Karomber Lake

[kashifrazamalik]

AOA all frnds

This is the lake who took my dreams i first saw its picture in the study room of Mustansar and after reading his book YAAK SARAE i totally lost ma mind about this lake.
i want to gather a team of peoples like me who want to see this amazing lake and its beautiful but tough trek.
ANY ONE HAVE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS LAKE
ITS TREK
EXPECTED EXPENSES AND DAYS
AND ANY OTHER INFORMATION
AND
some frnds who are interested

[imtishal]

I left chitral at 70 AM in the morning and by 110 PM i was crossing peer wadai bus stand,And this travelling includes stops for fueling and lunch.So yes one can reach from chitral to isb in a day.Han yeh hai kah vice versa case mai charhai hai so thoura time zaida lagaye ga.
Yeah U r right about admin,BUT distance is lesser (from last jeep stop to lake) I THINK..., which means less expense...,abb terrein keyessi hai yeh pata karna paraye ga.

[asifcae]

i meant trek kay laiy wo he hisab kitab hai guides and porters ka. nothing fixed and u have to bargin....
from chitral side ul have to start trek from shost well ahead of mastuj. i think a lot of travelling is involved on jeep. at least from mastuj to shost its long jeep track and then the trek distance is shorter but it wil be steeper.

so from here the trek is shorter and steeper and i dont know abt any ppl who have attempted from this side so cannnot comment on the availability of guides and porters

[aesiege]

Can anybody plz confirm what is the last jeepable point if we go from Chitral-Mastauj-Lasht side.

[imtishal]

From MAPS it seems chikar is the last jeepable point.

[asifcae]

mayb Shost village ahead of Brep vilage is th last point. this is what i think

[ranasherdil]

Originally Posted by imtishal

From MAPS it seems chikar is the last jeepable point.

I think its kishmanja.. 9-10 hours jeep drive from Mastuj...


Karomber Lake Trek | Adventure Traveler

[ranasherdil]

Along the Wakhan Corridor… Dashtnavard's Blog

[ranasherdil]

Chikar is near Ishkar waz... or between Kishmanja and Ishkarwaz

[ranasherdil]

ItineraryEdit

Reaching starting pointEdit

From Islamabad, one can reach Chitral by road or by Air. From Chitral, jeeps can be hired or public transport can be taken to reach Mastuj which is on main Gilgit Chitral road. From Mastuj, a jeep has to be hired for a long 10-12 hours journey up to Kishmanja from where this trek starts


Day 1: Kishmanja to Ishkarwaz(Broghil)Edit

Duration: 4-5 hours
From Ishkarwaz, cross the flowing stream through a log foot bridge and continue south along with the river bed to reach Garamchashma. From this point, one leaves the river bed and turn left. The path ascends very smoothly till one reaches a small pass. From this point, there are two options to reach Broghil. One can climb right to reach Chikar which is the base of Darkot glacier from where one can reach Showrsheer the other day bypassing Ishkarwaz. If one continues towards southeast, the valley opens up with vast stretches of different small but colorful flowers. The stage ends at Ishkarwaz where there are posts of Chitral scouts and police where one has to register.


Day 2: Ishkarwaz - Showrsheer via LashkargazEdit

Duration: 7-8 hrs
A couple of hours walk away from Ishkarwaz is Garhil. Inhabited by a few households, Garhil is one of the most beautiful spots of the whole area in terms of landscape. After crossing Garhil, one walks beneath the Darwaza pass and reaches Lashkargaz. Darwaza pass is another way to enter into Agfhanistan's wakhan corridor. Before Lashkargaz, the main attraction of this day is a series of small but beautiful lakes with changing colors. In total, these are five different lakes just adjacent to each other. Every few kilometers on this path, one comes across a new pasture which is used as the grazing land for yaks. Lashkargaz is the place where traditional polo festival is held each year where wakhi people from the whole region participate.


Day 3 Showrsheer - Karomber LakeEdit

Duration : 4-5 hrs
It is a very gentle walk up to Karomber that climbs very smoothly. One passes through small settlements on Rabat and Lale Rabat before reaching the Karomber pass at 4200 meters. Karomber lake is further half an hour away from the pass at 4160 meters. There are some camping sites maintained along the lake. Porters normally stay in open sky small huts built above the lake. They must be provided a water proof sheet as a protection against snow and rain.


Day 4: Karomber Lake - SwinjEdit

Duration: 3-4 hrs
This is the easiest day of the whole trek with a very gentle walk of few hours. One enters into the Karomber valley after crossing Karomber lake which does not enjoy the greenery and beautiful landscape of that of Broghil valley. Swinj is inhabited by Gujjar people. They come from Imit during summer months with their livestock. They are not as friendly as the wakhi people and must be treated with caution.
Day 5: Swinj - Sohktarabad via Chittiboi GlacierEdit

Duration: 7-8 hrs
This is one of the longest day of the trek included with it is the crossing of Chittiboi glacier. Glacier crossing takes around 2 - 2.5 hours. The crossing itself is not very technical however donkeys with load struggle on it. At sokhtarabad campsite is maintained along with the police post where one must register. The post comes under the jurisdiction of Ishkoman police station.
Day 6: Sokhtarabad - VirgothEdit

Duration : 5-6 hrs
Soon after leaving Sokhtarabad, one has to cross the Sokhtarabad glacier. Virgoth which is the destination of this day is undoubtedly the best camping site of the trek but it comes with a price which is "Shuttargurdan". It is the name of the difficult mountain one has to cross with very narrow, steep and scary path. The original path used to go along with the river however in year 2007, glacier blocked the way of the river and there is no apparent way to cross it. One has to be very careful on this narrow path as any wrong step can take one down to thousands of feet down into the river.
Day 7: Virgoth - MitrandasEdit

Duration: 6-8 hrs
If one starts early, it is also possible to reach Mitramdas the same day however Pekhin is the other option if one can't. It is probably the worst of campsites of the whole trek and feels more as one is coming from the campsites of virgoth and sokhtarabad. After leaving Vrgoth, one has to cross the glacier that takes 30-40 minutes and ends at Yasin village which is another pictersuqe village and is very much similar to virgoth. An hour walk from Pekhin takes one to the river. One can cross the river on foot if water is not high or there is an alternate route available over the cliff on the left which is not very difficult however is narrow where donkeys with load struggle..Although there is a jeep road till Mitramdas, jeeps are generally not available there unless already arranged. One has to walk further couple of hours to Borth to find one. From Borth the jeep can be taken to Gahkuch which is the capital of Ghizer and is a big town. Regular transport is available from Gakuch for Gilgit.

[aesiege]

Originally Posted by ranasherdil

Chikar is near Ishkar waz... or between Kishmanja and Ishkarwaz

I have marked Chikar's location with red arrow

[asifcae]

Originally Posted by ranasherdil

ItineraryEdit

Reaching starting pointEdit

From Islamabad, one can reach Chitral by road or by Air. From Chitral, jeeps can be hired or public transport can be taken to reach Mastuj which is on main Gilgit Chitral road. From Mastuj, a jeep has to be hired for a long 10-12 hours journey up to Kishmanja from where this trek starts


Day 1: Kishmanja to Ishkarwaz(Broghil)Edit

Duration: 4-5 hours
From Ishkarwaz, cross the flowing stream through a log foot bridge and continue south along with the river bed to reach Garamchashma. From this point, one leaves the river bed and turn left. The path ascends very smoothly till one reaches a small pass. From this point, there are two options to reach Broghil. One can climb right to reach Chikar which is the base of Darkot glacier from where one can reach Showrsheer the other day bypassing Ishkarwaz. If one continues towards southeast, the valley opens up with vast stretches of different small but colorful flowers. The stage ends at Ishkarwaz where there are posts of Chitral scouts and police where one has to register.


Day 2: Ishkarwaz - Showrsheer via LashkargazEdit

Duration: 7-8 hrs
A couple of hours walk away from Ishkarwaz is Garhil. Inhabited by a few households, Garhil is one of the most beautiful spots of the whole area in terms of landscape. After crossing Garhil, one walks beneath the Darwaza pass and reaches Lashkargaz. Darwaza pass is another way to enter into Agfhanistan's wakhan corridor. Before Lashkargaz, the main attraction of this day is a series of small but beautiful lakes with changing colors. In total, these are five different lakes just adjacent to each other. Every few kilometers on this path, one comes across a new pasture which is used as the grazing land for yaks. Lashkargaz is the place where traditional polo festival is held each year where wakhi people from the whole region participate.


Day 3 Showrsheer - Karomber LakeEdit

Duration : 4-5 hrs
It is a very gentle walk up to Karomber that climbs very smoothly. One passes through small settlements on Rabat and Lale Rabat before reaching the Karomber pass at 4200 meters. Karomber lake is further half an hour away from the pass at 4160 meters. There are some camping sites maintained along the lake. Porters normally stay in open sky small huts built above the lake. They must be provided a water proof sheet as a protection against snow and rain.


Day 4: Karomber Lake - SwinjEdit

Duration: 3-4 hrs
This is the easiest day of the whole trek with a very gentle walk of few hours. One enters into the Karomber valley after crossing Karomber lake which does not enjoy the greenery and beautiful landscape of that of Broghil valley. Swinj is inhabited by Gujjar people. They come from Imit during summer months with their livestock. They are not as friendly as the wakhi people and must be treated with caution.
Day 5: Swinj - Sohktarabad via Chittiboi GlacierEdit

Duration: 7-8 hrs
This is one of the longest day of the trek included with it is the crossing of Chittiboi glacier. Glacier crossing takes around 2 - 2.5 hours. The crossing itself is not very technical however donkeys with load struggle on it. At sokhtarabad campsite is maintained along with the police post where one must register. The post comes under the jurisdiction of Ishkoman police station.
Day 6: Sokhtarabad - VirgothEdit

Duration : 5-6 hrs
Soon after leaving Sokhtarabad, one has to cross the Sokhtarabad glacier. Virgoth which is the destination of this day is undoubtedly the best camping site of the trek but it comes with a price which is "Shuttargurdan". It is the name of the difficult mountain one has to cross with very narrow, steep and scary path. The original path used to go along with the river however in year 2007, glacier blocked the way of the river and there is no apparent way to cross it. One has to be very careful on this narrow path as any wrong step can take one down to thousands of feet down into the river.
Day 7: Virgoth - MitrandasEdit

Duration: 6-8 hrs
If one starts early, it is also possible to reach Mitramdas the same day however Pekhin is the other option if one can't. It is probably the worst of campsites of the whole trek and feels more as one is coming from the campsites of virgoth and sokhtarabad. After leaving Vrgoth, one has to cross the glacier that takes 30-40 minutes and ends at Yasin village which is another pictersuqe village and is very much similar to virgoth. An hour walk from Pekhin takes one to the river. One can cross the river on foot if water is not high or there is an alternate route available over the cliff on the left which is not very difficult however is narrow where donkeys with load struggle..Although there is a jeep road till Mitramdas, jeeps are generally not available there unless already arranged. One has to walk further couple of hours to Borth to find one. From Borth the jeep can be taken to Gahkuch which is the capital of Ghizer and is a big town. Regular transport is available from Gakuch for Gilgit.

great info it seems to be accurate info.....

[asifcae]

so this trek is very short as per trekking dayz r concerned wirth great views of broghil valley and pass. amazing

[kashifrazamalik]

very well information by rana sb i think the trek from Chitral is good, less day, less expenses and seems to be very thrilling to Baba Tarar is also writen in his book Chitral Dastan about this trek

[imtishal]

So me was right....attempting from chitral is more feasible rather then following the foot steps of tarrar sb.I wonder y didn't he tried from this route.As less days are required and the ascend is not hazardous for trekkers.
@rana sb,

Allah apko lambi hayati daye for sharing this info..ALTHOUGH I HIGHLY doubt that one can cross the chitiboi glacier in 2.5 hrs.

[asifcae]

Originally Posted by imtishal

So me was right....attempting from chitral is more feasible rather then following the foot steps of tarrar sb.I wonder y didn't he tried from this route.As less days are required and the ascend is not hazardous for trekkers.
@rana sb,

Allah apko lambi hayati daye for sharing this info..ALTHOUGH I HIGHLY doubt that one can cross the chitiboi glacier in 2.5 hrs.

it can be done if its not snowing/raining... it is tuf waisay......

looking at the iternary it sayz three stages from either side coz till mitrandan jeep goes and so there is not much difference in trekking dayz........
ppl prefer from this side coz crossing chitibui is a good experience and also many ppl come from chipursan valley (ziarat baba ghundi) after doing Chiliji pass....

[imtishal]

Yes u r right about trekking days.BUT trek kaye starting point tak pohanchaye mai chitral side say kam din lagaein gaye I think..Coz dosri side say sirf gilgit tak pohanche mai hi bandaye ko 36 hrs lag jataye hein bhai...

Also, it says 'Although there is a jeep road till Mitramdas, jeeps are generally not available there unless already arranged'

[asifcae]

Originally Posted by imtishal

Yes u r right about trekking days.BUT trek kaye starting point tak pohanchaye mai chitral side say kam din lagaein gaye I think..Coz dosri side say sirf gilgit tak pohanche mai hi bandaye ko 36 hrs lag jataye hein bhai...

yes this can be of advantage.....
i am not sure of driving times from this side

[ranasherdil]

Originally Posted by asifcae

it can be done if its not snowing/raining... it is tuf waisay......

looking at the iternary it sayz three stages from either side coz till mitrandan jeep goes and so there is not much difference in trekking dayz........
ppl prefer from this side coz crossing chitibui is a good experience and also many ppl come from chipursan valley (ziarat baba ghundi) after doing Chiliji pass....

This year in september 2011... The Trekkers Group tried Karomber.. but they had to returned from Sokhtarabad due rain snow...

They tried from Ishkomen side...


The route from Chauparson is popular due foreign tourist usually prefer Hunza side.. as Hunza trekking expedition business is very strong...

Waisay seedha seedha rasta... which don't involve some high pass is Iskhomen and then to Chitral side.. In this route you will come accross the Karomber pass.. but its gradually and wide pass like Khunjrab and Shandoor... As far as I understood the area and this route. Darkut and Chilinjee are high passes.. you have to cross and then descend... other side...

A pass is also on a watershed... means water of one side of pass goes one river.. and other side goes to another river...

Babusar is an example of watershed... on one side water goes to Indus... other side goes to Kunhar/Jehlum/Mangla...

[ranasherdil]

Originally Posted by imtishal

Yes u r right about trekking days.BUT trek kaye starting point tak pohanchaye mai chitral side say kam din lagaein gaye I think..Coz dosri side say sirf gilgit tak pohanche mai hi bandaye ko 36 hrs lag jataye hein bhai...

Also, it says 'Although there is a jeep road till Mitramdas, jeeps are generally not available there unless already arranged'

20 hours pindi gilgit... i think 4 hours Gilgit-Ishkomen... 24 Hours..

Chitral side---- Pindi- Chitral--- don't know time.. but hopefully 12+ hours (one day)... next day ap

Chitral – Mastuj (By Jeep) : 5 hrs
Mastuj – Kishmanja (By Jeep) : 9-10 hrs (This journy can be done in daylight.. i think so)


In this thread they visited Kishmanja on jeep...
A Journey to the World of Colors & the Land of Rocks


good threads... which is missed by Pakwheelers only watch Road Trips/Vacations section


Team Unimog Punga 2011: Solitude at Altitude

IJC – 5 days, 1500 KMs, 14000 Feet, 6 lakes & 23 aficionados in the Land of Giants!

[asifcae]

Originally Posted by ranasherdil

This year in september 2011... The Trekkers Group tried Karomber.. but they had to returned from Sokhtarabad due rain snow...

They tried from Ishkomen side...


The route from Chauparson is popular due foreign tourist usually prefer Hunza side.. as Hunza trekking expedition business is very strong...

Waisay seedha seedha rasta... which don't involve some high pass is Iskhomen and then to Chitral side.. In this route you will come accross the Karomber pass.. but its gradually and wide pass like Khunjrab and Shandoor... As far as I understood the area and this route. Darkut and Chilinjee are high passes.. you have to cross and then descend... other side...

A pass is also on a watershed... means water of one side of pass goes one river.. and other side goes to another river...

Babusar is an example of watershed... on one side water goes to Indus... other side goes to Kunhar/Jehlum/Mangla...

+1

chilinji is a trophy

i know abt trekkerz group and what happened (most unfortunate) this year late monsoon system has caused many problems ....