Showing posts with label Skardu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Skardu. Show all posts

Saturday, December 2, 2017

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Fascinating Pakistan: Skardu - the Cold Desert

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One hears of cold arctic desert covered with thick layers of ice or the Gobi Desert of Mongolia - the hottest desert of the world. But you may be surprised to know that there is one 'cold' desert located almost at the height of 8,000 feet, above mean sea level, surrounded by snow clad mountains in Pakistan near the city of Skardu - the road way to world’s highest mountains that includes K2, K3, and Gasherbrum. 

Since the temperature falls below freezing point in winters, the desert is rightly called the cold desert - or may I say the coldest highest desert in the world - or better name it a desert above the clouds!!
The beautiful sand dunes of Katpana Desert at Skardu, the main city of the Gilgit-Baltistan province of Pakistan, are one the favourite tourist destinations. Owing to its location at this high altitude, it is rightly known as the cold desert. 
A spectacular view of the sand dunes
A rare phenomenon: desert at foothills of snow clad mountains

These vast stretches of sand dune exits along the course of mighty River Indus, which start from the Khaplu Valley to Nubra Ladakh and Shigar Skardu valley. However its largest area can be seen in the Skardu and Shigar valley.



 I first saw this beautiful natural phenomenon when I visited Skardu many years ago. I could see these sand dunes from the airplane window as these are very close to the Skardu airport. I took a few shots, but lost these over a period of time. Strong winds shift the dunes as quickly as nomads. At this high altitude and cold region, this desert holds strange a attraction. 
An awesome view of Skardu desert near Shiger
Now watch a beautiful drone video capturing the vast stretches of cold desert in Skardu Valley:
(The second part of the video shows the beautiful road to the Shigar valley of mighty K2. An amazing road looks very beautiful through the lens of this drone.)

 There are many other spectacular sightseeing places in and around Skardu. Some of these are:
  • World’s second highest plains, Deosai
  • Sadpara Lake - one a monumental lake now being consumed by making of  a dam (photo below)
  • The 600 years old Kharpocho Fort - built by Balti ruler Ali Sher Khan Anchan.
  • Shangrila Resorts built on cold icy waters of Skardu Lake. There is no better place in Skardu than to lodge at the Shangrila Resorts to enjoy the pure natural beauty of Skardu.
If you wish to visit Skardu and its sand dunes, beside its many other attractions, do plan a visit in summers as the winters are very severe. You may take a flight from Islamabad to Skardu. But due to weather turbulences, the flights are often disrupted. One can also opt to take the land route on the Karakorum Highway, the KKH. After Jaglot on the Karakorum Highway, an almost seven hours narrow road leads towards Skardu. So do keep Skardu as of your travel destination next time you plan to visit an adventurous journey to Fascinating Pakistan.

 Photos: Northern Areas of Pakistan
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Friday, August 24, 2012

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Skardu Desert: The coldest desert above the clouds

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[Photo: Rizwan Saddique ]
Those who venture the K-2, the second highest mountain after Everest - but much more difficult to scale than Everest, pass through the last major town of Pakistan, Skardu. Located at an altitude of around 8,200 feet in the Gilgit Baltistan region, Skardu leads the way to five of the fourteen eight thousanders of the world, both in the Karakorum and Hindu Kush mountain ranges.

Skardu Valley, which is 10 kilometers wide and almost 40 kilometers long, is located on the confluence of the famous River Indus and Shigar River. The grey-brown mountains overlooking the Skardu town hide the countless peaks of Karakorum mountain range, that also include four of the five  eight thousanders located in Pakistan. The four peaks include the K-2, the Gasherbrums and the Broad Peak, besides the highest sheer verticals - the Trango Towers. Skardu is also the gateway to the Deosai Plains, the second highest plains in the world at 13,500 feet, stretched over an area of 3000 square kilometers.


Tourists, beside mountaineers from all over the world come to visit so much that Skardu offers them and finally takes them to the nearby Shangrila tourist resort on the Lower Kachura Lake with its deep blue waters. Besides, there is Upper Kachura Lake and awe inspiring Satpara Lake, not far from Skardu.

Skardu is also the gateway to the Baltoro and Biafo glaciers, one of the biggest glaciers of the world.

Although all above make Skardu a unique place to visit, there is something else which is very unique and amazing at the height at which Skardu is located - the cold Skardu desert.

Spectacular Skardu Desert: the Coldest Deseret above the clouds [Photo: Rizwan Saddique ]
Yes,  desert that makes you shivers with blowing cold winds, not sweat with hot winds as we usually do in the normal deserts located anywhere in the world.

Skardu Desert by Gerda
The Skardu desert, surrounded by valley covered with lush green vegetation, is said to be the highest cold desert in the world, as despite temperatures ranging between a maximum of 27 °C and a minimum (in October) 8 °C, which further drop to below -10 °C in the December-to-January, while the lowest temperature that can reach -25 °C, the Skardu Desert is really cold and freezing.

Watch a video of this amazing cold desert:


 Next time you visit Pakistan or have plans to visit Skardu, do not miss out the awesome Skardu Desert among many other sightseeing places in and around Skardu.

 Video courtesy:  / YouTube

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

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Skardu Valley – a land of rivers, snow clad mountains and sand

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Amidst a landscape of stark naked mountains, deep and steep gorges, crashing waterfalls and quiet lakes, Skardu is situated on the banks of the mighty River Indus. Located at a height of 8,000 feet / 2438 meters, Skardu offers cool and bracing climate. To the east is Laddakh, in the south Indian-occupied Kashmir and to the north is the Chinese province of Sinkiang. Skardu is strategically situated at the foot of an enormous rock, which is crowned by a historic fort.

Skardu Valley is part of the Baltistan, and located right below the jagged and glaciated Karakoram. Once part of Laddakh, it was known as Tibet-i-Khurd - Little Tibet. Skardu is also believed to be that part of famous Silk Trade Route. Rock carvings have been discovered along the road between Gol and Khapulu, and Skardu and Satpara Lake. The trade routes here split in Skardu with one leading to Satpara over the Deosai and Burzil Pass (5000 meters high) into Kashmir and another leading to Gol. At Gol it forks again with one trail leading to Khapulu, the other to Kharmang into Leh. Many famous mountains, such as Masherbrum (shown above left), K-6, K-7, Sherpi Kangh, Sia Kangri, Saltoro Kangri etc are located in Khapulu Valley.

One hears of deserts in plains but never at the foothills of 18,000 feet high snow covered mountains. Skardu Valley is one such place which is carpeted in fine ash white sand through which greenish blue in winter; grey as tarnished silver in summer, the Indus snakes lazily between wind-ribbed sand dunes (above centre).

When I once went to Skardu, the then Fokker of the PIA flew close to Nanga Parbat and provided me a rare chance to shoot Nanga Parbat from “close quarters.” I was also invited by the captain into the cockpit and he pointed in far distance the cone of the K2. After negotiating the famous Zulu Turn, the aircraft landed at Skardu airport. I will never forget that landing and the K2 and of course the Zulu Turn.


There are three lakes, Satpara about 8 km, lower Kachoora about 35 kilometres and upper Kachoora about 40 kilometres. The Shangri-La lake resort (above right) is a picturesque place to rest and admire the beauty of Lake Kachura and Skardu Valley. To the southwest of the town is the sprawling Deosai Plateau which can be reached via the beautiful Sadpara / Satpara Lake just about 8 kilometres from Skardu. I will write more details on Deosai plans in one of my next posts.

Related Reading: Skardu Valley (Pakistanpaedia)