Deosai Plateau

The second highest plateau on earth.

At 4,114 metres, Deosai's roughly 3,000 square kilometres of rolling grassland is the second-highest plateau in the world, and one of the last strongholds of the Himalayan brown bear. Snow-covered until early June, it bursts into a carpet of purple, gold and white wildflowers by July, crossed by a single rough track linking Skardu and Astore. Camping under its clear, high-altitude night sky is one of the most memorable overnights anywhere on this itinerary.