Yasin Valley runs from Gilgit city’s Gupis Junction to Shandur road in the north-west.

Information about Ghizer

Ghizer District includes

• Ghizer Valley
• Shandur,
• Gahkuch,
• Gupis,
• Yasin,
• Ishkomen
• Puniyal

For now, I will be covering only the travel details for Yasin Valley in Ghizer District.

Yasin Valley Map

Yasin Valley’s History

This valley is almost at the Tajikistan/Afghan border so not many people dare to venture into the valley and cross the high-altitude pass above 13000 feet.

It is believed that the Yasin Valley plains were battlegrounds for ancient armies who fought over this route to central Asia.

The colonial British encouraged infighting between the different royals of Chitral over this valley and sent Dogra armies over to take control. They eventually took the valley over directly.

Yasin is home to many mountain passes that connect to Chitral. It’s no coincidence therefore, that the Mehtar from Chitral used force to take control of Yasin Valley.

Yasin Valley has many mountain passes

• Darkut Pass, 4267m, connects Yasin to Wakhan Corridor or Chitral
• Broghil Pass, 3798m, connects Yasin to Broghil and continues on to Wakhan
• Thoi Pass, 4690m, connects Yasin and Yarkhun Chitral
• Assumber Pass links Yasin and Ishkomen
• Attar Pass, at 4700m, connects Darkot Village with Ishkoman.
• Nazbar, Yasin’s mountain town, connects it to Mastuj Chitral and Broghil.

Road condition from Islamabad to Yasin Valley

Although the road was in bad condition before, it is now in good shape. The government built a new single-track highway to Hundur in the Valley thanks to Lalak Jan Shaheed Nishan e Haidar’s sacrifice.

The last hour up to Darkot remains under repair.

Distance and time between Gilgit and Yasin Valley

From Gilgit to Yasin, it takes approximately 4 hours.

Bridge over the Gilgit River towards Yasin Valley

This section of river has only one bridge. The Chinese recently constructed this bridge. In 1925, the British Colonials built the last bridge.

Between, Pakistanis are still waiting for God’s help.

Distance and time between Islamabad and Gilgit

From Islamabad, it takes 12 hours to drive over the Babusar Pass, which is a total distance of 512 km. To avoid any unnecessary delays in Balakot or Mansehra, you should leave Islamabad around 3:30 AM.

Distance and time between Islamabad and Yasin Valley

It is impossible to drive from Islamabad, Pakistan to Yasin Town of Yasin Valley. The distance is 650km and it would take 16 hour to get there.

It’s almost impossible to drive 16 hours straight without stopping.

Besham’s alternate route is too bumpy. It takes at least 15 hours to drive from Islamabad into Gilgit.

Weather in Yasin Valley

It also gets very cold quickly.

Yasin Valley’s weather stays below 30 ⁰ Celsius throughout the year, even during peak season May to October. When it rains, the temperature can drop to 15 ⁰ Celsius. Warm clothing and a jacket are recommended.

The temperature drops to around 10 Celsius after October, which is uncomfortable because you will need to heat your home with a lot gas or firewood.

Before you leave for Gilgit, make sure to check the weather conditions. Even in peak summer, the snow can block traffic for several days.

Night Stay at Gilgit

The first night we stayed at Douryo Inn Gilgit Ph. It was affordable and comfortable. The hot water was hot and the food was clean.

We drove eastwards from Gilgit City towards Yasin, Yasin Valley the next day.

We turned right into the valley after reaching the bridge of a larger size with yellow-painted load members (near Gupis).

Yasin Valley Trout Fish

Fresh fried trout from Ph. Rocks and River Trout Farm Ph. was our first stop. 03129717417. It tasted great because it had very few spices.

After a few hours of fog, the weather became cold and we had to take off our jackets, parkas and caps.

According to my sources, snow can fall near the valley floor after a few days of heavy rain. So make sure you have your winter gear.

Bojayote View Point Yasin Valley

The next stop was at the Bojayote viewpoint in Yasin town. After climbing through endless streams of freshwater and farms to reach the viewpoint, we were able to see the beautiful Yasin Valley curving Eastwards with a river running through it.

In the past, Rajas were said to have been present to supervise the Valley and all who came through it.

Map of tracks, lakes, and routes in Yasin Valley

Yasin Valley Tukhumrezi Festival House

Next we visited the palace home of Shiri Badadraja, which has been preserved in its original condition

Legend has it that the raja of this home developed a penchant to devour infant children because the young goats he used to eat before were given milk from women.

The Raja’s atrocities became too much for the locals. They gathered together on a summer night to light their torches and burn the wicked Raja.

Everyone celebrates this event at the beginning of spring with a Tukhumrezi Festival

Bullet holes remain on the wooden throne, which was shot from a Dogra Army gun in order to subdue loyalists of Raja Gohar Aman during the rebellion of 1842-1863 against British rule.

Forts in Yasin Valley

MUDURI FORTYASIN VALLEY

Next, we stopped at the Muduri Fort. This is where the massacre of Dogra forces occurred in 1863. 16 Yasin Valley women were taken by the Dogra Army to be executed for their rebellion.

British rulers supported the Hindu Dogra army.

Muduri Fort’s ruins were once built on top a 500-foot high rock that rose straight up from the riverbed below.

The fort was not accessible from either the rear or front.

The fort was almost impenetrable because the besieged troops could get their water and ration from the mountains and farms that were within the fort.

The Trojan technique was used by the Dogra commander to disguise himself as local militia and stick an herb that Yasin has grown on his troops. This formation was allowed in by the guard at the gates, and they then massacred everyone inside the fortress.

MUDOORI FORT TREK 7 BLUE LAKES

The trek starts at Mudoori Fort and goes to Makuli meadows, passing through 7 blue water lakes.

YASIN FORT

Then we walked down to Mudoru Fort and stopped at Yasin Fort, which is still being renovated.

CHUMARKHAN FORT

Next was Chumarkhan Fort, which literally means Iron fort. It was so difficult to access that the fort administration had water piped through two precarious peaks.

Polo Match in Yasin Valley

We returned to Yasin Town to see a polo match among two local teams. This was a playoff to determine the winning team for the Annual Shandur Festival, which is held in the first week July each year.

This brutal game was a disaster waiting to happen, as there were no guards or helmets. No wonder polo players I knew had broken limbs or multiple stitches on their foreheads.

Ghizer, Yasin Valley: Tomb of the Dead

There are also two tombs for the dead in Yasin. One is partially damaged and the other is intact.

The locals used to embalm their dead and place them in circular arrangements inside a tomb. Sometimes, it would rise tower-like from the ground.

The bodies of the children who have died would be placed on shelves.

According to one account, the first person to open such a grave was someone who had large bone structures and white teeth.

They were looking at one another quite calmly as they sat down.

I would love for the government to allow archeologists access to these tombs and provide information about the lives of those who lived in the isolated north.

Hotel in Yasin Valley

We were exhausted from the exertions of this day and decided to rest at Fort Hotel Yasin (Ph. The Colonel was very knowledgeable and looked younger than I despite being a significant age.

This is how a calm environment, good food, and great company can help you age well.

Ghizer land cost

Next, I asked them how much land costs here. They replied that it was upwards of Rs 20 per Kanal.

In these small communities, every blade of grass was used.

Yasin Valley medicinal herbs

The Kahveer flower has medicinal properties for both men and their manhood.

Yasin Valley Fruit Farms

We went to a friend’s Cherry farm, and we ate to our hearts’ content.

I didn’t know that the crimson cherries were not the best, but the bright red ones are.

Weapons Arsenal

Every family is proud to display a variety of modern weapons because they are descendants of soldiers. All you have to do is to ask. You will find everything, from ancient guns to sniper rifles and AK-47s.

Darkot Village

After a hearty breakfast, we headed out to Yasin Valley’s end, where we found Darkot, which is pronounced “Darkut”. Darkot is “the fortification of passes”.

Darkot is the last village of this valley.

Passes of Darkot Village

• Pass to Afghanistan
• Pass to Ishkoman
• Pass to Tajikistan

Barandaas megaliths

Further ahead, at Barandaas Sangam point, is the ancient Shamashan Ghat. This was when this area belonged to Hindus.

The megalith stones can still be arranged in the form of a funeralpyre.

This area was home to Hindus before Buddhism reached it in the 1 century AD.

HINDU SWASTIKA ROCK CRAVINGS OF YASIN

Evidence of Hindu worship is evident from the higher castes, as well as traditional Hindu symbols such the swastika or a cross enclosed within a circle engraved into rocks deep in Yasin’s valleys.

BARANDAAS TREASURES

Locals from the Brandaas region told me that a Caucasian woman appeared alone at the site in 2018, bringing along electronic gadgets, and was looking for something on the ridge above the cremation grounds.

She did indeed find it because she was excited, but she didn’t allow the porter to come near her.

BARANDAAS MAN-EATER

The legend of the man-eater, which Badakhshan’s local saint tamed, is also a part of this story. Mirza Katchat was the name of the beast.

On a bumpy road, it took 2.5 hours to travel from Yasin to Darkot.

Waterfalls in Darkot

You can call the valley the valley of waterfalls because the track towards Darkot is alive when it rains huge waterfalls, 300 feet high, that fall on either side.

Because the entire route was so beautiful, sometimes I couldn’t decide where to look.

Darkot: Firangi killed

After injuring my intestines on bumpy roads, we finally reached the “firangi” quarters of Darkot village. Here, John Hayward, a British colonial officer, was assassinated by local Raja’s henchmen in 1860 for spying on Britain against Russia.

Some claim that the Dogra rulers in Kashmir executed him for exposing their atrocities against the Yasini people, including the massacre of Mudoori.

Gamobar Glacier in Darkot

Darkot is home to the Glacier with its huge ice mountains, lakes and streams.

It is so remote and pristine that no one ventures outside, except for the cattle who are grazing on communal pastures.

Khaltar Lake of Darkot, high altitude

The Khaltar is a high-altitude lake located on the top of Darkot’s precarious mountain. I did not go because I was a coward, and didn’t want to be buried in another place.

However, I’ve heard that the grass is like a carpet. The flowers only bloom for a few weeks each year. The lake is clear as glass.

Because the road ended there, I turned around and returned to this spot.

The road to Umalsat is well-made and metalled.

I drove from Darkot to Gilgit in four hours and stayed there for the night.

The next morning I discovered that both roads from Gilgit to Islamabad had been blocked.

After 11 am, the Babusar road opened and I was one of the first to speed back towards Islamabad.

My radial and all-terrain tires burst while I was cutting through a stony path. The inspection bill for my 4×4 now exceeds Rs 170,000.

Yasin Valley Trip Expenditure

Here are the total expenses

• Diesel Islamabad to Darkot Yasin Valley and back Rs 45000
• Gilgit Accommodation Rs 8000 +8000
• Yasin Accommodation Rs 7000
• Food Rs. 5000
• Essential purchases Rs 4000 (Salajeet and Honey, Apricot products, Tomoru herbal Tea)
• Water Rs 1500
• SCOM mobile SIM Rs 1,000 (only SCOM works in Gilgit, so grab one at Gilgit).
• For a 4-day trip, the total cost is Rs 78000

Most Frequently Asked Questions about Yasin

HOW TO GET THERE

You can either drive there or rent a 4×4. You won’t be able to drive to the glacier with a car.

WHAT DOES YASIN MEAN?

Yasin, a name that was later derived from the Arabic letters Ya & Sin, is an evocative of Prophet Muhammad in the Quran.