From South End to North End of Pakistan, Karachi to Khunjerab [-12ft to 16,200ft]: Day 14: Gilgit to Rawalpindi

Date: 28th September 2015

Now is the time to leave this splendid, marvelous and stunning region on the planet earth. From the last 15 days we have been in this beautiful Heaven, we have visited lots of places including Abbottabad, Mansehra, Balakot, River Kunhar, Naran, Saiful Muluk, Lalazar, Batakundi, Jalkhad, Lulusar Lake, Piyala Lake, Babusar Pass, Dalain, Chillas, Tata Pani, Confluence of River Indus & river Gilgit, Junction point of Karakorum, Hindukush and Himalayas, Raikot Bridge, Nanga Parbat View Point, Jaglot, Gilgit, Rakaposhi View Point, Aliabad, Karimabad, Baltit, Ganish, Attabad, Naltar, Hopper, Altit, Dauikar, Gulmit, Passu, Sust, Borith Lake and accomplished our objective of reaching Khunjerab Pass at Pakistan-China border.

Last evening we call “Madinah Car Service” in Gilgit and booked a car to drive us to Rawalpindi and were waiting for it to arrive. Only after waiting some time as the car didn’t make it on time, we call the “Madinah Car Service” for the reminder and we were surprised to find out from them that they will not be able to get us to Rawalpindi as they have no car available at this time. We all were very upset to hear this as a lot of time have already been wasted and now either we have to go by bus or spend one more night in Gilgit. Luckily, while watching the television a day before we saw an advertise of “Buraq Car Service” and have noted down the phone number of that, we immediately call them and happy to know that they have a car available to take us to Rawalpindi, and the car will pick us from our hotel within half an hour.

After about half an hour a black color “Toyota XLi” arrived to pick us, it was a well maintained and really comfortable car, we load our baggage in the trunk of the car with drivers help and hopped in the car. The person driving the car told us that he is the manager of the company and first he will drive us to the “Buraq Car Service” office and from there another driver will take us to Rawalpindi after registration. We were driving along the Gilgit River on River View road and this trip to the office provide us an opportunity to see more of the Gilgit River and the city area.

Gilgit City Entrance from Karakorum Highwa

Travelling toward Rawalpindi

Travelling toward Rawalpindi at a Gas Station

It took about 20 minutes to arrive at the office, at the office, we pay half of the fare in advance and now our actual journey toward Pindi started. We asked our driver if he knows a nice restaurant as we didn’t have our breakfast and we have to stop at a place for breakfast. The driver informed us that he also didn’t have the breakfast yet and if we can wait we can have breakfast at a location outside the Gilgit city. We agreed with his advice and then we started to drive outside the Gilgit city.

On the Gilgit Road and Karakoram Highway junction our driver stopped to fill up the gas tank, and then our journey started out on the same Karakoram Highway. This is the highway by which we arrived at Gilgit some 9 days ago and then using the same highway we went Aliabad, Karimabad, Duaikar, Gojal, Sust, and our destination of Khunjerab. Traveling on Karakoram Highway is a marvelous experience at some spots you will be travelling between green valleys, at others between mountains, at some places Gilgit River on one side and mighty mountain on the other. And then we got to the point of Confluence of River Gilgit and River Indus, this is the spot at which River Gilgit meets the Indus River and this is also a place where the three mightiest mountain ranges of the world converge. The Karakoram, the Hindukush and the Himalayan ranges meet here at the confluence of the Indus and Gilgit rivers. And then at Jaglot we stop for long awaited breakfast at a local restaurant. The restaurant has both a room to sit in and an open area, we decided to sit under a tree in the open area and eat our breakfast. The breakfast was delectable and the surrounding was beautiful.

Gilgit Surrounding

Our journey to Rawalpindi again started, crossing the Nanga Parbat viewpoint and then Raikot Bridge. Raikot Bridge is a point from where a route lead to the land of Fairies knows as Fairy Meadows. Fairy Meadows is located at the height of 3,300 meters (10,826 ft.) and is one of the wondrous places on earth. It is a foremost step that leads to the base camp of Nanga Parbat, Basil. The route to Fairy Meadows is divided into two sections, in the first section one has to travel by Jeep on a rough and dirt road till Tato and from Tato take a 2.5 hour hike till Fairy Meadows. We did not stop at Raikot Bridge, as there is nothing to watch at that location and proceed along our journey toward Chillas.

Nanga Parbat

Karakorum Highway toward Chillas

Crossing Tata Pani, a place where stream of both cold and hot (boiling) water flows in parallel, we reached Chillas at nearly at 12:00 PM. We stop at “Pakistan Hotel & Yasir Restaurant, Chilās”, it is the worst eatery in the whole of our journey. At that place was so much suffocation inside the restaurant, not enough space for sitting, surrounding is dirty and the toilets are worst. We just ordered a plate of Rice and tea for the road, and both the rice and tea are horrible. In the surroundings there are some shops of dry fruits and spices, we passed some time in the market bought some dry fruits before proceeding toward Naran.

Chillas

At Chillas there are two routes leading to Rawalpindi. One is via the Babusar Pass and the other via Besham on the main Karakoram Highway. The route via Besham is long and the road is rough and damaged at many places between Chillas and Besham. And the route via Babusar is mostly closed due to heavy snowfall, and road department has to remove the snow so that the traffic can pass through Babusar Top. The day before our arrival, there was a heavy snowfall and the reports was that the Babusar Pass is closed, but I advised the driver that he should ask at the check post if Babusar is clear, and we were glad to know his reply in positive. So we choose to take the road of Babusar as it is short, well maintained and more beautiful than the Besham router.

We were traveling on Chillas-Babusar-Naran-Mansehra road, the weather at Chillas is warm, but as we began climbing up on the mountain the temperature started dropping. Till we reached Babusar-Gah the weather becomes so cold that we have to wear our Jackets and Swatters again. At the Babusar-Gah, we had a little tea break at a small restaurant, it is a wondrous place with snow covered mountain surrounding the valley and the river Chillas flowing along the road.

At Babusar-Gah

Our journey toward the Babusar pass started again, as we were getting close to Babusar the weather is changing rapidly and the rain that has taken off after crossing Babusar-Gah has now converted to snowfall and the surrounding is now shrouded with snow. After about 2 hours of drive from Chillas, we reached Babusar Top the highest point in the Kaghan Valley at an elevation of 13,700 ft (4,200 meters).

Near Babusar Pass

At the Babusar Pass, it was snowing hard and the weather was extremely frigid. The whole area is covered with snow and cloud. It was nearly 1:30 PM but there is no sunshine because of the clouds. The wind was also blowing at Babusar Pass that is increasing the chill factor. We immediately hopped out of the car and started enjoying the snowfall. We walked till the Babusar Pass landmark and kids started playing with the snowballs. Since the wind is blowing very fast that is making it really hard to stay at Babusar Pass, so after capturing some photos we started our journey toward Naran.

At Babusar Top

Babusar Top on 18th September 2015

Babusar Top on 28th September 2015

Our trip now started descending down the mountain. The snow is spread all over the plans and all the peaks seen from the road are hidden under the snow. Running up & down, left & right, crossing bridges & water flowing on the road from the mountains, mesmerizing the green plains, the trees and the potato & corn crops harvested by the locals, crossing Lulusar Lake, Payala Lake, Jhalkhad, and Batakundi we reached Naran at nearly 3:00 PM.

Toward Naran

Lulusar Lake

Near Lalazar

We had a plan to stay in Naran longer as we had to have Lunch and my wife need to do some shopping there. Naran is the city where we stayed for three days at the start of our journey from 15^th September till 17^th September and visited Saiful Muluk Lake, Naran Bazar, Lalazar, Batakundi and then on the fourth day we left for Gilgit.

Naran

This time weather in Naran is much colder as compared to the time we remain here in the start of our journey, and as it was also drizzling the valley looks stunning. For the lunch we opt for the same local restaurant where we use to eat during our last halt, we order for Kabuli Pullao (Rice), Chicken and Chapli Kabab. After nearly 20 minutes of waiting for the lunch was served and during that time my wife and daughter visited the nearby shops. Finishing the lunch my wife and daughter again started their shopping adventure and me and my son just roamed about on the main Naran Road.

Naran

Having Lunch at Naran

Pine Forest at Naran

Naran

Passing more than one hour at Naran our journey to Rawalpindi again started. Travelling on Mansehra-Naran-Babusar-Chillas highway we are directly passing through Khaghan Valley, a sensational and marvelous valley with River Kunhar flowing along one side of the road and the beautiful mountain covered with Pine forest on the other side. Mesmerizing the stunning beauty of the area we reached “Abshar Cafe & Restaurant” near Kewai. The mentionable feature of this restaurant is that it is built on a running stream and one can sit and enjoy food and tea while dipping his feet in the water. We stick around in that location for a cup to tea but didn’t dip our legs in water as water was ice cold.

Kaghan

Waterfall at Kaghan

Kaghan

Abshar Cafe & Resturant, Kewai

Finishing tea we traveled toward Mansehra, at Mansehra we are one more traveling on the famous Karakoram Highway. At that place was a heavy traffic jam on Karakorum Highway as the route is obstructed due to some construction work it involved tons of time for us to reach Abbottabad. From Haripur we left Karakoram Highway and used up an alternate route to Rawalpindi the Khanpur Road (N125), the route crosses through Taxilla. It’s a narrow road but there is no traffic jam on that road.

A Truck at Abbottabad

We reached Rawalpindi at nearly 11:00 PM as we have stopped at many places during our journey from Gilgit to Pindi, enjoying the fascinating surroundings. This was the most wondrous journey of our life and will be remembered forever. In the last 15 days, we have visited many beautiful and marvelous places that have fresh water streams, mighty rivers, lakes, meadows, snow covered mountains, glaciers, forests, gardens, and a lot more.

After staying in Rawalpindi for three days we return back to our Home, in Karachi. Thither are many stunning locations that we were unable to visit on this trip like Fairy Meadows, Deosai, Astore, Naltar and lots more but we will be visiting these places very soon. But for now, this is the end of our most fabulous journey.