Pakistan: Your Travel destination in 2019 - Part XI: Borith Lake and Ghulkin Glacier (Gilgit Baltistan)

Many years ago I watched the film Beyond the Last Mountain for the mere name fascinated me. But those who dare and go on adventure tour to the northern areas of Pakistan and wander between the mountains valleys, they often find a fascinating world hidden beyond these mountains. And the the mountains are never ending, for when one thinks that this is the last mountain, there is yet another mountain behind ever mountain and yet another wonderland awaiting to be explored and loved forever.

However, the journey in quest to see what lies beyond the last mountain is not easy.  The moment one leaves the spectacular Karakoram Highway, there commences a nerve breaking endless journey on narrow mountains tracks studded with rocky stones, the shock of which can be felt no matter which vehicle you are sitting in. And that is where sturdy 4x4 age tested Jeeps come handy. In fact tourists, trekkers and adventurists hire these Jeeps right at the Road Head from where the mountain tracks branch off from the last metaled road. The drivers of these Jeeps are locals who can handle the toughness of the stony tracks and negotiate hair raising turns and bends.

I am always for look out for place unheard so that my readers get to see these beautiful otherwise hidden places to show to the world the beauty that awaits them to explore. And the video that I have shared below is one such effort to show to my readers the less heard Borith Lake and Passu Glacier.

Borith Lake, located approximately 2,600 metres (8,500 ft) above sea level,  is a lake in Gulmit, Hunza Valley in Gilgit–Baltistan, northwest of Husseini, a village near Gulmit, Gojal, in the upper Hunza. The crystal clear water of the lake is so far unpolluted and clean as it is watched by its snow covered protectors from behind the rocky ridges.

In order to reach the lake, one has to leave the Karakoram Highway at village Husseini and then has to travel on an unpaved jeep track for about 2 kilometers over watched by rugged stony mountains. The Lake is a sanctuary for migrating birds and is often visited by bird-watchers and nature lovers. From March to June, the lake is home to ducks of many species who rest here on their way northwards to the cooler waters of central Asia. The birds revisit from September–November with the onset of winter towards the north.

Before reaching the Borith Lake, one skirts the Ghulkin Glacier which feeds the Borith Lake. A longer walk to Passu Gar Glacier is another attraction, crossing both Ghulkin Glacier and Borith Lake. Having crossed Ghulkin Glacier by the same route, hikers can continue on the southern side of Borith Lake past the settlement of Borith Bala and the now deserted settlement of Shahabad. 

Passu Glacier as seen from KKH [Photo: Waqas Salim Jami/Facebook]

Watch the video below by a group of adventures who dared to tap the unbeaten tracks and reach beyond the mountains:

After watching the video, you too would realize that Pakistan is a sure destination to visit to cherish its memories forever !!
Photo | References | 1 | 2 | 3 |

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Pakistan: Your Travel Destination 2019 - Part VII - Pir Ghaib (Bolan), Balochistan

Balochistan province, that is the largest province of Pakistan as far land mass is concerned, is mostly an arid desert and mountainous. There are large tracts of treeless in most of the province due to lack of rainfall. But wherever there is water available we see lush green orchards, apple gardens and water falls. 

Pir Ghaib is one such place which located amid barren rocky mountains is a cool refreshing place with a waterfall and blue green water pond, surrounded by tall palm trees and lush green bushes. This serves an attractive tourist resort, specially in summers, when the area around is baked by strong sun rays. Pir Ghaib waterfalls is in fact a beautiful cascade located some 70 kilometers away from the province's capital Quetta.

Pir Ghaib literary means a pious man who disappeared or an invisible saint. No one is really sure why the place is so called but folklore legends relate that a saint and his sister had come to the area to convince the locals who worshiped fire to convert to the true faith of Islam. When the local king came to know of the presence of these two "dis-tractors" he dispatched a contingent to catch or kill the duo. When being persuaded in a gorge, the two decided to split lest being caught together.

[Photo: Facebook/Hunza]

While the sister followed the gorge, the saint fled into this arid landscape with the army in hot pursuit. And found his way up the Bolan mountain but reached a dead end. It is said that he started clawing at the mountain and when soldier almost reached him, the saint vanished inside the rock. And from that point a stream sprang in a form of waterfall that cascaded down into the area and filled it up and formed a pond. Due to presence of water, vegetation started to grow and soon became an oasis. Since that day, this oasis is called Pir Ghaib - the Invisible Saint.

And the amazing part of the folklore is that till date no one has been able to locate the source of water that oozed out of the rocks !!

There is a grave downstream the gorge there is a grave which is said to be the that of invisible Saint’s sister, known as Bibi Nani, located under a bridge by the rocky bank of a seasonal stream.

There are no details available as to how and when did Bibi Nani die or how was she buried at this place. Although not a saint herself, her grave is revered as such. In mid October, 1986, a huge flood struck the area and destroyed much of the habitats, roads and bridges not even spared. But astonishingly the grave of Bibi Nani was spared. Due to this fact, the grave of the Bibi assumes much reverence by the people of the area.

Many tourists from adjoining areas and as far away as Quetta visit this place, specially in summers to enjoy the cold water of the oasis, take a dip or just walk around or sit under the shade of the palm trees. Unfortunately there are no facilities available except for a small shop selling eatables and chips. Tourists normally carry their meals or cook here in the absence of an eatery.

You may like to watch this informative video below which describes the history and tourist facilities available around the place and how to get to this oasis from Quetta:

If you happen to be in Quetta, do take a time out and visit Pir Ghaib - it is something that you will really love it. 
Photo: Pir Ghaib (Screenshot) - Photo Grave Bibi Nani | References |  1 |  2 | 3 | 4 | 

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Pakistan - Your Travel Destination in 2019: Part V - The Train Wading through Sea of Snow (Balochistan)

There are many videos on the social media networks showing trains passing through heaps of snow, shoveling away showers of snow to the sideways as the travel through tons of snow stacked on the railway tracks. It is really fascinating to watch such videos.

The Quetta section of the railway in Balochistan province of Pakistan passes through very high elevations including one Kan Mehtarzai once again. The place between Kuchlag and Muslimbagh became the highest railway station of Asia, located at a height of 2,224 metres (7,295 feet). I wrote about Kan Mehtarzai in one of my earlier posts. and it too gets covered in snow during winters.

Many years ago, I had a chance to travel by train to Quetta in winters and saw snow covered surroundings as the train moved on. In those days there were no cell phones, what to talk of camera phones so that I could take videos or even still photos of the area. I regretted to even not having my camera with me.

But recently I came across a video on Facebook which brought back the nostalgia of my earlier visit to Quetta by train. And this video by someone lucky enough to have preserved a beautiful scene of train wading through a sea of snow at Kolpur railway station near Quetta. It is really amazing scene and I must appreciate the train drivers who drive their trains through the severely cold regions in trains that are not even air conditioned engines.Even most of the train is not air conditioned and one can imagine the plight of passengers inside. However, despite all odds, the travel goes on and people keep moving and train drivers continue to brave through the seas of snow everyday, every winter, each year.

Watch the beautiful video below showing the train braving through enormous sea of snow:

If you happen to be visiting Pakistan in winters, do take a ride to Quetta by train - you will simply love it.

Also read my posts: Breakfast at Kan Mehtarzai

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Sleeping Beauty and Quetta

I first heard of Quetta from my mother in my early childhood when she once narrated her eye witness account of an earthquake that rocked Quetta in 1935. She, as a nine year old, was there as her father was posted in the railway police at that time. She narrated as how in seconds, the entire city was gone leaving countless dead, miraculously saving her and her family.

Devastated Quetta after 1935 Earthquake

But it was not till some twenty two years later that I myself boarded a train and arrived at Quetta. It was a thriving business centre of Afghan and Iranian goods, as it even continues till date. I along with many of batch mates was housed near the “Pani Taqseem (meaning water distribution square)” chowk for the duration of our training at the School of Infantry and Tactics. While the day took a heavy toll of us in the treacherous training grounds, the evening were spent roaming in the markets on Jinnah Road, fully loaded with foreign stuff, electronics, eatables and cloth, mainly brought in from Afghanistan and Iran. 

Then there were shops selling sizzling hot chickens, meat and beef cooled in traditional Balochi style. The most famous being the “Sajji” – chicken with their bodies stuffed with rice and boiled eggs and baked around burning fire by splashing oil and adding more life to the flames.

I again revisited Quetta some eleven years later – this time I came by road from Sukkur, Jacobabad (my accounts of Jacobabad can be found in an earlier post) and Sibi and still enjoyed the warmth of hospitality of people of Quetta. Quetta and surrounding areas are famous for sweet apples, grapes and God knows how many kinds of fruits. The famous Hanna Lake outside Quetta, which feeds the city for its requirement of water, is a refreshing place to visit. 

Watch closely above: The Sleeping Beauty Lies in peace [Photo: Jalal HB ]

Ever seen Sleeping Beauty - once a friend asked me? And when I showed my ignorance about it, he actually took me for a ride on his car and we went a little outside of Quetta and then he showed my the majestic Sleeping Beauty. 

The head of the Sleeping Beauty

She was there lying on her back with all her grace and majesty. If you follow the above mountain feature from the right, that is the head, then moving left, the torso and then the legs - one has to imagine a beautiful beauty lying. I did and I saw her.

The above close up of clearly shows the head and bosom of the Sleeping Beauty [This photo of Quetta is courtesy of TripAdvisor]

Those interested in wildlife can head to Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which is about 20 kilometres from Quetta. The park is home to  five distinct kinds of Markhor (wild sheep), leopards, wolves, striped hyena, hares, wild cats and porcupines. The park also has a large number of birds that include  partridge, warblers, falcons, blue rock pigeon, rock nuthatch, red gilled choughs, golden eagle, sparrow, hawks, falcons and bearded vultures.

Although, I did not visit the Archaeological Museum at Fifa Road then, I have come to know that the remains of recently discovered  Baluchitherium (Indricotherium Transouralicum), a gigantic hornless plant eating rhinoceros like animal are also preserved here.

Quetta continues to live a life of its own – a city with very different mood and environment. The ruggedness of the Balochistan province eases out here in the shape of warmth of hospitality and love. I would someday love to go there again – this time equipped with my digital gadgetry to shoot the beauty of Quetta and the gardens around it.

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