One of the most spectacular mountains on Earth to see from the valley floor — a sheer rise of nearly 6,000 metres from the Hunza River to a dazzling ice summit.
Rakaposhi stands 7,788 metres high in the western Karakoram, between the Hunza and Nagar valleys. What makes it extraordinary is not just its height but its rise: from the Hunza River at its foot to its summit, the mountain climbs almost 6,000 vertical metres in a single uninterrupted sweep — one of the greatest base-to-summit rises of any mountain on Earth. From the valley it appears as an immense, dazzling wall of ice and snow.
The local name is often translated as "shining wall", and on a clear day it lives up to it completely. Because the Karakoram Highway runs right beneath it, Rakaposhi is one of the most accessible great mountain views anywhere — you can stand at a roadside viewpoint with a cup of Hunza tea and look straight up nearly 6,000 metres of mountain.
Rakaposhi was first climbed in 1958 by a British-Pakistani expedition. Despite its accessibility from the road, it is a serious technical mountain with long, exposed and avalanche-prone routes, and it is climbed far less often than its fame might suggest. It demands genuine high-altitude mountaineering experience.
A mountaineering permit is required to climb it; fees vary by peak and season — confirm current rates with operators in Hunza or Gilgit. For the overwhelming majority of visitors, however, Rakaposhi is a mountain to admire and trek beneath rather than to climb.
| Elevation | 7,788m |
| Range | Karakoram (Rakaposhi-Haramosh Mountains) |
| First ascent | 1958, British-Pakistani expedition |
| Nearest valleys | Hunza and Nagar, on the Karakoram Highway |
Few great mountains are easier to see. Roadside viewpoints on the Karakoram Highway near Hunza and Nagar — the most famous around the village of Ghulmet — give a head-on view of the full face, and several have teahouses where you can sit and take it in. For a closer, quieter perspective, the trek up to Rakaposhi Base Camp climbs through pastures and along the glacier to sit directly beneath the mountain.
The best season for clear views and open trails is roughly May to October, with summer offering the greenest valleys and the most reliable weather. Winter brings snow to the higher approaches but also some of the most dramatic clear-air views from the road.
Trek in via our Rakaposhi Base Camp trek guide, see all treks, or plan a Hunza route with the trip planner. The neighbouring Haramosh shares this corner of the Karakoram.
Rakaposhi is 7,788 metres high. It is famous less for its absolute height than for its near-6,000m unbroken rise from the Hunza valley floor.
It stands between the Hunza and Nagar valleys in the western Karakoram, directly above the Karakoram Highway in Gilgit-Baltistan.
It was first summited in 1958 by a British-Pakistani expedition. It remains a serious, infrequently climbed technical mountain.
Roadside viewpoints on the Karakoram Highway near Hunza and Nagar — especially around Ghulmet — give a head-on view, several with teahouses. The Rakaposhi Base Camp trek offers a closer perspective.
Yes. The Rakaposhi Base Camp trek climbs through pastures and along the glacier to sit directly beneath the mountain, with no technical climbing required.