Nagar Valley

Altit Fort Hunza

Altit Fort is situated in the village of Altit, about 3 km from Karimabad. It has been built on a sheer rock-cliff that falls 300 meters (1000 feet) into the Hunza River, and is much older than the Baltit Fort.
View of Altit fort, with the central town to the right and below the fort. The extreme gullies, sharp drop-off, and location high above the river made this settlement highly defensible and an older settlement than many in the central valley.


Ganesh Valley Hunza

Six kilometers (4 miles) beyond Aliabad, the KKH makes a sweeping S-bend down past Ganish village to the bridge across the Hunza River. Ganesh, on fertile flat and above the river, is guarded by an old watchtower and fort. The old craved mosque is also worth a visit. In the pool in front of the tower all the local children learn to swim. Until this century boys had to swim across the Hunza River to prove that they could escape or attack across the river when necessary. Until the British came in 1891, the men of Hunza used to keep a sword, gun, shield and a loaf of bread (which was replaced every eight days) beside their doors; when the drums beat the alarm from Altit fort, heralding the approach of raiders, each man would grab these things and run for the fort. (Presumably his family went too.)

Like Gilgit Hunza was an important staging post on the Silk Route and was heavily travelled for thousands of years by traders going back and forth between China, India and the west over the Kilik, Mintaka, Parpik and Khunjerab passes.

The most convincing proof of this lies in the inscriptions on the Ganesh rock, a sort of Silk Route guest book. The rocks are immediately beside the KKH, between the road and the river, a few hundreds metres past the bridge across the Hunza River.

The inscriptions are in Khraoshthi, Brahmi, Gupta, Sogdian and Tibetan. Among them is a portrait of the first-century Kushan King of Gandhara, Gondophares. Another inscription reads ‘Chandra sri Vikramaditya conquers’; the date of the inscription corresponds to AD 419. Chandra sri Vikramaditya was Chandra Gupta II, the greatest of the Gupta emperors, who ruled our most of India in the already fifth century AD.

Most of the drawings are of hunting scenes with horses and riders shooting at ibex, ibex surrounded by horsemen, and men dancing around ibex. The ibex was extremely important to the people of Hunza, Afghanistan, northern Pakistan, and northern India, as it was believed to be the pet animal of the mountain fairies and symbolized fertility and prosperity. In the more remote parts of Hunza the people still perform ritual ibex dances: a holy man dons an ibex headdress and drinks ibex blood (or nowadays the blood of ordinary goat), then falls into a trance and proceeds to tell fortunes and answer questions about the future.

Gulmit Valley Upper Hunza

Gulmit (2,500 metres or 8,200 feet above the sea level), eight kilometers (five miles) past the bridge, is a fertile plateau with irrigated fields on either side of the road. Halfway between Gilgit and the Khunjerab Pass, it is a good place to spend a night or two.

The small museum belonging to the ex-ruler, Raja Bhadur Khan, is full of interesting ethnic artefacts--wooden bowls, spoons, and farm implements, woolen coats and embroidered hats and shawls. The Raja shows you round with charm and enthusiasm.

There are many walks along irrigation channels in the area, and the people are very friendly. One recommended walk in across Ghulkin Glacier to Boreet Lake, then across Passu Glacier and down to Passu village. For a longer walk continue from Passu Glacier across the Husseini Ridge to Yunzbin, at the bottom of Batura Glacier.

Passu Glacier Upper Hunza

Passu, 14 kilometres (nine miles) beyond Gulmit, is a village of farmers and mountains guides. This is the setting-off point for climbing expeditions up the Shimshal Valley and Batura Glacier.

For non-trekkers there are two easy walks from Passu. It takes about 20 minutes to scramble up through the rocks to the Passu Glacier, or an hour to follow the irrigation channel up to the Batura Glacier. Or you can wander through the small village of Passu, watch the villagers at work in the fields, and see yaks and dzos (yaks-cow hybrids).

The road to Shimshal leaves the KKH six kilometres (four miles) past Passu. Shimshal is an isolated, unspoiled valley, three to four days’ walk away through a narrow barren gorge. You need a guide to lead you in; once there you can take several different treks up to the surrounding glacier. The villagers of Shimshal currently building an access road from KKH.

SOST Valley Upper Hunza

The KKH passes through four more villages before reaching the immigration custom post at Sost, 34 kilometres (21miles) from Passu


Karakoram Highway

Nagar Valley

Across the Hunza River from Karimabad, lies the beautiful, unspoiled Nagar Valley. Traditionally the bitterest of foes, Hunzakurts and Nagarites have made peace in a manner typical of royalty, by marrying the princess of one to the king of the other.

Chalt is the last settlement in the old kingdom of Gilgit. Beyond it Hunza and Nagar begin, Hunza on the north side of Hunza River, and Nagar on the south. Nagar and Hunza were part of the same ancient kingdom, but they were separated in the 15th century under two warring brothers and have remained traditional enemies over since. This hostility is exacerbated by the fact that the Hunzakuts are Ismaili Muslims and followers of Aga Khan, while the Nagar people are Shias and admirers of the late Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran.

The KKH runs through Nagar territory for about 20 kilometres (12miles) before crossing over to Hunza Nazirabad on another of the elegant Chinese bridge guarded by two rows of ornamental lions. About one kilometer (half a miles) before the bridge a jeep road leads right up to Minapin, in Nagar, the starting point for the three-day trek up the Minapin Glacier.

On both sides of the river the cliffs are precipitous. The road climbs high up on the Hunza side with wonderful views Nagar settlements on the opposite bank and Rakaposhi rising up behind.