Patundas Meadows
A high meadow between two great glaciers, above Passu.
Patundas is a high grassy ridge at about 4,100–4,300 m between the Passu and Batura glaciers in upper Hunza, reached in three days from Passu on the Karakoram Highway. The trek climbs about 1,700–2,000 m in two days and crosses the Passu Glacier, on a crevassed route that changes every year and needs a local guide. The reward is one of the great panoramas of Gojal: the Batura and Passu glaciers below, Shishpar and Passu Sar above. It's an open-zone trek with no permit, best from late June to mid-September.
Day one climbs from Passu (about 2,400 m) to the summer huts of Passu Ghar, at about 3,200 m. Day two crosses the Passu Glacier, one to two and a half hours on ice, then climbs to the meadows of Patundas. Day three is the long descent back to Passu, about 1,700 m down. Some groups start instead from Borith Lake, above Hussaini.
The glacier is the serious part. Its route shifts every year, with crevasses and seracs at the edges, steps to cut or crampons on steep ice, and a guide who crossed it this season. The Patundas pastures belong to the villagers of Ghulkin, who hold the portering rights. Water is scarce above Luzhdur, so carry enough.
Because the height comes quickly, spend a few days in Hunza first. It fits neatly into a Hunza journey alongside the Hussaini bridge, Borith Lake and the Passu Cones.
Questions, answered
How difficult is the Patundas trek?
Moderate but steep: about 1,700–2,000 m of ascent in two days, plus a one-to-two-and-a-half-hour crossing of the Passu Glacier. Good fitness and a few days' acclimatisation in Hunza make it comfortable.
Do I need a guide for Patundas?
Yes, in practice. The Passu Glacier crossing changes every year and has crevasses, and the Ghulkin villagers who own the Patundas pastures hold the portering rights. No trekking permit is needed; it's an open-zone trek.
When can you trek to Patundas?
From late June to mid-September, when the snow has cleared from the meadows. Earlier and later, snow and cold make the glacier crossing and the high camp much harder.
Run it with the home team.
Private departures with our Hushe and Askole crews — permits, mules and every logistics line handled.