Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), a stunning region in Pakistan’s Karakoram Mountains, has been featured in CNN’s list of the top 25 travel destinations to visit in 2025. Known for its challenging terrain and awe-inspiring landscapes, GB continues to captivate thousands of tourists and foreign climbers each year who seek to conquer its mighty peaks, engage in paragliding, and explore other adventurous activities.
CNN Travel highlighted the region’s allure in a statement released on Wednesday, saying, “The Gilgit-Baltistan region in the Karakoram Mountains isn’t the easiest place to get to — flight schedules can be unreliable, roads can be blocked off seasonally — but it has more tantalizing peaks than a lemon meringue pie.” The broadcaster emphasized that GB is home to five of the world’s highest peaks, including K2, the second tallest mountain globally, which is renowned not only for its height but also for its difficulty and danger.
The article described the hiking challenges in GB as far more rigorous than those found in the Himalayas, stating that “hiking in GB makes the Himalayas look like a traipse in Central Park.” However, it also cautioned that traveling in the region alone is not advisable.
Despite the region’s popularity among mountaineers, 2024 saw a tragic surge in fatalities. Nine climbers lost their lives while attempting to summit various peaks. The victims included five mountaineers from Japan, one from Russia, one from Brazil, and two from Pakistan. Among the most notable incidents was the death of a Japanese climber on July 3, 2024, when he fell into a crevasse while descending the Spantik Peak (7,027 meters), located in GB’s Nagar district.
The climbers were part of a Japanese expedition team that had already reached the summit of Spantik after beginning their journey from Hoper Valley. The loss of these climbers serves as a somber reminder of the risks inherent in high-altitude mountaineering.
As Gilgit-Baltistan continues to draw adventurers from around the world, the region’s rugged beauty and challenging peaks remain a significant attraction, with safety always at the forefront of considerations for those seeking to explore its majestic landscapes.
