Written by: Muhammad Umer Farooq
Posted on: April 09, 2018 | 
| 中文
Makra Peak from Paye meadows
Day 1
If you’re travelling to Shogran from Lahore, the route will take you through Kiwai town in Kaghan valley of Mansehra district, easily accessible via the N-15 National Highway of Pakistan. A 30 minute car drive, on an unmetalled 7.4 km road from Kiwai, brings you to Shogran. This ascending road cuts through alpine and coniferous forests, and while the towering trees are a delight to behold, the clean air is soothing and refreshing.
Upon reaching Shogran, which is situated at a height of 2362 metres, one can easily find lodging facilities at various places. By noon, with rooms secured at Pine Park Hotel, I found myself strolling around the hill station with my friends. For lunch, we savoured vegetable curry with bread at another hotel, watching the news being broadcasted on an old television set.
After lunch, we wandered off into the nearby groves, most of them still retaining autumn struck trees. Shades of green, yellow and red, coloured by the late afternoon sunlight, formed the perfect sight. Enamoured by the plethora of colours, my friend Almakky and I insisted that we embark upon the trail that began from behind the hotel.
We began following the meandering trail, which was sometimes as wide as a jeep track and occasionally as narrow as a bike track. To our right side was a drop of hundreds of meters, while to our left was the mountain. Wild flowers with slender long petals, mostly in shades of white, could be found in abundance. The distant surrounding mountains were hazy because of the sunlight, while we walked upon a carpet of crisp dry leaves. Occasionally, we also came across small water streams, through which we quenched our thirst.
On returning to the hotel, we enjoyed food with live music entertaining us, and a bonfire keeping us warm.
Day 2
The next morning, it took us 30 minutes to reach Paye meadows, through hired jeeps from Shogran. At the meadows, the views were of a much more open area, compared to the views at Shogran. The meadows consisted of a vast expanse of grassy hills, with clusters of trees in the surroundings. In the distance, the higher mountains were covered with snow, announcing the arrival of winters.
At 3800 metres, the popular Makra Peak appeared to be the nearest and highest peak. According to locals, the word Makra, which in the local language means spider, is used to describe the mountain because in winters the snow covered peak has a spider like view.
From where I stood, the Makra Peak trek seemed quite appealing, with the surrounding hills rising alongside it in a balanced gradient, while remaining below Makra. This adds to the appeal of Makra, and sets its beauty apart from other mountains.
As the morning turned into afternoon, the chilly wind set in, occasionally making a distinct roaring sound. We spent around two hours at Paye, and two friends accompanied me in exploring the nearby hillocks. Most of our time, however, was spent lying around on the soft green pastures.
By evening, we returned to our hotel in Shogran, and enjoyed barbeque and music around the bonfire. After a good night's rest, the group had breakfast and began its 557 km journey back to Lahore.
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