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.