Katpana Desert

The Katpana Desert or Cold Desert is a high-altitude desert located near Skardu in District Shigar, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. The desert contains large sand dunes that are sometimes covered in snow during the winters. Situated at an elevation of 2226 m above sea level, the Katpana Cold Desert is one of the highest deserts in the world. While the desert technically stretches from the banks of Indus River in the south of Skardu to New Ranga Village in the north, the portion of the desert that is most frequented by tourists is located near Katpana Lake close to Skardu Airport.

Climate
Temperatures range from a maximum of 27 C and a minimum (in October) of 8 C, which can drop further to below -17 C in December and January. The temperature occasionally drops as low as -25 C.