Being a rare guest in a valley hitherto unspoilt by the ravages of tourism can be a magical and an unforgettable experience, writes Asif Farrukhi. by Asif Farrukhi A geographical confusion landed me in the Ishkoman Valley but having reached there, I decided to stay put. Like many Karachiites, I was filled with vague notions to travel up North as …

Floods caused by glacier lake outburst on July 7 damaged road, bridges, water supply line and houses Luke Rehmat  and Gul Hammad Farooqi Gollen: The recent floods caused by outburst of a glacier lake have wreaked havoc in the picturesque Gollen valley of Chitral, local reporters said. The floods caused by glacier outburst (GLOF) on July 7 reportedly devastated the …

Qudrat Ali and Saad Munawar traverse 665km through Himalays, Karakoram and Hindu Kush ranges in 23 days     Abdullah Bai Islamabad July 18: Two Pakistani climbers have set a new world record by completing traverse of three mountain ranges in Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral. Qudrat Ali, a famous climber from Shimshal valley in upper Hunza and Saad Munawar, a student from …

Over 20,000 tourists and spectators enjoyed the three-day Shandur festival that ended on Tuesday amid dance, music, and paragliding show   By Karim Ullah CHITRAL, July 9: Chitral retained its title and won trophy sixth consecutive time beating Gilgit-Baltistan by 6-5 goals after the sensational contest on the final match on Tuesday. The three-day mega annual cultural-cum-sports event ended amid …

Fatehul Mulk Ali Nasir reflects on Chitral’s place in what was once a largely Buddhist region Fatehul Mulk Ali Nasir Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa was once Gandhara, one of the earliest centres of Buddhism. The Peshawar Valley, in particular, has several archaeological sites dating to the Buddhist era with Takht Bhai in Mardan and Ranigat in Swabi being among the most well known. …

Last year over 17,000 tourists flocked to Kalash valley which is comprised of three valleys with 4,000 population. Herald Report In remote Kalash valley of Chitral, the Kalash minority community has preserved their unique culture, traditions, and lifestyle in the face of growing threats from external intrusion and coercion. Kalasha, a primitive pagan tribe, have a unique religion, culture, rituals …

Fatehul Mulk Ali Nasir holds his Fort and offers a view of daily life in his winter refuge Even though I am based in Islamabad, during the winter I always spend at least a week to ten days in Chitral every other month, so as to see that my affairs run smoothly. This includes both paperwork as well as meetings …

  Gul Nayab Islamabad: Residents of Yasin Valley, mostly youth and students residing in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, converged at the open air theatre of Lok Virsa on Sunday to celebrate their rich culture, art, and unique but endangered language ‘Burushaski’. The indigenous language is spoken over 150,000 people in Yasin, Nagar, and Hunza. “Burushaski is the …

HAH Report Kabul: The Aga Khan Health Services (AKHS) has taken over management of health care facilities in the Bamyan and Badakhshan provinces of Afghanistan. An agreement to this effect was signed at the Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Health the other day. Through the project, AKHS will now manage over 1,015 health posts in villages, 158 basic and primary health …

Trophy hunting has introduced a market ethic whereby the animal is seen in purely utilitarian terms. Shafqat Hussain The recent news about trophy hunting of markhor and ibex in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) has sparked intriguing public debates. Many have questioned the ethics of this practice, while others have asked about its social, ecological and economic impact. The question of ethics in …

By Peter Deneen This week’s video digests the sobering findings of the Hindu Kush Himalaya assessment. The montage was published by the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), one of the institutions responsible for compiling the report. As GlacierHub reported last week, the assessment is likely the most comprehensive climate assessment of the area: It includes input from over 300 experts, researchers, …

By Pamela Constable An American trophy hunter has sparked outrage after reportedly paying $110,000 for a permit to kill a rare mountain goat in Pakistan, before posing with the dead animal after the hunt. A video posted to social media shows Bryan Kinsel Harlan climbing through mountains in Pakistan’s northern Gilgit region, before shooting at the goat, high-fiving with guides …

Over 200 scientists collaborated on a report that forecasts a hot future for the high mountains of Asia. Two-degree temperature rise could melt half of glaciers in Hindu Kush Himalaya region, destabilizing Asia’s rivers HAH Report A new study forecasts hot future for the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) mountain region that could destabilise Asian rivers and threaten millions. Two-degree temperature …

Karim Ullah CHITRAL: A new press club has been set up to cater to the professional, cultural and social needs of the media persons of the newly carved out upper Chitral District. The decision to set up the ‘Hindu Kush Press Club’ at Buni was taken after consultation and deliberations by the journalists. An interim body of the press club …

Nabilah Islam Our Video of the Week takes place in a remote mountainous region of northern Pakistan. The video, shared by the World Meteorological Organization, was shot by a villager from the Ghizer district, which is located in the Gupis Valley in Baltistan. Glacier melt and snow is seen descending from a nearby valley, alarming residents. Northern Pakistan is home to …