Me, my wife and Baltistan :)

Road Trips / Vacations / Hiking / Trekking

Tags: #<Tag:0x00000008127610>

saadtn1 (saadtn1) 2014-09-14 01:54:39 +0500 #121

Forgot to post these

Somewhere near Chilum

saadtn1 (saadtn1) 2014-09-14 01:57:19 +0500 #122

Day-7 Rest and movies

I called my Skardu based friend who always helps me and lend me his Car/Jeep while stay in skardu. Unfortunately he was very busy and could not send me his car. So we decided to rest whole day and watch movies. At night I got call from Usman ( @urdost) who I met in Natco bus. He was also staying in Dewaan-e-Khaas. We had a long chat and discussed our experiences.

saadtn1 (saadtn1) 2014-09-14 02:13:54 +0500 #123

Day-8 Colorful Khaplu Ponds, Fake trout and beautiful evening of Shigar desert

My friend reached dewaan-e-khaas at 11: 00 am and he handed over his Prado to me with full fuel. We immediately left for Khaplu. We could see beautiful landscape all around. Just before reaching Khaplu there’s a spot where multiple colorful Ponds next to river bed can be seen. I stopped there and we walked towards the ponds. They were very beautiful, Pictures can’t show the real beauty of the ponds. They are around 10-20 Feet deep with clear visibility till bottom. We spent some time there and we left for Khaplu road. I drove till top of Khaplu and we came back without stopping. Then we turned towards Mantokha Falls ( Mehdi abad) On our way we gave lift to 3 local ladies.
The Water fall is very beautiful and the whole place is very calm. Unfortunately someone has built a hotel over there with name “Abshaar Resort”. Its good but I wished it was not there. They are even charging Rs.10 per head to enter the area. We ordered lunch from there. In their menu it was written local Trout, I thought to give it a try. But it turned out to be some other fish. Also we ordered Biryani and instead of that they served us Daal mash Any way, we stayed there for a while and left for skardu. It was evening time and I thought to drive a bit on Skardu-Shigar Road. It was a good experience and at that time it was altogether a different place.
We reached Skardu Bazaar at 7:30 PM. Bought some stuff and I dropped my wife at hotel and went to friend’s home. I picked him up and we had a very good dinner at hotel.

saadtn1 (saadtn1) 2014-09-14 02:18:31 +0500 #124

The colorful Ponds. Pics do not do justice to the beauty of these ponds
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/saadtn1/15008945010" title="IMG_3121 by Saad Rashid, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5584/15008945010_63b6182bb3_c.jpg" width="800" height="534" alt="IMG_3121"></a>

Outlet of the ponds

saadtn1 (saadtn1) 2014-09-14 02:22:05 +0500 #125

Our ride

Imtiazmughal (Imtiazmughal) 2014-09-14 02:48:05 +0500 #126

very beautiful pics.

saadtn1 (saadtn1) 2014-09-14 13:46:04 +0500 #127

Enroute Khaplu

Mantokha Falls
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/saadtn1/15049541470" title="IMG_3181 by Saad Rashid, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5556/15049541470_de802f7ae9_c.jpg" width="534" height="800" alt="IMG_3181"></a>

Xoofi (Xoofi) 2014-09-14 15:12:52 +0500 #128

Manthokha is an awesome place. A must visit.

haiderjaved (haiderjaved) 2014-09-14 16:21:08 +0500 #129

I intend to travel to this part, would prefer my own car as much as possible.
Please guide which of the following have a fair road track for sedans:
1. Raikot bridge to Astore
2. Gilgit to Skardu
3. Skardu to Upper/Lower kachure
4. Gilgit to atta'baad lake

Also guide the mode of transport for the following:
1. Skardu to Khaplu
2. Skardu to Shigar
3. Skardu to Satpara lake
I guess the above 3 are all jeep tracks.

And that also sums up my raw plan as well,
please suggest any changes too.

Red84 (Red84) 2014-09-15 02:46:59 +0500 #130

bro the pictures uve uploaded are not visible

saadtn1 (saadtn1) 2014-09-15 03:41:21 +0500 #131

1. Raikot bridge to Astore - You can go in sedan, but road is bit rough
2. Gilgit to Skardu - Yes, Sedan can go easily
3. Skardu to Upper/Lower kachure- You can go to Lower Kacura on Sedan and then walk uptil Upper Kacura
4. Gilgit to atta'baad lake - You can go on Sedan

Also guide the mode of transport for the following:
1. Skardu to Khaplu - You can go in Sedan
2. Skardu to Shigar - You can go in Sedan
3. Skardu to Satpara lake- You can go in Sedan
Road for these 3 Routes are perfect and safe.

saadtn1 (saadtn1) 2014-09-15 03:42:05 +0500 #132

Can you please mention Post number in which you can't see the pics? because I am able to see all the pictures. Thanks

hsnmz (hsnmz) 2014-09-15 05:32:17 +0500 #133

Beautiful pics @saadtn1. so beautiful that they almost look unreal.

haiderjaved (haiderjaved) 2014-09-15 08:58:14 +0500 #134

Thank you so much for the detailed reply.

And what would be the weather conditions by the end of october, if u hav any idea.
What'd be the coldest among all.

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haiderjaved (haiderjaved) 2014-09-15 09:04:30 +0500 #135

Please add estimated travel time on car fr each of the routes i mentioned.

And you didn't suggest any change in my plan, is it ok ?

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aukhan75 (aukhan75) 2014-09-15 09:26:23 +0500 #136

Nice thread and Deosai pics are awesome.

mr_drifter (mr_drifter) 2014-09-15 10:51:10 +0500 #137

wonderful trip
keep updating bro your thread is very informatory for me and nice photography brother
me and my friends also planing a trip to gilgit baltistan in start of october right after eid
can we go on our car till khunjarab pass or we should go on local transport? need your suggestion specially the road conditions for a corolla

saadtn1 (saadtn1) 2014-09-15 13:38:35 +0500 #138

In end of October you wont be able to visit deosai.
I suggest you to goto hunza first. Visit lake and hopper glacier. I am not sure if you'll be able to see khunjerab or not. But I don't suggest you to go there at that time.
Isb to hunza will take around 18 hours if you take small breaks. Or you can stay for a night at chilaas for rest.

After hunza leave for skardu. It will take around 10 hours from hunza to skardu.
Skardu to shigar will take 45 mins
Skardu to lower kacura 45mins
Skardu to satpara 15-20 mins
Skardu to Khaplu 2.5 hours
Skardu to Mantokha 2 hours
I don't think there's a need to goto Astore since you wont be able to goto deosai, minimarg etc.

saadtn1 (saadtn1) 2014-09-15 13:41:12 +0500 #139

You can goto atabad on car. Please don't take risk of transporting your car on the boat. Many incidents have happened in past.
After that go on local transport till sost and hire car from sost.
Please check status of khunjerab before leaving hunza.

haiderjaved (haiderjaved) 2014-09-15 15:42:41 +0500 #140

thanks for the info.
Yes i do not intend to visit astore and khunjerab.

I will stick to the places i mentioned.
You have created much attraction in atta'bad lake so i cant miss that.
That would be the farthest place i ll visit.

Any idea if its snowing at skardu?
or the weather conditions by the end of oct?