Skardu is a city in Gilgit-Baltistan district of Pakistan, and functions as the capital of Skardu District. Skardu is located in the 10 kilometers (6 miles) wide by 40 kilometers (25 miles) long Skardu Valley, at the meeting of the Indus and Shigar Rivers at an altitude of nearly 2,500 meters (8,202 feet). The city is an important gateway to the eight-thousanders of the nearby Karakoram Mountain range. The city is located on the Indus river, which separates the Karakoram Range from the Himalayas.

The name “Skardu” is believed to be derived from the Balti word meaning “a low land between two high places.” The two referenced “high places” are Shigar city, and the high-altitude Satpara Lake.

Some of the surrounding glaciers are bounded by some of the world’s tallest mountains, including K2, the world’s second tallest mountain at 8,611 metres (28,251 feet), Gasherbrum at 8,068 metres (26,470 feet), and Masherbrum at 7,821 metres (25,659 feet). The Deosai National Park, the world’s second highest high-altitude plain, is located upstream of Skardu as well.