Deosai (Baltistan)

Introduction:

Deosai refers to the “Land of Giants”. Deosai Plains are situated in Astore District of Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. The National Park of Deosai is located on the Deosai Plains of the northern geographic region. Deosai National Park is at an average altitude of 4,114 meters (13,497 feet) above the sea level, making the Deosai Plains the second highest plateau in the world, after the adjoining Tibetan Plateau. It protects an area of 3,000 square kilometers. It is well famous for its rich flora and fauna of the Karakoram-West Tibetan Plateau. In the Spring spell it is roofed by sweeps wildflowers and a diversity of butterflies.Deosai Lake also known as Sheosar Lake from the Shina language meaning “Blind lake” is in the park. The lake, at an elevation of 4,142 meters (13,589 feet), is one of the highest elevated lakes in the world. Its length is 2.3 kilometres (7,500 feet), width 1.8 kilometres (5,900 feet) and average depth is about 40 meters (130 ft). It is situated close to the Chilim Valley on the Deosai Plains.

Borith lake Gojal (upper Hunza)

Introduction:

Borith Lake is one of the highest lakes housed within Pakistan’s mountainous Gilgit Baltistan, is surrounded by a landscape of the world’s greatest mountains, largest glaciers, meadows and wetlands. It is an oval shaped glacial fed lake without an outlet. The expansion and contraction of the nearby Ghulkin and Passu Glaciers causes considerable fluctuation in its water levels. Silence and solitude provide a subtle beauty to the lake. Borith is a paradise for tourists, trekkers and nature lovers with a view of the awesome Ultar peak at 6,735 meters and Borit Sar. Borith Lake is home to thousands of migratory birds, the come to sojourn here during the spring and autumn migratory season. These birds are not only a beautiful spectacle to observe, but also an educational and recreational resource. The migratory species can be spotted in the area from February to June and September to November. From Upper Borith you can see the spectacle view of Passu glacier and village.

Khunjerab National park

Introduction:

Khunjerab National Park is the second larges park in Pakistan an one of the highest altitude parks in the world with 2,269 kilometers upper Hunza Gojal,, provides the habitat for a number of endangered and threatened species like the Snow leopard, Marco Polo sheep, and Himalayan ibex. It is also one of the most important alpine biodiversity regions within Pakistan. Protection of the alpine flora in Khunjerab National Park is focus on community-based conservation with a strong element of environmental.

Chipursan valley Gojal (upper Hunza)

Introduction:

The long broad Chipursan valley joins the Hunza River from the west, just above Sost. The road goes up the valley for 35 kilometers to Reshit. The wide flat valley nourishes irrigated wheat fields, thought in the mid eighteenth century a flood covered much of the fertile land with a thick layer of clay and boulders. Legend says that the Baba Ghundi, who came begging in the valley and received only some milk from an old woman, caused the flood. To punish the valley, Baba Ghundi sent the flood and mud slick. Destroying everything except the old woman, her field and he hut thus earning great respect for the rest of his life and deep veneration after his death. The valley is still littered with high with high mounds of flood debris, and pilgrims come from all over northern Pakistan and Wakhan to Baba Ghundi’s shrine to pray and beg favors. There are several shepherds’ summer settlements up the side of these glaciers, and apparently you can cross from the Kukijerab Glacier over a technical 5,200 meter across the Lupghar Pass and come back to the Chipursan valley at Raminji. A holy rock beside the road beyond Yashkuk shows the marks of hands, knees, toes, and forehead. The rock is now a shrine and pilgrim resting place. Another holy rock along the way shows scratch marks as if clawed by a hand, which are filled with an oily substance that never dries up.

Sost valley Gojal (upper Hunza)

Introduction:

Sost is the last village in Pakistan on the KKH. Sost Dry Port, Pakistani immigration and customs post. It stands at about 2,700 meters, 206 kilometers from Gilgit. Above the village is another example of determined village engineering, an AKRSP water channel that passes through a 400 meter tunnel. The foot of the tunnel is very high at the exit, as the villagers got the level wrong on their first attempt and had to dig down. On the west a footbridge about 1.5 kilometers upriver reaches bank of the Hunza River Khudabad village from Sost.

Ganesh Valley

Introduction:

Ganesh Village is a small and ancient village on the KKH in central Hunza. Originally a single compact cluster of houses, greater Ganish now comprises about seven clusters of dwellings. Ganish was recognized for its strategic location on the brench of the Silk Road leading out of the Karakorum into Uighur China (Xing Kiang). The historic village was restored by the Aga Khan Cultural Service focus on three physical components, Pharee, a historic water pond, Sawab Ha, (the house of benediction) two storied, and two roomed with carved wooden elements, Jataq open space used for the common and shared activities of the community and the Mosques The ancient house in Hunza has received the UNESCOs Heritage Award for 2009. The House, a 400-year-old architectural masterpiece, formerly used by envoy of Mir of Hunza.

Sacred Rocks Hunza valley

Introduction:

From Ganesh village you can walk on across the road bridge to the so-called sacred rocks, about 400 meters beyond the bridge, between the KKH and the Hunza River below Altit Fort. Called “the guest book of the Silk Route” by professor A H Dani. Pakistan’s famous archaeologist, the rocks record 2,000 years of travels along the road to and from China. The inscriptions are in Kharoshthi, Barhmi, Gupta, Sogdian and Tibetan. The rock carving and inscriptions around Ganesh village give proof of the Buddhist influence in the area. The inscriptions are in four different scripts and the carvings are of human and animals figures.

Gulmit valley Gojal (upper Hunza)

Introduction:

Halfway 135 km both from Gilgit and Khunjerab Pass. It is 35 kilometers from Hunza. Gulmit is Gojal's largest settlement. It locates on the main KKH at an altitude of about 8871 feet (2,703 meters). It served as the summer capital of the former Hunza state.  It’s very picturesque in spring and there are many fine walks along irrigation channels in the area. Kamaris is the higher village offers fine views back to the jagged Passu spires, the road to northwest of the village for another hour to the end of the Gulmit Glacier. Andra Fort placed on a spectacular mount above the old settlement of Gulmit, the ruins of Andra Fort speak of the strategic defensive outfits of the village. This was basically a collective Fort, built during the late 17th century when Hunza - Nagar wars were common, you can see the archaeological ruins from this most spectacular mount. For the tourist it is a breath taking view from Andra, 30-minute detour northeast from Kamaris to visit the ruins of the Andra Fort

Passu Glacier Gojal (upper Hunza)

Introduction:

Passu Glacier The village owns the grazing rights up the north side of the 56 kilometres long Batura Glacier, so is able to support large herds of yaks, cattle, sheep and goats, but is less fortunate with its agricultural land. About five kilometres further on you round a corner to find Passu Glacier straight ahead. It is white and shining and deeply creased, and looks exactly what you expect a glacier to look like, most other glaciers in the area are covered in rocks and gravel. Above the glacier to the left the jagged line of the Passu and Batura peaks, seven of them over 7,500 metres. Some of these peaks are still unclimbed and are referred to by number, not name, on the map.

Ishkoman Valley

Introduction:

The valley, running north to south to join the Gilgit valley, divides the Karakoram Range from the Hindu Kush. Incorporated into Pakistan in 1972, it is about 100 kilometers to Chatorkhand and Phakora to the road head at Imit. There are five possible treks from the Ishkoman River through Phakora across the 4,600-meter Naltar Pass, 55 kilometers long, restricted-zone trek to the Chipursan valley, Koz Sar 6,677 meters, Chillinji Pass 5,291 meters and Karumber Pass 4,343 meters. The Ishkoman Pass is well used by locals going to Darkot or upper Chitral, but the route is narrower, higher, less scenic and less populated than the Asumbar Pass.

Diamar Valley

Introduction:

Diamar Valley south of Gilgit, here the Skardu road branches east to Baltistan following the upper Indus River, the dividing line between the Himalaya and Karakoram ranges. On they way to Chilas you look south to magnificent views of the Nanga Perbat Massif, the western end of the Himalayan Range. Chilas is the main town of Diamar valley, it is three and half hours drive from Gilgit. There are more than 20,000 pieces of rock art and petro glyphs all along the Karakoram Highway. Chilas was an important junction on the ancient trade route. From here the roda leads over the Babusar pass covering distance 200 km to the Kaghan valley and Mansehra via Islamabad. Babusar is located at a distance of 35 Kilometers from KKH near Chilas, which takes two hours drive onward journey to Babusar. The Babusar Pass is 4173 meters (13,812 feet) high with lush green mountains, covered with thin forest, have beautiful lakes. Babusar pass remained the gateway between Gilgit Baltistan and other parts of Pakistan till the construction of KKH.

Mayoon Valley

Introduction:

The first valley in the old Kingdom of Hunza, Mayoon and Hussainabad descends from the north to join the Hunza River at Khizarabad about ten kilometers upriver of Chalt, opposite Nilt and the KKH. There are several small settlements and pasture up the valley.

Chalt (Where the two continents collided)

Introduction:

Chalt about 60 kilometers north of Gilgit, Chalt is the southernmost settlement of the old Nagar Kingdom. The British arrived in 1891 with a force of 1,000 men, strengthened Chalt Fort and used it as their base to over throw Hunza and Nagar in a fierce battle at Nilt, nine kilometer upriver. Chalt lies on the line of collision between two geological plates. The Indian subcontinent is still pushing northwards into the Asian land mass and a small Island plate is being crushed between them. The deepest, oldest layer of this Island plates are at Paten, further south on the KKH and the top layer appears at Chalt. A sign on the cliff beside the KKH before Chalt reads: Here continents collided.

Haramosh Valley

Introduction:

Haramosh Valley An hour south of Gilgit the Skardu road leaves the KKH and heads up the Indus River. The Haramosh valley circles north and west around 7,209 m Haramosh peak, descending to the road just where the Indus turns south. Through the alpine meadows and the glaciers at the feet of Haramosh, 6,986 m Laila 7,458m Malubiting.

Bagrot Valley

Introduction:

Bagrot Valley Two hours drive from Gilgit to Bagrot Valley. You can get from Gilgit to Sinakkar, the main village in the Bagrot valley. The trek follows the river through Gasunar summer settlement, and then turns due south to the end of the jeep road at the first permanent village of Chirah.

Naltar (kuti) Lake

Introduction:

Naltar (kuti) Lake about 12 kilometers. This takes four hours if you walk all the way, or one hour by jeep. From Bangla to Naltar Lake you pass through more forest and see more Gujar settlements. The first lake is startlingly green pond about 200 meters in diameter, surrounded by birch, ash and pine trees. The water is still and clear, its color rising from bright green algae on the bottom. There are two more lakes, one a Brilliant Cobalt blue and the other Turquoise at a higher level about ten minutes to the west. It is very stony round the edge of these lakes, with no obvious campsite. A fourth larger lake is still higher, about 40 minutes away to the west.

Where Three World Famous Mountain Ranges Meet

Introduction:

Wonderful, romantic, rugged, magnificent, majestic, mysterious, magical, mystical, mercurial, monstrous, marvelous, all these adjectives just do not hold good for the mightiest mountains of Pakistan, which are considered, as a dreamland by millions. It is one-hour drive from Gilgit to Juglot, there is a monument built showing map and direction. Mountains the great masses that stand high against the skies and take up a quarter of all the land are nature’s most spectacular work upon earth, but nowhere more so than in the northern regions of Pakistan, where the three world famous mountain ranges, The Himalayas (means the “Home of Snow”), The Karakoram and The Hindu Kush (means the “Killer of Hindus”) meet.

Jutial Nala (Gilgit)

Introduction:

Jutial Nala is behind the hotel, like most valleys in the Gilgit Baltistan Jutial Nala has a very narrow mouth, but a 6 Kilometers walk along the stream through the steep side gorge takes you to coniferous forest and pastureland. Follow the irrigation channel behind the hotel to the left cliff face, than take the goat path into the gorge keeping to the right of the stream. It takes you upward 1 – 45 hours.