Karakoram

The Karakoram forms a high mountain barrier between the Tarim Basin and the upper Indus country. Long glaciers fill valleys among its rocky summits, and snow feeds rivers on both sides of the range. The Karakoram Pass links the highlands of Ladakh with the road to Yarkand. Its great elevation and the barren country approaching it made travel a demanding undertaking, even when the pass itself was open.