The ancient town of Chilas lies three kilometres south of Karakorum Highway, and is the starting point of a jeep track which connects Indus valley with Kaghan valley. The two valleys are an interesting contrast, as while the Indus valley is dry and rocky, the Kaghan valley is green and refreshing with snow- covered mountains.
There is not much to view in Chilas except the rock carvings along Indus and, of course, the Deputy Commissioner’s elegant residence, almost hidden in tall green trees and near a gushing stream. Chilas gained importance when British developed a shorter track between British-India and Gilgit, across Babusar Pass, somewhere in 1890s. Before this, the only route to Gilgit was from Srinagar via Astore and Burzil Pass. The Babusar Pass remained the main route to Gilgit until development of Karakorum Highway in 1978.
A jeep can be hired from Chilas to take you to Naran in around 8-10 hours for about Rs6,000. It is better to take an experienced driver with you, as the route is quite demanding. As one leaves Chilas for Babusar top, the first part of the journey is a bit dull. It is not a pleasant sight to see thousands of logs lying under the sun for seasoning. After the closure of Afghan border, Chilas has become one of the most significant supply centre for wood to the whole country. The trees are being cut down at an alarming rate without any plans for planting new ones. On the way, one passes through the village of Thak which is actually the main market where logs are brought from all the surrounding valleys for sale and further processing. The government should do something for plantation of trees if it finds itself helpless before the timber mafia.
Kohistan, as the area is generally known, does not carry a very good repute from the security point of view. Gun-totting locals are a common sight but, apparently, weapon carrying has more to do with the local culture rather than any threat to travellers. The children are, however, a bit naughty and they may occasionally yell at the travellers and thrown a stone on the jeep. One reaches Babusar village (which is at a height of 2800 meters) in about two hours, that is actually a small insignificant village. Near Babusar, one enters the monsoon belt and the scenery becomes greener. Interspersed among the green grass are purple, blue and red flowers, which give interesting shades to the landscape, depending upon which flower species is dominant.
The route is fascinating, although one may skip a few heartbeats when the jeep has to go reverse on a steep turning. It is equally frightening when a vehicle comes from the opposite side. The route is usually open for jeeps from June to September, but do pray that it does not rain while you are crossing the Pass. Anyway, the dangerous turns are usually named after the driver of the jeep that fell from that particular turn. In about three hours, one reaches Babusar Top at a height of about 4200 meters. The top is a wide plain with loose rocks lying all around. The top gives a splendid view of the surrounding green valleys. On a bright sunny day one can view the formidable Nanga Parbat from a nearby ridge. A hot cup of tea from a small make- shift kiosk freshens the tired traveller. The top is a recommended camping site if you are trekking and surplus water is not your requirement.
From the Babusar Top, the jeep starts descending towards Naran but don’t be misled as the route is probably more dangerous as compared to the route from Chilas to the top. The view of the hillocks covered with blue delphiniums, edelweiss, and pinkish bistort is amazing and is pleasant to the eyes. On the way, one passes through the summer settlement of Gittidas that belongs to Gujjar nomads and a swift passage through the area is recommended for safety reasons.
After more than an hour’s journey from the top, the surroundings become greener and greener until one reaches the banks of a three-kilometre long turquoise green water lake popularly known as Lulusar lake (3355 metres). The lake is sandwiched between all surrounding mountains and, unlike lake Saif-ul-Maluk, cannot be viewed at one sight. Small floating icebergs, green surrounding mountains and serenity of the climate gives the lake an edge over the excessively commercialized lake Saif-ul-Maluk. You may spend a whole day at the banks of Lulusar lake and may not come across a single traveller except for few local nomads. Kunhar River, which drains the whole Kaghan valley, actually takes its origin from Lulusar Lake. Camping is usually not recommended for small groups and one should rather stay at the small settlement of Besal about an hour’s drive down the track.
Besal, a small summer settlement at a height of 3266 meters, is also the beginning of a track to Dudibach Sar lake. It takes around six to eight hours to reach the mysterious lake known for its good trout fish. At Besal, one is still above the tree line but as one continues on the journey towards Naran, slowly the tree line starts appearing. One reaches the small town of Batakundi in about two hours from Besal, after crossing the small settlement of Burawai. Frontier Works Organization is doing a praiseworthy work here by constructing proper metalled road. The scenic route to Laalzar plateau originates from Batakundi. From Batakundi onwards to Naran, more and more tall green pine forests are seen while the Kunhar River changes from a stream to a roaring river, thanks to numerous small streams from the surrounding mountains.
The track from Chilas to Naran is interesting not only because of the scenery, but also because of its history. On the way one should make sightseeing stopovers at Thak, Babusar, Babusar Top, Lulusar Lake, Besal and Batakundi, all of which provides breathtaking views of surrounding valleys. A little development of the track along with security assurance would definitely boost tourism in the area.
The ancient town of Chilas lies three kilometres south of Karakorum Highway, and is the starting point of a jeep track which connects Indus valley with Kaghan valley. The two valleys are an interesting contrast, as while the Indus valley is dry and rocky, the Kaghan valley is green and refreshing with snow- covered mountains.
