Passu Cones — Tupopdan Spires Above the Karakoram Highway

The Passu Cones, also called Passu Cathedral, are a row of serrated rock spires on the west side of the Hunza Valley. The highest is Tupopdan at around 6,106 m (about 20,000 ft). They rise almost straight out of the Hunza River floodplain, with the Passu Glacier tongue lying just below. You can see them from the Karakoram Highway without leaving the pavement. Golden hour and the first hour after sunrise are the best light, and the spires turn a deep rust color. Pull over on a safe shoulder to shoot photos. Traffic on the KKH includes cargo trucks and buses on tight curves, so don’t park in the lane.

This is the natural staging point for the Shimshal Road. The turn-off sits in this same stretch of the valley, and the road runs up the Shimshal River gorge from here. Fill your tank, check your spares, and ask locally about the road’s condition before you commit. Rockfall and washouts in the gorge can change from one week to the next. Come between late spring and early autumn. Winter snow and shortened daylight make this a very different trip. Verify access conditions ahead of time.

Passu's granite spires, seen from the KKH.