Snow Lake (Hispar–Biafo)

Name: Snow Lake (Hispar–Biafo)
Address: PK

Schematic Askole → Hispar La → Hispar. Not a GPS track. About 120 km is the editorial headline, not the pin spacing. DEM high 5,135 m is Hispar La. CKNP Core Zone park fee.

Last verified 2026-09-23 vs Central Karakoram National Park (CKNP)

Byline

The Hiking World editorial · author
Desk byline for seed records. Named surveying editors replace this once a trail is verified.

Figures marked provisional are seed data and still need verification. Source and last-checked date sit under each cited value.

Permits and fees

Quota / restriction: CKNP Core Zone — solo trekking not permitted; minimum one registered porter, registered guide for groups of 3+.

Permit	Cost	Quota / restriction	Issuer	Source	Verified
CKNP park feeOfficial source	PKR 2,000 per foreign trekker per trek (half for Pakistani nationals)Statutory local figure. Dated USD conversion: not recorded.	—	Central Karakoram National Park (CKNP)	Issuer page	Verified 2026-09-23 vs Central Karakoram National Park (CKNP)

Altitude weather delta

High 5,135 m minus low 3,038 m is 2,097 m of relief on this record. A standard tropospheric lapse of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m implies about 13.6 °C cooler at the high point than the valley, all else equal.

That is a model (International Standard Atmosphere environmental lapse), not a forecast and not a trail-closure. Wind, snow, and storms stay in Hazards.

derived:lapse-rate · 2026-09-10 · provisional

ISA 6.5 °C / 1,000 m · wikipedia.org · 2026-09-10

loading map...

This line is a schematic. The files are not a GPS track. GPX · GeoJSON

Facts35.682, 75.818

Distance120 km*

PK_MARQUEE_TRAILS.csv editorial ~120 km; schematic — not walking distance · 2026-09-23 · editorial · provisional

Ascent+2,097 m*

copernicus-dem:glo-30 pin sample Hispar La minus Askole · 2026-09-23 · dem · provisional

Descent2,015 m*

copernicus-dem:glo-30 pin sample Hispar La minus Hispar village · 2026-09-23 · dem · provisional

High point5,135 m*

copernicus-dem:glo-30 · 2026-09-23 · dem · provisional

Low point3,038 m*

copernicus-dem:glo-30 · 2026-09-23 · dem · provisional

Routepoint-to-point

Days10

Seasonunverified

GradeSAC T3 · YDS 2

Editorial v1 · Provisional catalog

DifficultyChallenging (glacier traverse; ungraded this pass)

SAC T3: Demanding mountain hiking. Exposed sections possible; hands may be needed for balance.
YDS Class 2: Class 2. Simple scrambling, occasional use of hands.

Resolved pins only. Snow Lake itself and the Biafo centroid were null and are not drawn. Live glacier relations were not merged.

typicalDays 10 is Math.round(120/12), a placeholder, not a published itinerary window.

Ascent 2,097 m and descent 2,015 m are differences between resolved pin DEM samples, not a walking profile.

Water

No water sources recorded.

Surface

Surface is not recorded. This field is filled only from an OSM surface tag, not from the grade.

Permits & fees

Permit: CKNP Core Zone park fee

Getting there

No sourced gateway chain yet.

Trailheads

Askole car-free: unknown
Hispar car-free: unknown

Hazards

Glacier traverse. DEM high 5,135 m is Hispar La, not a summit line.

Questions

Do I need a permit for Snow Lake (Hispar–Biafo)?

A permit is listed as required for Snow Lake (Hispar–Biafo): CKNP Core Zone park fee. Status on this record is an official source.

How much is the Snow Lake (Hispar–Biafo) permit?

CKNP park fee: PKR 2,000 per foreign trekker per trek (half for Pakistani nationals) (Central Karakoram National Park (CKNP), verified 2026-09-23). Status: verified-official.