A slender, scimitar-curved spire above the Hushe Valley — not the tallest peak in the Karakoram, but arguably the most strikingly beautiful, and a magnet for photographers and ski-mountaineers.
Laila Peak stands roughly 6,096 metres above the Hushe Valley in the Karakoram. By the colossal standards of this region it is a modest height — but few mountains anywhere are as immediately recognisable. Its summit tapers to a curved, leaning spire, like the tip of a scimitar, and one of its faces is a vast, almost uniform sweep of snow and ice running thousands of metres down toward the glacier. It is one of the most photographed mountains in Pakistan.
That beauty has made Laila Peak a symbol of the Hushe region and a favourite of mountain photographers, painters and, more recently, extreme ski-mountaineers drawn to its sustained, steep face. For ordinary travellers, it is the great reward at the top of one of Gilgit-Baltistan's most welcoming trekking valleys.
Despite being under 6,100 metres, Laila Peak is a genuinely difficult and technical climb. Its steep, sustained snow-and-ice face demands serious alpine skill and offers little margin for error, and successful ascents are relatively few. In recent years it has become best known among elite ski-mountaineers, for whom that long face is a coveted — and very serious — descent.
A mountaineering permit is required for peaks of this class; fees vary by peak and season — confirm current rates with operators in Khaplu or Skardu. For the vast majority of visitors, Laila is an objective to walk beneath and photograph, not to climb.
| Elevation | approximately 6,096m |
| Range | Karakoram (Masherbrum Mountains) |
| Nearest valley | Hushe Valley, reached from Khaplu / Skardu |
| Difficulty | Steep, technical — for experienced alpinists |
The way to experience Laila Peak is to trek up the Hushe Valley toward Laila Peak Base Camp, on the Gondogoro Glacier. The walk in from Hushe village passes summer pastures and glacial streams, with the spire growing ever more dramatic as you approach. It is one of the most scenic and approachable base-camp treks in the region, and the views of Laila — and of neighbouring Karakoram giants — are extraordinary.
The best season is roughly June to September, when the Hushe Valley is green, the trails are open and the high faces are clear. Outside that window, snow and cold close in quickly.
Trek in via our Laila Peak Base Camp trek guide, explore the wider Hushe Valley and all treks, or plan a route with the trip planner. The valley also leads toward Masherbrum.
Laila Peak is approximately 6,096 metres high. It is modest by Karakoram standards but famous for its dramatic, curved spire shape.
It rises above the Hushe Valley in the Masherbrum Mountains of the Karakoram, reached from Khaplu and Skardu in Gilgit-Baltistan.
Its summit tapers to a curved, leaning spire and one face is a long, even sweep of snow and ice, making it one of the most photographed mountains in Pakistan.
Yes. Despite being under 6,100 metres, its steep, sustained ice face is genuinely technical with little margin for error, and successful ascents are relatively few.
Yes. A trek up the Hushe Valley toward Laila Peak Base Camp brings you beneath the spire with no technical climbing — one of the most scenic base-camp walks in the region.