7-10 June 2013: Kundol Lake Trek - Swat Valley

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Thanks a lot for your kind words, I was eagerly awaiting to do any trip with you so got the chance & availed it

Thanks a lot to TQC for arranging such a great event !!!

Thread is started with stunning portraits & superb Milky way Shot ! looking forward beauty of Swat valley through your lens

Thx a lot Bilal for your great company !!!

A Portrait from my side of Mobeen Mazhar !

And this is one amazing portrait ... me feeling happy keh meri bhi bari aa gai

Many thx for this click !!

[aesiege]

very well done mobeen bahi and team TQC, nice intro of all the members and nice pics too, waiting for more
"Yeh dil magay more"

Thx a lot Fahad bro !!!!

Real thing will start when we get onto the trek

[aesiege]

wonderful wonderful wonderful !!

Thx a lot bro

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Different types of cultivations in Chattar Plains

046 by Mobeen Mazhar, on Flickr

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Still some distance to go till Besham

047 by Mobeen Mazhar, on Flickr

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Lovely fields while descending from Chattar Plains towards Battagram

048 by Mobeen Mazhar, on Flickr

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Joined the contributory of River Sind as we were approaching Thakot

049 by Mobeen Mazhar, on Flickr

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Joining River Sindh near Thakot

050 by Mobeen Mazhar, on Flickr

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River Sindh

051 by Mobeen Mazhar, on Flickr

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Reached Thakot.

And got stuck in traffic jam due to detailed checking at army checkpost. It was +40 temperature outside and we had no choice but to sit in jeep as after every few moments line was moving ahead at snail's pace.

052 by Mobeen Mazhar, on Flickr

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After long wait, crossed the checkpost and now on our way to Besham.

Spotted some towering peaks in the background.

From this point onwards till Besham, road was in bad shape. Speed was quite slow and it took us around 1 hr to reach Besham.

053 by Mobeen Mazhar, on Flickr

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Finally, reached Besham near 1 p.m.

054 by Mobeen Mazhar, on Flickr

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This is the point in Besham from where roads separate for Swat and Gilgit.

Go straight for Gilgit or take left for Swat through Shangla Pass.

055 by Mobeen Mazhar, on Flickr

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We took left for Swat through Shangla

056 by Mobeen Mazhar, on Flickr

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And immediately stopped for a break in the middle of nowhere. I got drinks for everyone to cool ourselves down while driver was working on jeep radiator.

Height of boredom ..... Khalid Rehman spotted couple of Kargil Plazas and check me that i was taking shots of these boards ... u can well guess our condition due to excessive heat

057 by Mobeen Mazhar, on Flickr

058 by Mobeen Mazhar, on Flickr

[asifcae]

nice pics janab. shangla kab puhanchay ***????

[aesiege]

nice pics janab. shangla kab puhanchay ***????

Within half hour

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Shangla Pass Road Status
I was expecting it to be very easy going road as had heard the good news about the road from many people. But the climb from Besham to Shangla is quite bad actually.

If u consider distance then 70% of the road is paved and in good condition. On the other side of Shangla till Khwazakhela, road is in perfect shape. However, between Besham and Shangla, road is half very bad and half excellent and newly paved. And this is in patches like after every few km, u will get a newly paved patch and then dirt track with potholes and stones.

Now if u consider time spent between Besham and Khwazakhela then 50% time is spent on these bad patches and remaining 50% travelling is on good road.

So, i would say that this road is 50% good and 50% bad.

We resumed our journey after fuel top up around 1:40 p.m.

Starting the climb to Shangla Pass.

059 by Mobeen Mazhar, on Flickr

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The bad patches .. some were less worse and some were even worse

060 by Mobeen Mazhar, on Flickr

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And then the newly paved good ones

061 by Mobeen Mazhar, on Flickr