Shigar valley: my dream destinations

Shigar valley

Shigar valley the Shigar road, which travels across the best desert as you head away from Skardu Valley and pass the Shigar River, guide you to Shigar Valley. The valley is the best site to visit in the Gilgit Baltistan region because of its legendary past, architectural legacy, and the simplicity and purity of its people. Many tourist come every year of this valley. 

There are no enough words to describe the majestic Shigar Valley, Pakistan's natural gem. Shigar is a mixture of lush oasis, glaciers, mountains, lakes, hot springs, Milky Way, and a billion stars, to put it briefly. Shigar Valley, an ideal destination for tourists, is where the Shigar and Indus rivers combine, captivating onlookers with their vivacious movement. Rupal valley

You enter Shigar Valley, the former Amacha Dynasty kingdom located along the banks of the River Braldu, after driving through a few ravines. The Braldu glacier, situated at the foot of K-2, the second-highest peak on earth, is the source of the Braldu River.

The center Karakoram range's Shigar valley, with its breathtaking vistas, alluring natural beauty, and towering mountain peaks, is fascinating.
The landscape grows more stunning and entrancing as one ascends.
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Reach to Shigar valley

The valley is an administrative district with a 170 km2 footprint that is located 52 km from Skardu. From Skardu, along the Shigar road, it takes a jeep one hour and 30 minutes to get there. The Serene hotel Shigar is a 45-minute drive from Skardu Airport, where PIA aircraft depart on a regular basis every hour. The helipad at Shigar, which is 10 minutes' drive from the hotel, provides access to both charter and private helicopters.

Shigar Valley is home to numerous isolated and inhospitable settlements, with Askole (Urdu: ) serving as the valley's final town. Askole, the starting point for mountaineering trips to K -2 "Godwin Austen," is the last village before the massif. It is also known as the entrance to the world's fourteen highest peaks, or eight-thousanders (peaks higher than 8,000 metres). To get to Concordia, the base camp, from Askole, it takes 3–4 days of trekking through perilous passageways, rope bridges, moraines, and glaciers.

Tourist Attractions place

"There are hidden destinations on every voyage that the traveler is unaware of."

Shigar viewpoint is reached after 20 minutes of driving over the highlands and via the Katpana freezing desert on Shigar Road.  The location provides a bird's eye perspective of the majority of the Shigar valley and a panoramic view of Shigar town.

Hiking and Trekking in shigar valley

The 7th-century Buddha relics and scriptures, along with other ancient rock carvings, may be found in Manthal near Shigar Fort, which you can access after an hour journey along the beautiful trail, for hikers who do not want to do the riskiest excursions in the Karakorum Mountain range.

In addition to Manthal, hikers can discover the hot springs in Shigar town's vicinity.

If you continue on the road past Shigar, it turns into a hike along the raging Braldu River and leads you to the very edge of the Shigar valley, which is the last frontier for mountaineers. The final settlement before the hike to K2 is Askole. To get to Concordia from Askole, you must walk for three to four days via perilous lanes, pathways, rope bridges and moraines, eventually crossing glaciers. Four of the fourteen 8,000-meter summits in the world—Gasherbrum I, Gasherbrum II, Broad Peak, and K2—can be seen together from Concordia.

You must travel to Askole to experience the magnificence of the Himalayan and Karakorum mountain ranges, as well as their longest Baltoro glaciers. The journey from Skardu to Askole takes a single day. Baltoro glaciers are reachable from Askole after a 5-day walk. It is a difficult agony to trek on glacial moraine and Baltoro glacier, also known as "Bal-Toro" or "the bone breaker" in Urdu. Not everyone succeeds.

From Askole, the "Concordia" trek to K2 Base Camp takes seven days. In terms of proximity to the highest peaks in the world, the trek is exceptional. It also transports you to the starting point of numerous climbing climbs, primarily those to the eight-thousanders.

Askole to K2 is reached by turning northwest and ascending the Biafo Glacier to Snow Lake. Hisper Snow Lake is difficult to access by foot, and not many people do. However, the route is notable for having one of the world's longest glacial systems (outside of polar regions). In this walk, you might get to see mountains that are up to 7000 metres. One of the top 5 most daring hikes in the world is the Hispar trek.

Architectural Heritage

Shigar Valley's wonderful scenery is decorated with amazing old architectural embellishments. You can explore the famous Fong-Khar Fort of Shigar, built in the 17th century, the Khanqa-e-Muallah, built in the 16th century, and the Amburiq Mosque, built in the 14th century, all of which are located in the Shigar valley.

Raja Muhammad Ali Shah Saba handed the old fort to AKCS-Pakistan in the early 20th century after he left it vacant due to hefty upkeep costs. AKCS-P/AKTC preserved the fort's residential role by converting it into a heritage hotel run by Serena Hotels. Another component of it is a museum filled with artefacts from bygone eras, where the original design of the palace has been as closely preserved as possible.

The architectural design and construction methods make use of by Kashmiri masons, artisans, and goldsmiths give the fort a special status in the architectural model, let it to fit seamlessly with its surroundings. The kitchen areas, servants' quarters, and a family mosque are among the fort's 40 rooms.

A Mughal-style garden lies right there to the east, with a lovely central baradari with a marble base and a pool of pure spring water surrounding it. This baradari appears to have been modified from classic Mughal baradaris.

Shah Nasir Tussi, who arrived from Tus in Persia and erected its foundations in 1602, also constructed the mosque, travel lodge, and Khanqa-i-Mullah in the 16th century. One is awed by the beautiful timber work done on the ceilings and balconies due to the expert craftsmanship.

The Amburiq Mosque, construct in the fourteenth century, is another attractive feature in Shigar Valley. In 2005, UNESCO nominate it as a World Heritage Site. This mosque is one of Baltistan's oldest. The Persian craftsmen who travelled with Syed Ali Hamdani, a travelling Persian Sufi of the Kubrawiya order, a poet, and a Muslim scholar, and who taught Islam in the Kashmir Valley, erected the mosque.

The Hashupi bagh

Shigar fort is bordered by rich , green lawns and orchards, and during the growing season, you may discover cherry, apricot, apple, and grape flower plants everywhere. Many little water brook meander quietly across the lawns, creating a very relaxing sound that gets louder as the sun sets and the surroundings become more still. The café on the Shigar fort's grapevine-covered terrace offers a impressive sight of the valley and its gushing white stream.

History

Shigar's entire valley is a living representation of its legendary past. When Amachas fled the Hunza Valley because he was being persecuted by Ganesh, the Amachas dynasty was established in the 11th century. When they reached Shigar, they constructed Fort Khar-i-Dong after overcoming the Hispar glacier and inclement weather.

A few centuries later, the Mughals invaded and successfully overthrew the Amacha Dynasty after a protracted conflict. As Amachas succumbed to the Mughals, they departed the region to continue their rule.

The former fort was demolished by the Mughals, therefore the 20th Amacha Dynasty monarch erected the new one on top of a huge boulder. The name Fong Khar, which translates to "The palace on the rock," was given to the fort, which remained the region's political hub and Raja's seat until the 1970s.
As Pakistan combined all of the states in the area into a single administrative unit, the Rajas of Shigar and the surrounding states lost their standing. However, the Rajas, who are descended from royalty, continue to retain a local influence over the community.