Visiting Neelum Valley, Taobutt, Shonter on Bikes August 2012

[imarshad]

After coming back to main Neelum valley road from upper Neelum we started our journey towards Kel. Next spot was Dowarian.

During the 2011 July floods the main bridge has been swept away by Ratti Gali Nala.

The same bridge before the 2011 floods. Just a week ago (In July 2011)

The new make shift Bridge.

[ranasherdil]

So now I guess Rana Sahib ke missing paani ka masla hal ho gaya hai.....

Arshad Bhai. Thank you so much for finding out pics in the archive. Jagran is in my wish list. Also in some of other threads, i have seen more than one headworks... so it was a query of my mind.

Thanks.

[imarshad]

After crossing Doarian our next main point was crossing a large Nala just 4-5KM shy of Sharda. The bridge was also damaged by the July 2011 floods(I think).... Here is youtube video of me crossing on Mehran. Crossing on bikes was though scary but more easy as i didn't have to worry about hitting something from beneath....

Crossing stream near Sharda (Neelum valley) AJK, Pakistan - YouTube

[imarshad]

Sharda Nala Crossing:

[imarshad]

Arshad Bhai. Thank you so much for finding out pics in the archive. Jagran is in my wish list. Also in some of other threads, i have seen more than one headworks... so it was a query of my mind.

Thanks.

If you have your own vehicle then Jagran and Kutton can easily be manged in one night stay from Islamabad.... It took me roughly 5 hours of driving (When I was on car) to reach Kutton from Islamabad. 3 hours for Muzaffarabad and 2 hours for Kutton from Muzaffarabad. Stay the Night in Kutton and next morning visit to Jagran and then in the afternoon return to Islamabad.

[imarshad]

There are many streams between Sharda and Kel and each one deserves to be seen and enjoyed....
Here are couple of shots. All of these are on the road.

[imarshad]

Nothing much eventful happened in the remaining voyage and we managed to reach Kel at about Maghrib.... We managed to get a room in a very basic hotel for Rs. 500 with one double and two single beds. It was very basic....

End of Day3

[emmaar]

Imran Bhai, iss thread ko poora aik saal rok kar aap ne bohat bara zulm kia tha sab par.....Ab kufara to ada hona hi chahye.
Aik request he try to attach as minimum as possible attachments per post......open honay mein time bara lagta he yar:)

[imarshad]

Imran Bhai, iss thread ko poora aik saal rok kar aap ne bohat bara zulm kia tha sab par.....Ab kufara to ada hona hi chahye.
Aik request he try to attach as minimum as possible attachments per post......open honay mein time bara lagta he yar:)

OK Sir jee.... Aap ka hukam sar aankhon par....

[imarshad]

Kel- Arang Kel hiking:
Total distance from Kel-Arang Kel is 3KM. First KM is descend all the way to River Neelum where we cross it via bridge and then the ascend starts. Total ascend is 2KM. It is not a difficult or technical ascend but it is continuous and once you start the hike there is no let up as it goes up and up and no flat areas until you reach the top... All the ascend is in a jungle and you will have shade from sunlight.
For a physically fit person it should not take more than 30-40 min. from the bridge to the top. For less physically fit people like me it should take 60-70 minutes and well my brother and cousin did it in almost 2 hours....
Water is available at the start (just after crossing the bridge a large water stream is coming down)... Also you will get water some 10 min. into the hike. After this point there was no water till the top.
About the descend... It is quite easy to descend in 15-20 min. to the bridge. But after reaching the bridge there is a steep 1KM ascend all the way to the AJK resthouse. Also note that there are no trees on this part of track and hence absolutely no shade from the sun.
I still recommend this track to anyone visiting Kel... Even a tourist family was going up to Arang Kel...

[imarshad]

Near the AJK tourism rest house.... We have to descend all the way down to the river....

Arang Kel is at the top there (The near top)....

[imarshad]

The track going down.... Please note that jeeps go down/up on this route. If you are lucky you might catch a jeep coming up on your back journey.

Looking back at the descending angle.....

[imarshad]

The bridge is visible and also the large water stream......

The two tracks to go up to Arang Kel..... The steep one is used by army khachhar to take heavy luggage to the top Morchas......

[imarshad]

Now on the other side of the river and starting the track....

Beautiful green jungle....

[imarshad]

A fallen tree at the start of track....

On the track... First few hundred meters are quite gentle and along the river...

A milestone......:)

[imarshad]

The last point where you can get some water..... After this there was no water till the top....

[imarshad]

It's me feeling all the extra fats I have accumulated by being a couch potato.

[imarshad]

Beautiful scenes captured on the track....

[imarshad]

Finally reached the top in about 55 min. from the bridge.

I don't know how this got at the top? Neither did any local had any concrete info about this....They were telling different stories about how this truck got up there (like bringing it up in parts). But most probably there used to be a track for Arang Kel which might have been destroyed by landslides etc.

[imarshad]

Now some pictures of the top....It was one of the most beautiful meadows that I have ever seen.... Enough of writing... Let the pictures talk for themselves.....