From chaos to pure magic (Chitral, Kalash, Kumrat, Jahaz Banda & Katora Lake Tour)

[MSSR]

After crossing middle lake, the shower got heavier and it was almost pouring now. We had packed our cameras and hidden them somewhere inside our jackets etc so we don't have snaps of return trek between middle lake and chimrain cottage. It was an awesome journey nevertheless. Due to choosing the lower track along the lakes, we were finding it easier to trek and were obviously cursing sher nawab for taking us through higher track containing glacier crossings on our main journey. But letting bygones be bygones, we were now enjoying the downpour and our green track.

[farhan_khetran]

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[ranasherdil]

The middle lake is named as Bara Dand. and starting small lake is named as chota dand.

[MSSR]

Nice travelogue. I recommend you purchase a half-crampons for walking over hard snow(ice). I used them in my Musa ka Mussallah trek and found them very useful.I think you would find them inshaAllah in a reasonable price range(within Rs.1000 tag). Try this outlet in Lahore: Adventure Shop, Quetta centre near Chouburji Lahore. Proprietor is Mr. Javed.
Another reasonable outlet in Rawalpindi: Sporty Shop, Barkat Plaza, Bank road, Rawalpindi. Proprietor: Mr. Salim. But sporty shop had full crampons(used) when i visited them and full crampons are mainly used for mountaineering purposes.
For Snowy conditions/Areas: If you are a walker keep with you a pair of half crampons and if you are a car owner keep with you chains for your car's front wheels(I believe newer cars,that is,models higher than 1982 are front wheel drive) and an Anti-freeze coolant for your vehicle's radiator.

Thanks a lot bro. Thank you for coming up with a wonderful suggestion. Actually we didn't expect to come across those huge glaciers. We thought that the trek would have been clear but that was not the case. Thats y we were not prepared at all and found it completely difficult to cross them.

[MSSR]

The middle lake is named as Bara Dand. and starting small lake is named as chota dand.

Thanks rana sahib. I asked the same from our porters but they were clueless. There were three lakes on the way to jahaz dand...whats the name of the 3rd one?

[MSSR]

At 2:45, finally reached chimrain cottage. Rain had stopped by then but it was still overcast. A large group of students from shaheed benazir bhutto university sheringal had arrived there and were having pulao lunch at cottage's corridors. We introduced ourselves with them and they offered us to join them but we were short of time and our lunch was also ready. So we immediately busied ourselves in packing our backpacks. The lunch was served which was actually a brunch. It consisted of local yogurt, lassi, roti and a local dish made of yogurt which looked like an egg bhujia. I was still sick with nausea and read in many of mustansar husaain tarar's travelogues that yogurt is the best cure in these kind of places so i just had yogurt and lassi which were offcourse extremely tasty. As soon as we were done with brunch, it started raining again and this time it was accompanied by hailing as well. Everybody assembled at the outer edges of the corridor to witness the magical hailing which got heavier and heavier with every passing moment. After few minutes, the grass in cottage's lawn had completely turned white. The young students were having a ball and they started dancing and singing. Shah g also joined them in the dance. It was definitely the best moments of our tour and we were thanking God for giving us a chance to witness them.

[MSSR]

Chimrain cottage and mazay ka mausam

Overlooking chimrain peak

The direction towards katora lake

Brunch time in cottage' lawn

Clouds hovering around nearby peaks

Local kids

And it started hailing

Shah G joining the students in their dance

Group photo with sheringal university's students

[MSSR]

Shah G turning a disco dancer

Few clicks while enjoying and sustaining in the hail

After hailing

[MSSR]

After half an hour, the skies stopped crying and we were geared up to start our return journey to jandrai village. We thanked and paid cook/caretaker of the cottage and gull nawab. Shahbaz was alright now so he was to accompany us along with sher nawab and ayaz. Ayaz didn't join us for katora lake because he had already been there. Instead he trekked to a nearby waterfall with shahbaz and described that waterfall as extremely beautiful with a very tough track leading to it.
At 4:05pm, we had left chimrain cottage after saying farewell to the sheringal university students and writing our names at a wall with coal to keep it there as our memoir

[MSSR]

Horses grazing at jahaz banda

A failed attempt for our signature step

In front of the chimrain peak

Return trek

Getting away from chimrain peak

[asifcae]

lovely momories form my visit .........

Me camping @ Jahaz Banda by Asif Saeed [ RAMADAN UL KAREEM.....], on Flickr

[asifcae]

Jahaz @ Jahaz Dand by Asif Saeed [ RAMADAN UL KAREEM.....], on Flickr

[asifcae]

Jahaz Banda by Asif Saeed [ RAMADAN UL KAREEM.....], on Flickr

[asifcae]

Chota Dand a butiful lake

The Shore by Asif Saeed [ RAMADAN UL KAREEM.....], on Flickr

[asifcae]

Small Lake @ Jahaz banda by Asif Saeed [ RAMADAN UL KAREEM.....], on Flickr

[asifcae]

Water Gate of Jahaz Dand by Asif Saeed [ RAMADAN UL KAREEM.....], on Flickr

[MSSR]

Wow...beautiful clicks asif bro. thanks for sharing!

[aghaabbas]

Great Effort Yaroo and nice pcs as well......

[Xoofi]

Thumbs up for Waqas

The pics after hail are superb

[ism1]

Doing a Saurav Ganguli!

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