Darkut Village (Gilgit Baltistan)
Darkut is the most beautiful and remote village in the Yasin Valley, located at the distance of 40 km from Yasin town. It is the last village of Pakistan in the Gilgit Baltistan in Gupis-Yasin district at the altitude of 8500 ft on the foot of Ghamubar Zom mountain. There are around 2000 people living in this village. It is a center point for number of important places such as Darkut Pass, Karomber Lake, Ghamubar Zom Glacier, etc.
The road leads along the Yasin River ascend with the mountaineous range of Hindu Kush with snow-capped peaks. Most parts of the road remain damaged due to number of streams in this area, so pebbles are seen everywhere on the roads as well as in the meadows. But the beauty of the area is the lush green fields and fruit trees those can be seen along the river sides.
Darkot Pass, having elevation of 15430 feet, can be used to access Baroghil Valley in Chitral district through Rawat valley from the Darkut village by crossing the Ghamubar Glacier or Darkut Glacier. Due to global warming, the most part of the glacier is retreated and melted into a lake, also known as Ghamubar Lake. It is one of the main glacier that is effected mostly due to climate change in Pakistan region. By crossing this glacier, one can access one of the highest mountain pass, Darkut Pass, that connects Gupis-Yasin district to Chitral district, as well as the Karomber Lake after performing five hours trekking. To cover the trek of Karomber Lake, tourists must have to camp in Darkut village.
About Yasin Valley
Yasin Valley, Babaye-e-Yasen, is a valley in Hindu Kush Range at an average altitude of 26,00 meters, in Gupis-Yasin district, Baltistan, at the distance of 128 km from Gilgit main city and accessible through Chitral Road from Gilgit along the Gilgit River. From Gupis town, turn right on Yasin Valley Road along the Yasin River to access it.
The lower part of Yasin valley is wider and flat, so it gives vast beauty of lush green meadows in the high mountains. Due to the availability of water in the form of several streams, it provides a full layered irrigation system along the Yasin River. You can see layers of fields along the Yasin River as well as along the streams coming toward the Yasin River.
Yasin Valley is important for number of high mountain passes, those are normally covered with snow all over the year. These passes are short-cut routes to access the adjoining areas such as Chitral, Ishkoman, as well as Turkmenistan crossing the narrow strip of Wakan Corridor in Afganistan. The most important of those passes are Darkut, Buroghil, Assumbur, Thoi, Naz Bar, etc.
Yasin Valley provides the pure traditional culture of Gilgit region. People of the Yasin Valley are polite and cooperative. They welcome tourists with open-handed and guide them to explore the valley. The locals love to live on simple food by cultivate their own small vegetable garden. There are numerous orchids of fruits including cherry, almonds, apple, apricot, etc. These fruit tree are also available along the roads and treks, so you can enjoy these natural fruits free of cost.
As various superstitions are common in most of the hilly areas, such type of superstitions are common in the Yasin Valley too. Most of the people in this area, believes to scarify a hen before marriage near Damalgan in beginning of the Yasin Valley, to avoid bad fairies in bridle or expected death of one of the bridle or groom. They also avoid to cultivate onion or garlic in specific areas in the Yasin Valley, otherwise there will be bleeding hand instead of bulb of onion or garlic on pulling it out. They have the belief of some spiritual creatures in the valley do not like the smell of onion and garlic