Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) is a very sparsely populated high-mountain area in the north of Pakistan. Its natural environment is usually described with heights. The longest glaciers outside of the polar region, home of the world’s five eight-thousander peaks including the second highest peak (K2). GB is largely a high-mountain desert; geologically, it spreads over three high mountain systems: Himalaya, Karakorum, and Hindukush.