara Lake, at 2,600 m, is an emerald lake above Skardu with an ancient Buddha carving on the way.
Lake or water · 2,500 m
Shangrila
Shangrila is Lower Kachura lake, and the upper lake, twenty minutes walk on, is the unspoiled one.
- 3,000 m
Town or village
Basho
Basho is a pine valley above Skardu, with summer pasture above the treeline.
- 1,900 m
Town or village
Roundu
Roundu is the Indus gorge between Gilgit and Skardu, home to the lively Dunsa Festival every July.