Muztagh Ata at 7,546 metres dominates the eastern horizon from Karakul Lake, its bulk rising from the Pamir plateau in an enormous curved face of permanent snow and glaciers. The mountain is not technically difficult by Himalayan standards — it has no vertical ice walls or technical rock sections on its standard route — but its altitude and the remoteness of its approaches make it a serious undertaking. Climbers base camp at the lake shore and acclimatise for weeks before summit attempts.
From the lake, the mountain is simply a spectacle: one of the great views in western China. The morning light on the glacier face, before the afternoon clouds build, is the best time to see it clearly. In the hours when cloud covers the summit, the lower flanks still dominate the sky. The Kyrgyz families camped on the south shore orient their yurt doors toward the mountain; it has been the defining feature of their landscape for generations.
Trekking on the lower slopes of Muztagh Ata is possible without permits that cover the summit approach. Horses can be hired from the lakeside yurts to reach the base of the glacier for a one-day excursion.