Passu Cones

About 40 km south of Sost, just past the village of Passu, the Karakoram Highway passes one of the most photogenic mountain views in Pakistan: a row of needle-sharp peaks rising directly above the road, their tips clear above the valley snowline.

A small roadside viewing area lets you stop for photographs. The classic shot is from across the river, taken from the Khunjerab side of the suspension bridge.

things to do sight
A story
The cones are known locally as the Tupopdan range. Their sharp serrated profile is the result of differential erosion: the harder rock layers stand up as spires while the softer ones around them have weathered away. They appear on the back of Pakistani banknotes.