The lower portions can be described as a grey sea of rocks and gravelly moraine, bordered by a few summer villages and pastures with herds of sheep, goats, cows and yaks and where roses and juniper trees are common.

The Batura Glacier has been the subject of several studies, both because it has several unusual properties and because it is close to the vital Karakoram Highway.

The climate of the deep valleys around the Batura Glacier is dry, with only about 10 cm of precipitation per year.

Snowfall up in the mountains is somewhat higher but still fairly low, with around 100-130 cm per year.

The local freezing level is about 4,200 m. The glacier's upper reaches are the coldest; it becomes more temperate in its middle and lower parts.