Following is from Department of Tourism, Sports, Culture, Archaeology & Youth Affairs facebook page:
This September, the Government of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa is poised to hold the biggest ever adventure tourism event in the history of Pakistan—a 4x4 rally starting from Peshawar and finishing at Islamabad, from 22 to 27 September 2016, going through the valleys of Dir-Chitral, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Kaghan. The rally is Pakistan’s celebration of the World Tourism Day along with sharing the marked achievements of the operation Zarb-e-Azb that has made the region accessible for the celebration of life for everyone!
The Trans-Himalayas Rally (THR) pushes the boundaries of endurance to new heights, and the meaning of competition to a level the like of which has never been seen in the recent history. It is where the thrills of Paris-Dakar, Budapest-Bamako, and Raid de Pharaon rallies end, while the heart stopping, breathtaking, and adrenaline pumping adventure of Trans-Himalayas Rally begins. This spectacular trail snakes around the Roof of the World, covering the most treacherous terrains that thrill-seekers dream of, and kissing the altitude of around 15,000 ft!
THR will be traversing a terrain through the heart of the historic North West Frontier of the yore, from legendary high mountain passes and rugged winding roads to areas of spectacular scenic beauty; through a region steeped in the romance of history, this rally offers a priceless experience and limitless opportunities for four-wheelers.
Pakistan is no stranger to hosting off-road rallies. The Cholistan Jeep Rally is Pakistan’s biggest annual 4x4 motor event, held in the desert that attracts domestic and international enthusiasts alike. Internationally, interest in the Paris-Dakar, Budapest-Bamako and Raid de Pharaon rallies seems diminished somewhat owing to re-usage of the same dreary route. Pakistan’s spectacular and demanding blend of metalled and dirt trail of over 1700 km can offer a fresh world-class attraction to top-notch adventure seekers, from within and outside the country, in the form of the proposed Trans-Himalayas Rally 2016, the virgin run!
• About the route—Three Capitals: The Oldest, the Highest, and the Newest.
Starting in Peshawar, which is the Oldest Living City, in this part of Asia the rally will include various stages and competition legs.
In the first stage the participants will end the day-long journey at Chitral covering a total distance of 360 km. The rally will pass through the ‘Valley of the Buddha’ at Mardan along the Buddhist monastery of Takht Bahi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site dating back to the Gandhara Civilization of 1st century AD. Soon after Malakand, THR will pass by the famous Churchill Piquet at Chakdarra, where a young Winston Churchill stayed in 1897, during the British Raj’s attempts to conquer the North West.
The rally will conquer the world-famous Lowari Top, touching an altitude of 10230 ft, the first of the four passes elevated by snow-clad peaks round the year. It is here, where the rally will encounter its first test of endurance, skills, and might in the form of extreme hair-pin bends combined with a thousand feet steep descent from the Mighty Hindukush Mountains.
Further northwards, the rally will be passing through a region, which nestles three picturesque valleys—inhabited by the Kalasha, or ‘Wearers of the Black’—a fascinating tribe, whose origin is shrouded in mystery. The Kalasha speak a mysterious language and the valleys represent the last enclave of ancient pagan folks.
At Chitral, the destination of the first stage, the rally participants will be welcomed by the locals with a polo match followed by a lavish feast of traditional cuisine and music in the vicinity of Chitral Fort, the only privately owned fort in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which was also the scene of the famous Siege of Chitral 1895 campaign. The participants will rest for the night, under starlit skies of the Milky Way, in view the world-famous Tirch Mir peak and the perilous mountains of Afghanistan beyond.
In the next stage, the rally will start from Chitral Town and, passing through Shandur Pass, end at Gupis (Gilgit) covering a distance of 260 kms. Shandur is the highest polo ground in the world lying at 12500 ft. This version of freestyle mountain polo game played at Shandur between the teams of Chitral and Gilgit has attained a legendary status; it is polo in its purest form. There are no umpires and there are no holds barred. The rules are: There are no rules! As the popular saying goes: “Let other people play at other things / The King of Games is still the Game of Kings.”
En route Gupis, the rally will cover a spectacular terrain studded with innumerable tourist spots and famous freshwater lakes namely Phandar and Khalti that offer breath-taking vistas, vales, and meadows. The rally will stay for the night at Gupis and the participants will enjoy the exotic indigenous music and sample unique local cuisine being intoxicated with the natural aroma and fresh air of the valley.
On the third day, the rally will start from Gupis and, moving along the ‘Mighty Indus,’ end at Shangrila-Skardu covering 320 km. Just beyond Gilgit, the rally will cross a geological wonder of the world, where three of the world’s greatest mountain ranges meet, namely: the Hindukush, the Karakoram, and the Himalayas. From Jaglot a trail leaves for Nanga Parbat, the “Killer Mountain,” which is the 9th highest peak on earth. The rally will reach Shangrila Lake, or Lower Kachura Lake, located at around 8,200 ft.
After the night stay at Shangrila-Skardu, the rally will leave for Naran covering a distance of 365 km. This is one of the most beautiful and challenging stretches of the rally route that meanders through high peaks, vales, villages around the famous Satpara Lake, and one of the world’s highest and most stunning meadows, the Deosai National Park. The Sheosar Lake here is the epitome of Wordsworth’s poetry.
Towards the camp, the rally will climb the glacial heights of Babusar Pass attaining an altitude of 13,700 ft and will descend along the bank of Lulusar Lake and finish the stage at Naran. One gets a spectacular view of Malika Parbat (Queen of the Mountains), which is visible from Naran. Nearby is a lake named after a legendary prince Saiful-Maluk, who according to the folklore, fell in love with Badrijamala, a fairy of the lake.
In the final leg, the rally will start from Naran and finish off at Islamabad, covering a distance of 280 km. The rally will cross through the picturesque hill-station of Abbottabad, at an altitude of 4,100 ft, which is a popular summer resort and was established by Major James Abbott in 1849 during the British Raj. En route Islamabad, the rally will pass by the Ashoka Rock inscriptions at Mansehra – yet another UNESCO World Heritage site on the way. The rally will stop for lunch at the picturesque resort of Khanpur Lake, which is located in the lap of one of the oldest civilizations of the world around Jauliyan and Bhamala. Before leaving for the finish point at Islamabad, the rally proceeds towards the oldest university of human history discovered at the City of Sirkap (180 B.C.) and passing through the Taxila Museum, the rally wraps-up at the destination completing the stretch of 1,700 km.