Siri Paye is 6 km further from Shogran. Reach there either by hiring a four wheel jeep trailing over a bumpy road or just trek. The patch is full of adventure and fun. However some turns are enough to raise your hair but once you reach Siri Paye, you are truly rewarded after a blood curdlingāspine tingling journey as you catch the most fascinating glimpses of domed, lush green hillocks. On our way up to Siri, very often, young innocent kids approach the visitor. These āsalesmenā the sons of the mountains offer you wild berries and āAloochasā at very cheap prices.
At a majestic height of 11200 feet the Makra Peak boasts the most dramatic scenery of Paye offering a pleasant blend of lakeside walks with a vivid blue sky above us which is truly a rewarding exercise for the beholden visitor to āSiri Payeā.
āIt is interesting that the names of Sari and Paya, the two summer grazing grounds that lie between Shogran and Makra, have taken on a gastronomic connotation on the tongues of Punjabi trevellers and semi-literate young people. They are now called Siri-Paye ā trotters and skulls, palate the Lahoris relish so much.
Sar means ālakeā in Hindko, the language of Kaghan, as well as in Seraiki and Punjabi, and Sari would be a pond or a small lake. Sure enough, to make this an appropriate handle, there is a little tarn at Sari. Similarly Paya in Hindko is a high grazing ground. At over 3000 metres above the sea, that is what Paya actually is.
And so, Sari with its pond and Paya the grazing ground will forever remain siri-paye on the tongues of ill-informed tourists and those who hear their talesā.
After having reached Siri, the drivers, to cool the rickety jeep engines, change water in the radiators and cool up the tyres which often are heated up due to lot of braking and ascending or sharp bending on the steep heights. Passengers utilize the break with a cup of tea prepared from goat milk, served from a nearby makeshift hotel.
Siri has a rest house too (though devastated now) but its verandah displays enchanting views on all four sides. Nonetheless, placeās irresistible appeal emanates from its small yet majestic, serene and frozen blue water lake. Its sheer beauty lies in surrounding green pasturesāgrazing cattleāgradual slopes and thatched houses.
With its most elegant perfect scenery, Paye has been a popular retreat since long. Atmosphere in this delightful hideout with its outstanding blend of pure nature and alpine milieu, thriving wild flower beds unrivalled beauty of snow covered peaks is out-worldly. Many lakes at Siri and Paye are just painted lagoons, perfect to be one on picture post cards.
Clouds hover around the place all day and give rise to varying shades and hues to flower studded slopes. A large number of wild flowers sprout in May and August. Local youths play cricket on slopes or play flute and dance in pleasant weather.
If you may wish to run, it will turn you breathless (it has a height of abt. 10,000 ft) because there is lack of oxygen. There are no hotels and restaurant on Paye. It is preferable that visitors take eatables from Shogran along with them. There are three un-spoilt grassy mounds specially Paye I, II and III. Due to a harsh weather during winter, most herdsmen stay at the meadows only during summer.