Northern Pakistan - A blast from the past - Part 1

February 24, 2025vixmemon

World has so much to offer, and much is up for grabs, while a lot has yet to be discovered and has to be properly appreciated.

This is a post to appreciate most underappreciated, under-visited places in the world so full of beauty and yet, i just scratched the surface. Karakoram with majestic mountains including K-2, the second highest peak at 8,611 meters (28,251 feet), the mighty Himalayas, with naked mountains (Nanga Parbat), the ninth-highest peak in the world at 8,126 meters (26,660 feet), and the breathtaking and unscathed and uncanny Hindu Kush, Known for its rugged terrain, with the highest peak (Tirich Mir) at 7,708 meters (25,289 feet).

This post has nothing of the Karakoram, the Hindu Kush or the Himalayas but this road sure leads there and this post is more about the journey then the destination.

old 4x4s Drive through the tough terrain.

Our travel started from Islamabad, Pakistan and through the peaks of Margalla, towards Taxila (an ancient city known as Takshashila, in the Potohar region of Punjab, as old as 1000BCE, is a UNESCO heritage site), using the Highway M-15 towards Abbottabad (a beautiful hill-station, infamous for other reasons), Balakot (a most serene and beautiful little town), all the way towards Kaghan Valley and everything in-between.

Our Original destination, Naran Valley was cut short because of the heavy snowfall, and un-drivable route -

The path is being cleared but muddy roads make it impossible to drive through.

Here are some of the Images that do not do the justice to the beauty of this scenic route, but I always relive those moments whenever I see them.

Trees stand tall on rather crumbling peaks.

A mountain goat grazing on a steep mountain

A water fall with a restaurant in its path, you can soak your feet in chilling cold water while snacking. Waterfall was high, and we found many restaurants up the hill.