Khunjarab Pass

The place itself was as magical as its route was. Everything was frozen as if we were in a big deep freezer. We were on 7^th sky there when the clouds were flowing along the road below our feet. One time it was all clear and the very next moment you can’t find the person standing at a two feet distance. A small lake there was all covered with a thick layer of snow; and yes, we didn’t recognize it ourself, we were told that it is a frozen lake.

When we jumped out of our vehicle, it was foggy. When the clouds and snow spared the spot for a moment there was.. A SURPRISE!! It was Yak! Yes, I’ve always wanted to see yak in person but couldn’t. Even tried finding its meat but that too I didn’t. But finally, I met so many yak there. Rode one too. I don’t know why, but they were scared. May be I had a different image of them in my mind. I imagined them wild and energetic but they were naïve, calm and trained. They were even riding people on the frozen lake, so you can imagine how thick the layer on the lake would be.

Meeting yak gave me so much hope for finding Markhor there too. They told me that they often come out in search of food and we may find it on our way back. Anyway, coming back to the border. After exploring the frozen lake, riding on yak, taking pictures with the world’s highest ATM machine, we went on foot to the border. They have separated the visitors with barriers, so we were not allowed to get closer and see on the other side. Also it was foggy so sometimes we could, but mostly we couldn’t see from distance.

 They say the weather is unpredictable here. One moment it’s snowing, the were next, it’s sunny. But still it was amazing and we had a great time there. On our way back, we were more interested in finding Markhor than seeing places. We failed but it was fun.

Rating

Site: 9.5/10

Accessibility: 9/10

Services: 5/10

Market: 4/10

Resourcefulness: 4/10