BRALDU RIVER

The Braldu River is a 78 kilometres (48 mi) long river, which flows in the Skardu District of Gilgit Baltistan in Pakistan. It is located at the elevation of 2,330m (7,644 ft)..The Braldu River means “canyon” in Balti language. 

The terminus of baltoro is a huge, black tongue of rubble and ice that lolls rudely across the breadth of the valley and give birth to grey Braldu River.

Braldu River originates from the Baltoro Glacier and flows 25 kilometers (16 mi) to the west where it receives melt waters from the Biafo Glacier. The Baltoro Glacier and the Biafo Glacier are among the largest glaciers outside the Polar Regions. The Baltoro Glacier give rise to the four Eight-thousander mountain peaks, among them is the K2 28,251 ft (8,611 metres), the second highest mountain peak of the world. The Biafo Glacier holds the Snow Lake, which is 61 mile (100 km) river of ice, it is among the world's longest continuous glacier systems outside of the Polar Regions.

Braldu River is a powerful raging river. It is grey and at some places muddy in colour. 

Braldu River at some places, is shallow and braided, in others it is very steep and rocky. At one point it disappears underneath huge boulders and appears with reverberation of the rolling boulders making it foaming Muddy River. 

Braldu River flows almost eastwards, entirely in the Skardu and forms the Braldu Valley. Many glaciers fed streams joins the Braldu River in the Braldu Valley.

The Braldu River flows through the towns of Korphe, Shamang, Barjand, Kharwa, Niyil and Tingstun The most remote settlement in the valley is the village of Askole, situated at the right bank of the Braldu River. The Braldu River separates Korphe from the village of Askole.

At the Braldu Gorge, the Road is carved out to Askole. the road is blasted out of the rocks next to the roaring Braldu River. The narrow gravel road sometimes slants dangerously towards the Braldu River.

Braldu River at the Braldu Gorge flow little further down into the canyon, the walls closed in and got deeper and deeper and the river got wilder and wilder. The huge wave breaks from one side of the river all the way into the wall on the other side. There are holes sideways to the current. 

The Braldu River is fed by the largest complex of mountains glaciers in the world. The spring melt begins in May and its narrow gorge is filled with completely unrunnable thousands of cfs.

  

Braldu River is one of the most difficult: remote, technical class 5-6, locked with in vertical canyon walls, and highly weather dependent. 

The Braldu River joins the Basha Basna River, and together they form the Shigar River, which is a main tributary of the Indus River.

Braldu River merges with the Basha Basna River 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) before Tingstun to form the Shigar River at the end of the Braldu Valley

Braldu River’s levels of water volume increases as temperatures rises. Sometimes the flow of water is about one thousand cubic feet per second (1000 cfs) Braldu by any definition can be considered a “Class VI” river.

Kayaking in Braldu River

The Braldu River is considered to be a super extreme whitewater river. It provides great scope for kayakin.and huge symmetrical sand waves provided sublime kayak surfing. It is practiced during the summer from June to August. The first attempt to kayak the Braldu River was made in 1978 by a British expedition led by Mike Jones.