Thursday, December 30, 2010

GILGIT: MOUNTAINEERS PARADISE.

GILGIT:

BEAUTIFUL GILGIT VALLEY
If you have been to gilgit ,you would not think of going anywhere else on vacation. Whether its hiking, trekking or mountain climbing, Gilgit is just the place for you.

Gilgit is a beautiful valley surrounded by the worlds mightiest mountain ranges- the Karakorams, the Hindukush and the Himalayas…Some of the worlds greatest glaciers out side the polar region are located in Gilgit Baltistan along with the 2nd highest peak the K2….now give me one reason why not to call it the mountaineers heaven?

FACTS ABOUT GILGIT:

Gilgit has seen many empires come and go among which the Russians, the Chinese and the Britishers left their marks in the culture and heritage of Gilgit.

VIEW OF K2
The Karakorams and Himalayas offer great experience for dauntless adventure lovers such as cyclists and mountainclimbers. One may pass through breadthtaking scenic beauty at one place and find rocky mountains with barren land running miles and miles on the other.

The karakoram high way(KKH) which leads to gilgit is the worlds highest high way going all the way from china to Pakistan and across the Himalayas.

Gilgit is the name of both the district and the capital of the district.

Buddhism was once the religion of the region, now the religion followed is Islam.
The prevalent season in gilgit is winter, which lasts for about 8 to 9 months a year rainfall is scanty and very short summers are too hot and can the temperature can reach upto a 40 degree. Due to such extreme in weather, landslides are very common.

WAYS TO TRAVEL:

ROAD WAY TO GILGIT
Although one can travel by car or bus or other road vehicles but one has to be very adventurous, dauntless and patient to go through a journey of 14 to 24 hours by road. One would rather prefer to travel by air from the fedral capital Islamabad which takes hardly 45 to 50 minutes.



DESTINATIONS IN GILGIT:


CARVED BUDDHA FIGURES
Enjoy the scenic beauty ,the lush green carpeted mountains, the water falls, the bridges Naltar valley, Nagar valley, Shigar city, Skardu city, Haramosh peak in Karakoram range, Deosai national park, Rama lake, Phunder village, Yasin and Kargah valley.
NALTAR VALLEY
Gilgit is full of historic places that one can visit. Buddhism was a religion once followed and its traces can still be seen in the form of various monuments and symbols associated with the life of Buddha. A Buddha sculpture is carved out of stone at almost 10 km from Gilgit.
At 30 km from Gilgit stands the victory monument, the 700 years old Taj Mughal .
You can also go for fishing and trekking in various places.

SHANDUR POLO FESTIVAL:

SHANDUR POLO FESTIVAL
If you plan to go to Gilgit, make sure your timings match with the Shandur polo festival held on one of the worlds high altitude polo field between chitral and Gilgit. The tournament lasts for 3 days and you can not only enjoy the match but can also do photography, camping. The best part is that you can watch the match FOR FREE:D

SHOPPING IN GILGIT:
SEMI PRECIOUS STONE

While in Gilgit make sure you buy some of the handicrafts, the pashmina shawls, old musical instruments, the leather goods and the semi precious stones all at a very reasonable rate..all other things of basic daily needs are easily available and you can buy the mountaineering equipment as well.



MY RECOMMENDATION:


So if you are seeking for adventure, you are full of energy, you are not afraid to climb to mighty mountains, you love nAature and you want to watch a polo match GILGIT is THE PLACE for you.

11 comments:

  1. Here is gilgit for you talha :)

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  2. Thanks a lot. This is indeed very informative post. :-D

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  3. This is a great post - having seen Gilgit, I found it very absorbing.

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  4. I have also visited Gilgit and I bet if I would have read this post before going, my trip would have been more comprehensive. :-D

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  5. Oh wow stunning pictures. You have done a remarkable job in terms of creating an authentic blog about the beauty of pakistan. Hats of to you and i hope to see more informative blogs from you about pakistan.

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  6. nd yep new posts on their way :)

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  7. Nice article on Gilgit. We Indians are always fascinated by Pakistan. We would love to visit some of the most beautiful places there. But I don't know whether there is any tourist organization which would arrange for tours in Pakistan. I have seen some beautiful places sometimes aired in Discovery Travel Channel. I really loved seeing the beautifully painted trucks.
    Do drop in whenever you feel like and check out my blogs.
    Rama.

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  8. really rama:) nice to hear that ..you guyz also have lovely places as well..and yes there are various tourism organizations starting from Pakistan tourism development corporation and sarhad tourism, the tourism corporation of punjab etc...and i bet you can find many private tourism organizations as well ...all you have to do is google it:)

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  9. Asma, I loved reading your posts about almost all the places. You give a beautiful description, which makes one want to visit the place. It is also intriguing to read about things and places in Pakistan. I just wish that relations between our countries were cordial so that we could have enjoyed the beauty and hospitality of our neighbors next door. You are doing a wonderful job of promoting your country's beauty!

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