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Skardu Valley (History)
Amidst a landscape of towering mountains, deep gorges, crashing waterfalls and quiet lakes, Skardu, the district headquarters of Baltistan, is situated on the banks of the mighty river Indus, just 8 km (5 miles) above its confluence with the river Shigar. Perched at a height of 2286 metres (7,500 ft), Skardu offers a cool and bracing climate. On the eastern boundary of the district lies Ladakh, in the west Gilgit, in the south Indian-held Kashmir and to the north is the Chinese province of Sinkiang. During the summer, Skardu attracts a large number of trekkers and mountaineers from all parts of the world. In fact, the entire region is known as a mountaineers' paradise. Nowhere in the world does one find such a large collection of lofty peaks, including K-2 the world's second highest peak, and huge glaciers like Baltoro, Biafo and Siachen, some of the largest in the world outside the Polar region, as in this 16,283 square km (10,118 square miles) of wonderland. There are five main valleys in the district Skardu, Shigar, Khaplu, Rondu and Kharmang. All of them produce apricots, peaches, pears and apples in such profusion that this region is known as the land of apricots and apples.
Place of Interest
Kharpocho Fort
The construction of Kharpocho fort of the King of forts at Skardu has been attributed to the famous ruler of Skardu - Maqpoon Bugha (1490 - 1515 AD), the great grand father of Ali Sher Khan Anchan (1560 - 1625 AD) by Hishatullah. But Mughal historians are of the view that the great fort was built by Ali Sher Khan Anchan himself. This view is upheld by European writers such as Cunningham, Foso Marine, G.T. Vagne etc. Some observations about this fort have been made in the Imperial Gazetteer of British India. It states that one of the most famous of the Gralpos (Monarchs of Skardu), Ali Sher Khan, who ruled till the end of the 16th century, conquered Ladakh and built a fort at Skardu.
Mindoq Khar
This palace was built by Gul Khatoon or Mindoq Gialmo on the hill where now stands the Kharpocho fort only. The palace was named after the queen as 'Mindoq Khar' meaning the 'Flower Palace'. The Palace was destroyed by the troops of the Sikh ruler of Kashmir, Maharaja Gulab Singh, when he invaded Skardu in 1840 AD.
Hilal Bagh and Chahar Bagh
Just below the Mindoq Khar or Flower Palace, there was a terraced garden with fountains built in marble. This royal garden covered the areas from Mindoq Khan to the present bazaar at Skardu where the newly constructed road crosses the channel. A palace built in marble with towers also stood in the middle of the garden, above the Polo Ground which is called Ghudi Changra. The palace was destroyed during the great floods in the area after the death of Ali Sher Khan Anchan and a marble Baradari was later constructed at this palace. This royal garden was named Hilal Bagh (Crescent Garden). Another garden was also laid which was named Chhar Bagh on the site where a Girls College stands now. The said garden was laid on the orders of the Queen while her husband was away to Gilgit and then to Chitral. As the mother tongue of the Queen was Persian, she gave Persian name to these gardens.
Buddhist Rock
There is only one surviving Buddhist Rock with rock carvings in the Skardu Valley located on Satpara road. Probably the rock carvings and images of Buddha date back to the period of Great Tibetan Empire. When the Buddhist people of Gandhara migrated and passed through the present northern areas of Pakistan, they settled at some places temporarily and carved drawings of Stupas, scenes of their experiences and images olf Buddha with texts in Kharoshti language. There were a number of such Buddhist rock carvings in the Skardu Valley. Probably those rocks were used either by Ali Sher Khan Anchan as building material or submerged in the Satpara lake. Scholars and researchers like Dr. A.H. Dani from Pakistan and some from other countries have done lot of research work on these rock carvings and have since deciphered the text of the carvings in Kharoshti language.
Satpara Lake
8 km (5 miles) south of Skardu, 20 minutes by jeep, lies the Satpara Lake. Surrounded by high glacial mountains, this lake has an island in the middle of its clear waters, which can be reached by boat. The lake is considered ideal for fishing.
Kachura Lake
About 32 kms (20 miles) from Skardu, 2 hours by jeep, lie the shimmering waters of the Kachura Lake. In the springtime its banks are adorned by a multitude of colorful flowers, while the trees are laden with peach, apricot and apple blossoms. The lake offers great opportunities for trout fishing.
Shigar Valley
The Shigar Valley, 32 kms (20 miles) from Skardu and 2 hours by jeep, is watered by the Shigar River. It forms the gateway to the great mountain peaks of the Karakoram, including Mount K-2. The valley has an extremely picturesque landscape, and abounds in fruit such as grapes, peches, pears, walnuts and apricots.
Khaplu Valley
This beautiful valley of the Shyok River is 103 kms (64 miles) from Skardu and 6 hours by jeep. There is a sprawling village perched on the slopes of the steep mountains that hem in the river. Many famous mountains, such as Masherbrum, K-6, K-7, Sherpi Kangh, Sia Kangri, Saltoro Kangri etc. are located here.
Activities in Skardu
Shangrila Resort offers many in-house attractions to its visitors including:
Skardu, is richly endowed with its natural beauty for which Pakistan's northern areas are famous for.
Baltistan (2286 m), a mountain packed region is also known as "Little Tibet". Skardu, its capital, is the starting point for some of the best trekking and mountaineering in the world.
Baltistan has five valleys famous for their extravagant beauty and magnificence. These are Shigar, Skardu, Khaplu, Rondu, Basho and Sokh.
Shigar, 32 Kms from Skardu (2 hours by Jeep) is the gateway to the great mountain peaks of the Karakoram, including the world’s second tallest peak K-2 (left). The entire valley is rich in Walnuts, Grapes, Peaches, Pears and Apricots.
Khaplu is a beautiful valley from where the river Shyok descents into Skardu. Six hours drive by Jeep, This place is an attraction for the trekkers surrounded by several famous peaks.
Basho Valley (right) is located 40 Kms (2 hours drive) from the Resort. This magnificent valley is situated among the lush green forests of the region and is one of the most popular tourist attractions.
Sokh Valley 15 minutes drive away from the Resort. Lush green Sokh also has a stream, which is ideal for fishing trout. It is a trekker’s paradise as you can walk for miles along the stream.
Rondu and Astak Valley is two and half hours drive from the resort and have many attractions like lush green villages. People riding yaks. Gem stone hunters could find an attraction here looking for gold, aquamarine and topaz.
About 6 Kms or 20 minutes away lays a favorite tourist spot called Upper Kachura Lake. A 45-minute walk from Shangrila, takes you to through ancient villages where you can witness the actual way of life, which has been preserved to this day. The natural beauty of this area is very inspiring as one can see the Rocky Mountains from which flows a rapid into the mighty Indus River, also enjoy a picnic or a day of fishing at this lake.
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