Originating from a glacier at the northern base of the Kanjut Sar massif, the Shimshal River is the main tributary of the
Hunza River. The two main streams of this river originate in different depressions of an offshoot of the
Karakoram Range, in the north-western part of
Ladakh,
Jammu and Kashmir.
The valley of the Shimshal River is U-shaped and is covered with thick glacier deposits. The river is joined by small snow-feed tributaries during its course. When the glacier starts melting in late summer, there is a rise in the discharge of this river.
The entire catchment area is devoid of vegetation and human habitation is restricted to the banks of the Hunza River.
