Skardu
Skardu is the main town of Baltistan along the wide bank of the river Indus. Skardu is the largest district of the Northern Areas. Baltistan is home to some of the highest peaks in the world, the Karakoram Range, Skardu is very popular with Mountaineering Expeditions. It is equally popular with high altitude trekkers, who treks to Baltoro Glacier, K2 Base Camp and Concordia. Skardu by road, lies approximately 6 hours away from Gilgit and 16 hours’ drive from Besham. A daily flight to and from Islamabad is also in operation.
The flight is always subject to weather. Skardu has a character of its own and has a very interesting scenery. The Indus becomes wide and still here. The town is surrounded by dry rugged mountains and sand dunes. Skardu is famous for the many trekking and adventure spots around it. There are numerous treks starting from Skardu. The nearby Satpara Lake and Shangri-La resort are very famous among the local travelers and is visited by people from all over the country during June & July. The Skardu region has the four of the world’s fourteen Eight-thousander peaks (8,000 m and above) this makes it a heaven for trekkers expeditions enthusiasts and mountain climbers. The main tourist season is from April to October Askole and Hushe Valleys are the main gateways to the snow covered 8,000 m peaks including Mashabum, K2, the Gasherbrums, Broad Peak and the Trango Towers, and also to the huge glaciers of Baltoro, Biafo and Trango. Adventure tours and jeep safaris to the Deosai Plains, the second highest in the world (at 4,100 m or 13,500 feet) after the Chang Tang in Tibet, either start from or end at Skardu. In local Balti language, Deosai is called Byarsa, meaning ‘summer place’. With an area of approximately 3,000 square kilometers, the plains extend all the way to Ladakh and provide habitat for snow leopards, ibex, Tibetan brown bears and wild horses.
History
The first mention of Skardu dates to the first half of the 16th century. Mirza Haidar (1499–1551) described Askardu in the 16th-century text Tarikh-i-Rashidi Baltistan as one of the districts of this country. With the conquest of in 1586 by the Mughal Emperor Akbar (1556–1605), started by Ali Sher Khan Anchan, the kings of Skardu were mentioned as rulers of Little Tibet in the historiography of the Mughal Empire.
Climate and Geology
The climate of Skardu during the summer is moderated by its mountain setting; the intense heat of lowland India does not reach it. The mountains block out the summer monsoon, and summer rainfall is thus quite low. However, these mountains result in very severe winter weather. During the April-to-October tourist season, temperatures vary between a maximum of 27 °C (81 °F) and a minimum (in October) 8 °C (46 °F). Temperatures can drop to below −10 °C (14 °F) in the December-to-January midwinter period. The lowest recorded temperature was −24.1 °C (−11 °F) on 7 January 1995.
River
The Shigar River is a tributary to the Indus River, joining at the town of Skardu. The Basha and Braldu rivers are northern tributaries of the Shigar. Numerous complex granitic pegmatites and a few alpine-cleft metamorphic deposits are found in the Shigar Valley and its tributaries. Shigar Valley contains the Main Karokoram Thrust separating the metasediments (chlorite to amphibolite grade) on the Asian plate from the southern volcano clastic rocks of the Kohistan-Ladakh island arc.
Skardu District
Skardu District is located at the confluence of river Indus and the Shyok river and makes the base camp for leading tourist destinations in Gilgit-Baltistan including K-2. The district is the best manifestation of hospitality and respect to tourist. People of Skardu can speak English and Urdu but their mother tongue is Balti. Of particular note, Kharpocho Fort, Manthal Rock (Buddha Rock), Sadpara and Kachura Lake, exquisite Shangile Lake and the most famous Deosai plateau. Shigar fort renovated on scientific lines while preserving the cultural and architectural values, presents a through learning of the history and culture on one hand while offers a comfortable stay in traditional room/suites on the other hand with continental and local food varieties.
Getting to Skardu
Heli Ride
The perfect trip, for many, would be through the chartered helicopter ride having an aerial view of the mountains dressed in white, the lakes resting peacefully and the rivers taking away the water from melted glaciers. For more information regarding the costs and benefits of taking a Heli ride, visit www.askariaviation.com
Commercial Airline
Some may trust the national airliner with their commutation up north. It is guaranteed that if you manage to take the window seat, you won’t be able to blink your eye for a second due to the fear of missing a thing. It gives you an amazing aerial view with affordability. It is approximately a 75 minutes journey from new International Airport (Islamabad).
Bus Ride
Northern Areas Transport Co. (NATCO) operates their commuter buses daily from Islamabad to Gilgit (tourists prefer spending a night or two at Gilgit, due to the tiring journey, before proceeding towards Skardu). From Gilgit, it is a 6 to 7 hours journey. NATCO and Mashabrum bus service provides shuttle service from Islamabad to Skardu directly too. It is about 25-30 hours journey. However, the whole tour is worth making an effort for. For bus schedules, visit www.natco.com.pk
By Car
Going to Skardu by Car sounds like an amazing adventure. It gives you independence and complete control of your journey. However, it is advised to proceed with a reliable 4×4 vehicle to avoid delays and risk. The distance to Skardu from Islamabad is calculated to be 637 KMs. It is a good idea to pre plan all your night stays and transits if going by road (especially if with family).More recently Skardu road is under construction. Get information before your travel. Alternate is via Astore valley over Deosai Plan to Skardu. Interesting places to visit around Skardu town
Kachura Lake
Kachura Lake Skardu is the combination of two beautiful lakes called “Upper Kachura Lake” and “Shangri-La lake” or “Lower Kachura Lake”, located in Skardu northern Pakistan. It’s a popular tourist spots, many of the visitors come for fun in vacations.
Skardu city is a place where all around natural beauty can be found, its weather is almost cold in winter and pleasant in summer, all the blooming beautiful different colors of flowers, bushes, greenery spread all over the spotted areas. In fact, there living people are very hardworking, they do have gardening, and farming, crafting and many other interesting things could have done themselves.
First of all, let’s talk about “Upper Kachura Lake in Skardu”, it’s a large spreader lake fill with clean green blue water. As can say that, it’s not a popular lake, many of the visitors, tourist, didn’t explore the beauty of this lake. If visitors want to come up here for fun, they can facilitate with the Hiking tracks, swimming, fishing and boating.
Moreover, as can search, “Lower Kachura Lake” or “Shangri-La Lake Skardu”, is a first family resort in Skardu Gilgit Baltistan and also a most famous tourist spots. All over the region many visitors come from different areas to enjoy its natural colorful beauty which can mesmerize them all in a moment, they sometime stay at Shangri-La resort which is made it nicely for the comfort of the families, visitors, tourist all along.
Satpara Lake
Satpara Lake (also called “Sadpara Lake”) is natural lake situated about 9 kilometers (5.59 miles) north of Skardu (the capital of Baltistan), in Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan. Situated at an altitude of 2,635 meters (8645 feet) the lake is reached after 20 minutes of jeep drive from Skardu.
The lake is fed by Satpara Stream. It works as a key water supply source for the Skardu Town. It is spread over an area of 2.5 kilometers (1.55 miles). There is fairy-tale picturesque island in the center of lake. One can use a country boat to reach the island. A story about this lake is famous among local people that there is a gold mine in bottom of this lake. They believe that this is the reason why its water seems to be shining in the day time.
Satpara Lake with its marvelous and breathtaking beauty is considered one of the most charming lakes among tourists. The lake’s crystal clear waters present a marvelous and picturesque view to visitors by mirroring the icy mountains; encircled around the lake. One can do fishing, motor boating and rowing at the lake. Fishing gear, row boats and motor boats can be hired from Satpara Lake Inn. Fishing gear is very cheap to hire although cost of fishing license is US $10 for one person.
Manthal Buddha Rock is a large granite rock on which picture of Buddha has engraved which probably dates back to 8 century. This rock is located in Manthal village of Skardu Town, in Pakistan. Buddha Rock is one of the most important relics of Buddhism in Skardu. It’s about 3 kilometers from Sadpara Road. Sadpara road will lead to Satpara Lake.
