WHEN TO GO

Gilgit is at its best in April and October. In April fruit trees are in bloom, and the first green shoots of winter wheat turn each terrace in to an emerald carpet. The poplars and willows are a fresh, delicate green, and the jagged grey pinnacles are set like cardboard cut outs against the clear blue sky. In the autumn the trees change color: brilliant golds, reds and browns stand out vividly against the snowy peaks. summer is the time for trekkers and climbers. In June, July and August the high mountain pastures and carpeted in flowers, and July to September is the only time of year when the higher passes are open. winter is bitterly cold. Though Gilgit town gets very little snow, the villages at high altitude are snowbound.

Tourist making jeep safaris usually visit Baltistan in April, May, September and October, when the main Indus valley is not too hot and the trees are covered in spring blossom or autumn gold. But mid- june to mid-september is the best time to trek. In August, the trekking high season, Skardu is burning hot and prone to violent sandstorms, but then the flowers in the summer pastures are in full blom. About 70 percent of the annual rainfall of 202 milimetres ( eight inches) falls from January to May. Over the past 30 years, June, september, October and November have been the driest months. There is little shade in Baltistan, and the sun can be very strong, so sunhats and sunburn cream are necessary. At night the temperature falls quickly as the rocks do not hold the heat, so take sleeping bags and extra layer of clothing

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