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Skardu Valley
Skardu, the capital of Baltistan is perched at 2,438 metres above sea-level in the backdrop of the great peaks of 'The Karakoram Mountain Range'.
Frequent
flights are operated on Islamabad - Skardu route making it easier for travellers
to reach the Skardu area in a much safer way. The air journey is full of
enthrilling views and would itself be regarded as the highlight of the visit.
The Skardu airport lies in the midst of the 20-mile long Skardu plain, a desert
of sand dunes that shimmers with brilliance during sunny days. Riding from the
airfield into town gives you little time to adjust to the awesome landscape into
which you have flown. Your head swivels, eyeing strata of violet, red, grey,
ochre, and brown in the 10,000-foot-high-hills surrounding the sandy plain on
either side of the Indus River. En route to town you approach and pass south of
the 2-mile long, 1,000-foot-high rock that is a prominent landmark, lying just
north of Skardu.
Skardu's
bazaar is a long, rambling affair, stretching from west to east. The western end
of the bazaar is called the Satellite Town where you'll find numerous shops,
hotels and restaurants. Proceeding eastward along this bazaar, you will come to
a small traffic island with a memorial to those killed defending the nation.
North from the traffic island is the walled mazar of Abbas Alamdar, a Shiite
saint. The Satellite Town extends eastward as far as a fifteenth-century
aqueduct, the base of which consists of large granite blocks. East of the
aqueduct are the Skardu Polo ground and the Askandria Fort.
From Skardu you may take several interesting walking
excursions. A stroll around the eastern end of the Skardu rock will take you to
the nearby village of 'Narsok', where you will find a large pure spring flowing
from the base of the monolith.
To
reach Narsok, walk to the far end of the Skardu Polo field and pick up a trail
that skirts the rock slopes beneath Zowar Singh's fortress. The mighty Indus
snaking along just a few yards beneath your feet among the silvery white sands
is an awesome sight. Skardu has a historically magnificent Fort known as the
Kharpocho Fort (King of Forts). It was constructed by Ali Sher Khan Anchan, who
ruled from Ladakh to Chitral till the end of the 16th century. About a mile
south of Skardu on the west bank of the Satpura Nala is a tall rock with a
vertical, beige-colored northern face. Carved here circa A.D 900 is a lovely
image of a meditating Maitreya Buddha framed by Bodhisattvas.
Walking
south up Skardu's alluvial fan takes you to crystalline Satpara Lake some 4
miles from town. The two lakes - Kachura Lake 29 kms and Satpara lake 8 kms from
Skardu are ideal for trout fishing. To reach the lake by foot, just follow the
aqueduct and its feeder channel to the jeep road. This road goes directly to the
lake. The road leads beyond the lake to Satpara village known for its
hardworking men, who have served as high-altitude porters on many mountaineering
expeditions. One can truly enjoy the pleasures of serenity and tranquillity
amongst such exotic landscapes. A must see for travelers!
