Shogran:

Shogran (Urdu: ‫ )شوگران‬is a hill station situated on a green plateau in the Kaghan Valley,
northern Pakistan at a height of 2,362 metres (7,749 ft) above sea level.[1][2]
Shogran is located at a distance of 34 kilometres (21 mi) away from Balakot. The road
from Islamabad to Kiwai is metalled and measures 212 kilometres (132 mi). Hotels and motels
are available at affordable costs. Mobile phone services is also available there
by Telenor and Mobilink. The local people are friendly and peaceful. It is accessible in the
summer. It attracts families and explorers alike. You should not miss a trip to Forest Rest House.
Most of the people sit and relax in its huge lush green lawns. Entry might be restricted when
senior officials visit or stay at rest houses. Views of Sri Paya and 'Musa ka Musala Peak' are
really nice from the lawns of the rest house.[3]
Shogran is opened for visitors in summers and winters (although in winter only one hotel is open
for stay). June – August every year is the peak season. During this period, weather remains
pretty pleasant. Temperature ranges between a maximum of 20 °C (68 °F) and a minimum of
3 °C (37 °F) at night. Moonsoon winds bring heavy rains with occasional hail storm. Unexpected
thunder storm and heavy rains keep environment cool and sometimes create difficulties for
visitors to move around. Warm clothes are recommended for nights due to low temperature.
Heavy snow keeps valley covered throughout the winter season.

Sri Paya

We reach this heaven on earth as we leave Rawalpindi, traversing

our journey through Abbotabad, Mansehra and Balakot. I have
covered almost 232 KM and am moving onward to Kaghan on the
main Balakot-Naran Road. As I travel upward about 25 Km from
Balakot, comes the sleepy little town of Kewai. It’s from kewai and at
a distance of about 9 Km upwards that the picturesque valley of
Shogran comes before me. The road to Shogran is surrounded by
thick forests, ardent slopes as we make our way upward to Shogran.
Shogran too is surrounded with similar scenes on all four sides,
studded with mountain peaks which bespeak the grandeur, the
magnificence of Shogran.
Siri Paye is 6 km further from Shogran. Reach there either by hiring
a four wheel jeep trailing over a bumpy road or just trek. The patch
is full of adventure and fun. However some turns are enough to
raise your hair but once you reach Siri Paye, you are truly rewarded
after a blood curdling—spine tingling journey as you catch the most
fascinating glimpses of domed, lush green hillocks. On our way up
to Siri, very often, young innocent kids approach the visitor. These
“salesmen” the sons of the mountains offer you wild berries and
“Aloochas” at very cheap prices.

Makra Peak:
The Makra is a scenic peak in the Mansehra District in Hazara Region of the Himalayas in
northern Pakistan. It is 3,885 metres (12,746 ft) high and almost 200 kilometres (120 mi)
from Islamabad on the Naran Road.[3] From Kiwai, a single 7-kilometre-long road runs uphill
to Shogran, a tourist resort with numerous hotels; the track continues to climb up to Siri Lake and
ends at Paye. From here it is a trek of four hours to the top of the Makra. Hiking on the Makra is
difficult due to snow and the gradient of the mountainsides.

Makra peak, Shogran, Kaghan Valley

Although it can be straightforward to climb, fatalities have occurred during storms and the fatality
rate is 30%. In spite of its difficulties, the summit offers the good views of Hazara and Azad
Kashmir. Fatalities tend to occur in bad weather, especially thick fog, and as a result of the
steepness of some sections. The waters from the mountain's glacier feed the Kunhar River. The
place has been named as Makra Peak by locals as Makra (means spider in Urdu, the local
language) due to its shape in snow resembling that of a spider on a web

Naran Valley
Naran (Urdu: ‫ )ناران‬is a medium-sized town in upper Kaghan Valley in Mansehra
District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is located 119 kilometers (74 mi)
from Mansehra city at the altitude of 2,409 meters (7,904 ft).It is located 70 kilometers (43 mi)
from Babusar Top.

Naran is a medium sized town situated in upper kaghan valley which is a part of Khyber
Pakhtun khwa province of Pakistan. It is one of the most beautiful part of northern areas
in pakistan which is elevated 2500 meters above sea level. Its beauty captures a lot of
people towards itself and thus it is a famous resort for tourists and trekkers. The weather
of Naran is very cold. The ice on the moutain tops never melts, even in months of June
and Jully there are glaciers and mountains are covered with snow.
The road to naran valley travells alongside with River Kunhar which Starts from the
glaciers of Kaghan and flow deep down in mansehra. The local languages of Naran
Valley are Hindko and Gojri but every individual overthere can speak and understand
urdu. The dress is Shalwar kameez with long bottom shalwars. Most of the people are
tall. Average height of males was about 5”8’ or 5”9’.
Naran also has a small bazaar like Murree mall road. The basic necessities of life
are readily available at there. Cellular networks, mobile shopes, bakery, general
store, tailors and even barbers are available in the main bazar. It has over 100 hotels
of various types ranging from high-end luxury hotels to very low priced motels. Tent
motels are also present which rent family size tents to tourists to stay in.

Saif Muluk
Saiful Muluk (Urdu: ‫ )جھیل سیف الملوک‬is a mountainous lake located at the northern end of
the Kaghan Valley, near the town of Naran in the Saiful Muluk National Park. The lake is a
source of the Kunhar river. At an elevation of 3,224 m (10,578 feet) above sea level, the lake is
located above the tree line, and is one of the highest lakes in Pakistan.

Saiful Muluk was formed by glacial moraines that blocked the water of the stream passing
through the valley.[5] The Kaghan Valley was formed in the greater Pleistocene Period dating
back almost 300,000 years when the area was covered with ice. Rising temperatures and
receding glaciers left a large depression where glaciers once stood. Melting water collected into
the lake.
The Lake Saiful Muluk is named after a legendary prince. A fairy tale called Saif-ul-Muluk, written
by the Sufi poet Mian Muhammad Bakhsh, talks of the lake.[8][9] It tells the story of the prince of
Persia named Prince Saiful Malook who fell in love with a fairy princess named Princess Badri-ul-
Jamala at the lake

Babusar Pass
Babusar Pass or Babusar Top (Urdu‫ درہ بابوسر‬:) (elevation 4,173 metres or 13,691
feet) is a mountain pass at the north of the 150 km. (93 miles) long Kaghan Valley connecting it
via the Thak Nala with Chilas on the Karakoram Highway (KKH). It is the highest point in
the babusar valley that can be easily accessed by cars. Babusar Pass connects Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa with Gilgit Baltistan province of Pakistan.[2]

Skardu

Skardu (Urdu: ‫سکردو‬, Balti: སྐར་མདོ་་) is a city in Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan , and serves as
the capital of Skardu District. Skardu is located in the 10 kilometres (6 miles) wide by 40
kilometres (25 miles) long Skardu Valley, at the confluence of the Indus and Shigar Rivers[1] at an
elevation of nearly 2,500 metres (8,202 feet). The city is an important gateway to the eight-
thousanders of the nearby Karakoram Mountain range. The town is located on the Indus river,
which separates the Karakoram Range from the Himalayas

The name "Skardu" is believed to be derived from the Balti word meaning "a low land between
two high places."[3] The two referenced “high places" are Shigar city, and the high-
altitude Satpara Lake[3]

Satpara Lake
Satpara Lake (Urdu: ‫ )سدپارہ جھیل‬is a natural lake near Skardu, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, which
supplies water to Skardu Valley. It is fed by the Satpara Stream.
Satpara Lake is situated at an elevation of 2,636 meters (8,650 ft) above sea level and is spread
over an area of 2.5 km².[citation needed]
The completion of Satpara Dam downstream of the lake has enlarged the size of Satpara Lake

Cold Desert, Skardu

The Cold Desert, also known as the Katpana Desert or Biama Nakpo, is a high-altitude desert
located near Skardu, in Pakistan's northern Gilgit-Baltistan region. The desert contains expanses
of large sand dunes that are sometimes covered in snow during winter. Situated at an elevation
of 2,226 metres (7,303 feet) above sea level, the Katpana Desert is one of the highest deserts in
the world.[1]
The desert technically stretches from the Khaplu Valley to Zanskar in Ladakh, but the largest
desert area is found in Skardu and Shigar Valley. The portion most visited is located near Skardu
Airport.[2]

Climate[edit]
Its temperature ranges from a maximum of 27 °C (81 °F) and a minimum (in October) 8 °C
(46 °F), which further drop to below −17 °C (1 °F) in the December-to-January, while the lowest
temperature that can reach −25 °C (−13 °F). At this high altitude and cold region, this desert
holds a strange attraction.[3]

Hunza Valley
Hunza (Burushaski: ‫ ہنزو‬, Wakhi, and Urdu: ‫ )ہنزہ‬is a mountainous valley in the Gilgit-Baltistan
region of Pakistan. Hunza is situated in the extreme northern part of Pakistan, bordering with
the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan and the Xinjiang region of China.[2]

Rakaposhi
Rakaposhi (Urdu: ‫)راکاپوشی‬, is a mountain in the Karakoram mountain range in the Gilgit-
Baltistan region of Pakistan[1] It is situated in the middle of Nagar Valley Nagar District and
Danyore and Bagrote valley approximately 100 km (62 mi) north of the capital city Gilgit of the
semi autonomous Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan. Rakaposhi means "Snow Covered" in the
local language. Rakaposhi is also known as Dumani ("Mother of Mist" or "Mother of Clouds"). It is
ranked 27th highest in the world.
The first successful recorded ascent by non-natives was in 1958 by Mike Banks and Tom Patey,
members of a British-Pakistaniexpedition, via the Southwest Spur/Ridge route.[3][4] Both of them
suffered minor frostbite during the ascent to the summit on June 25. Another climber slipped and
fell on the descent and died during the night.