I am a longstanding member of Pakwheels and finally decided to come out of hibernation to write about about my recent trip to Chitta katha lake in Upper Domail, Shoulder Valley, Azad Kashmir. The idea is to promote tourism in the area.
It takes an easy 7 hours to reach Kel from Muzaffarabad. You may like to drive your car upto Athumuqam, which is around 2.5 to 3 hours from Muzaffarabad. Beyond that it is unwise to do so as the road condition worsens. We saw some small vehicles plodding on but it is not advisable. We rented a 1997 double cabin Hilux from Muzaffarabad at 5000/- per day from a very decent, accommodating and reasonable owner/driver called Jehangir Mir who hails from the upper Neelam Valley and knows the entire area and the people very well. He drove slowly and carefully and we could not find any fault with him. His number is 03558153990. He trekked with us and helped in every respect.
From Athmuqam to Lawat, there comes a 18 km stretch where across the river is India. Another 8 km similar stretch comes later. Cars came and went without any disturbance.
Upper Neelam gets prettier as you move along. The sparse houses on the way have colourful tin roofs and catch the eye. The people are beautiful and simple.
Keran comes very soon after Athumuqam. You can reach Dawarian from Athumuqam in 1.5 hours. You can take the off road jeep track to Ratti Gali lake from here, which is just 18 kms followed by a one hour trek. Its suitable for families and children.
49 kms from Keran is Sharda. Kel is another 30 minutes or so away. The best place to stay would be the Army mess at Kel.
We left for upper domail from kel early next morning and reached the base camp in the Hilux in 2 hours. The ride is breathtaking and not frightening. You can hire a guide, tent and related stuff from the base camp. It took us 3 hours to get to camp No. 2 called Dak 2. The fauna is varied and mesmerizing.
There is a local famous explorer Raees Inqilabi who guides and leads tours to different places in AJK. His number is 03558150711. He is a very genuine and warm person and would go any length to facilitate without charge. It is best to book all treks and hotels through him. His advice is correct and not self serving. He had gotten a tent reserved for us at Dak 2.
Food is readily available at Dak 2. Price is reasonable and the quality of the food surprisingly quite high. Little oil or spices. It was cooked by a young man called Nadeem who is in charge there along with one Zaheer. Commercialization has not set in, these people were excellent hosts.
Do not try to attempt the lake the same day on reaching Dak 2 unless you are a very experienced and exceptional trekker, for its a long and steep trek. But certainly doable!
We camped at Dak 2, left for the lake at 7 15 the next morning and reached it around 11 AM. It is advisable to take a guide along. It is a minimum 3.5 hour trek provided you are fit and can navigate well. Else it may take you 4 to 5 hours.
The return trek to Dak 2 took us 2.5 hours. Do not dash to and fro, take your time. Soak in, absorb and marvel at nature. Find your soul and spirit. The views are stunning and majestic. We ate wild strawberries and moolies. The moolies are used for medicinal purposes and also mashed with milk for local newborn babies.
From Dak 2 we trekked back to base camp at upper domail the same day and reached it in another 2 hours. However the all day trek is challenging and requires decent fitness and mental strength. Unless you are good at navigation, a local Guide along the way really helps. We stayed the night at kel. Left for Muzaffarabad early next day at 7 45 and reached it around 2 30 pm.
Whatever little information I could gather in planning the trip was from Pakwheels. It is our local trip advisor.
