Astore valley

Introduction:

Astore valley is situated at an altitude of 2600meters in the Gilgit-Baltistan of pakistan and is one of the six district of the Gilgit Baltistan province. 120km of this valley is divided in to more than a hundred villages.the whole area comprises lush green pastures,wild forests,tranquil atmosphere  and according to the season, fruits such as apple apricot cherries and almond can also be found in abundance  .Astore valley is accessible  from Gilgit via Joglot in north Skardu from east and Chitral from the south.its access from Skardu remains seasonal as some of the passes are blocked from December to march due to snow fall .The most beautiful and well known villages in Astore are chilim, bubin, eid gah and shina is the local language.The valley of Astore is also consider as trekkers paradise.its offers a wide range of itineraries from easy short walks for beginners and amateurs to strenuous trek for professionals.from here one can go to the worlds secound higest plateau Deosai and to the fairy meadows or the massif of Nanga parbat(the 9th higest peak in the world).further south lies the rama valley and its beautiful lake that a visitor can not afford to miss.surrounded by the majestic peaks like nanga parbat,shaigiri,rupal peak,chongra peak and laila peak.the panorama is simply marvelous.manay wild flowers as well as rare medicinal plants are also found in this valley. Government has declared this valley as a natural park in order to preserve and protect its fauna including the brown bear.its snow usually in January and February and access to Astore valley is often blocked.