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    The Stunning Haramosh Valley and Kutwal Emerald Lake

    Written by: Muhammad Umer Farooq
    Posted on: January 05, 2018 | | 中文

    Kutwal Emerald Lake in Haramosh Valley

    Day 1

    In order to travel to Haramosh, one has to travel upon the road from Jaglot to Skardu, (in the Gilgit-Baltistan Region) to the town of Sassi, an hour-long drive if no landslides and windstorms await you! We luckily escaped one.

    I vividly recall the mountains I saw during this hour. They had some astonishing, light yellowish, horizontal patterns. The Sassi area is well-known because of the minerals found in these mountains, including aquamarine, a green-blue gem stone and hydroxylherderite. The wide valley, which the road cut through, was covered with scattered clouds. A muddy river flowed alongside at a torrential speed.

    The drive from Jaglot-Sassi, the mountains with horizontal patterns are visible

    The drive from Jaglot-Sassi, the mountains with horizontal patterns are visible

    From Sassi, we travelled onwards in jeeps to the village of Dache (Dassu), located at roughly an altitude of 2400m. Ten minutes into this 17 km ride, heavy winds started blowing and when the rain came down, the jeep began to swing precariously. However, merciful nature allowed us to safely emerge after fifteen minutes, under a bright sun. The driver carefully maneuvered through risky turns, with drops of hundreds of meters on either side. We travelled through mostly barren topography, with occasionally stunning views of green pastures. These cultivated lands of the villagers amidst large brown mountains reflect the challenging living conditions in the region.

    As the sun was setting, the camping site for the first day was reached after 2 hours of trekking alongside a man-made fresh water stream, on a soft pasture like ground.

    Day 2

    Laila Peak

    Laila Peak

    Early next morning, I feasted my eyes on the 6069 metres tall, Laila Peak while enjoying my breakfast. The initial trek comprised of an ascent through the village where the farmers had demarcated their plots of land through wooden fences. A few hours into the trek, it became clear that the drill was the same: climb, climb and climb. By noon time, after trekking through forests, the group reached a wide, calm river with a riverbed full of greyish stones. I got lost here for a while, because the rest of the group was either ahead or behind me. The deforestation in the area was alarming, and the widespread scale of this illegal logging needs to be addressed immediately and urgently by the authorities.

    Meanwhile, a shy and charming local girl emerged from the distance with a herd of goats. I asked her if I was on the right path to the jheel, but she did not comprehend me. Through gestures and her own language, she tried informing me that I should wait there, since the rest of my group was nearby.

    The riverbank where I got lost

    The riverbank where I got lost

    When I rejoined my group, another challenging ascent followed, in light rain, which made our movements slippery. The temperature dropped as dark clouds hid the sun. After an hour's trek, we waited next to a glacier for better weather. We had to now walk through this large volume of moving ice to reach the other side of the valley, which required technical skill and training. There were no alternative trails that we could follow, but instead, we had to search for the particular man-made pile of rocks that could help us navigate the crossing. Moreover, we had to cover the distance speedily, because even one wrong step into the deadly crevices would be dangerous. After one hour thirty minutes, the 25 trekkers and porters managed to cross this glacier. Every now and then the thudding sound of melting glaciers gave me goose bumps.

    The glacier that had to be crossed

    The glacier that had to be crossed

    On the other-side of the glacier, after another hour of trekking up the forest we ended up in a valley blooming with wild spring flowers, and a few villagers looking after their cattle grazing on the verdant pasture. The trek that followed was through spectacular vistas of meadows, surrounded by tall snow clad mountains. Just before dark, we reached Kutwal Emerald Lake. Since it had started to drizzle, the camps were set up without wasting time, and a fire lit to help fight the biting cold.

    Day 3

    The clouds had veiled the view when we reached the lake. But in the morning, the vibrant Haramosh Valley was stunningly beautiful. The lake reflected its own beautiful version of the valley; a mesmerizing sight. After savouring the beauty of the Haramosh Valley for a few hours, we headed back to Dassu village.

    On the way back, I came across an old man who was supporting himself with a stick. His face was pale and he had covered himself in rugged, warm clothes. He stopped and asked me for painkillers for his aching knees. I shared the Panadol and Dispirin I was carrying and it brought home to me the difficult living conditions of the locals.

    Haramosh is one of the most scenic treks in terms of the diverse views it offers. The trek provides a combination of the beautiful villages with snow covered mountains, plentiful livestock, forests, meadows, glaciers and the enthralling Kutwal Lake.


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021