Naz Bar Nala (Gilgit Baltistan)
Naz Bar Nala trek is a fantastic hikking trek toward Naz Bar Pass and Yarkun Valley in the Chitral district. It is a jeep trek along the Naz Bar Nala and gives you one of more pictureous beauty along the stream moving two rows of mountains. From Thawoos on Yasin Road, turn left for it. Few kilometers of the trek is metallic road, then it is a totally jeep trek, otherwise it takes four to five hours by foot.
You can see most of the memorable scenes along the path. The moving waters of the stream spread out a magical rhythm of musical tones, which put a new life in your body. The silvery shinning water of the Naz Bar stream, when touches the stones inside it, splashes out as shining tail stars.
After performing the trekking, one indulges into the magic swirl of lush green meadows with grazing cattle, goats, and horses. The vast meadows bonded with snow-capped mountains and swapping winds among the mountains touch the glaciers on the peaks and return with the feelings hidden coldness of glaciers. The vastness of the lush green meadows in the waters of Nar Bar Nala gives calmness and spirit of life.
From meadows, a steep trek leads toward Naz Bar Pass at the altitude of 5000 meters, that can be used to descend to Ano Gol Valley that leads toward Zagor Gol Valley in Chitral district. Then after climbing toward the Zagoro Pass at the altitude of 5000 meters, trek descend toward Yarkun Valley in the Chitral District.
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