Astore located at the North of Pakistan having 120k long and area covered by 5000km2. From Astore to its nearby areas are connected via a jeep road including Minimarg valley, the most adventurous road ever exist in Pakistan.
Nanga Parbat eastern face is towards this valley, this mighty mountain also called ‘Killer Mountain’.
How to visit Minimarg Astore?
Astore is connected to Skardu through Deosai plain. Astore having more than 100 villages and upto 65,000 habitants in the district. Astore is known to be the unexplored region of GB despite of the fact the Astore is filled with natural beauties all around. There is a jeep road from minimarg to astore valley. Weather of Minimarg Astore is astonishing, weather is used to be very harsh in winter and breathtaking in summer season.
The most frequent question is “How to visit minimarg astore from Islamabad?”. The asnwer is, you can also choose to travel from Gilgit or directly from Islamabad to Minimarg Astore via Karakoram Highway (KKH). You may catch a public transport buses from Islamabad or Gilgit.
Food items for Foodies
Astore Valley offers the variety of traditional cuisines; most of them are widely famous across Gilgit-Baltistan region.
Chapshuro: Filled with the chopped meat of Lamb and beef, seasoned with onions, peppers, tomato and coriander leaves it will leave you with the watery mouth.
Mamtu: Is another tasty cuisine and worth tasting as it is the steam boiled dish with delicious taste.
Harissa: Made with wheat, meat, and butter. It is rich diet dish and usually served in wedding functions and other events.
Sharadi: Another mouth drooling dish, made of Raw wheat dough cooked in China cabbage.
Sharbat: Prepared with wheat and butter another best offering of the region.
Gooli: Bread made with whole grain flour and served with butter.
Chupati: Made of wheat flour baked at night and served with salty tea in morning is must to have item for breakfast of Baltistan people
Diram: Bread made from sprouted wheat flour, served with butter, almond and apricot.
Place to Visit in Astore Valley
There is not other route except a rough and tough jeep road from minimarg to astore valley and its nearby areas.
- Bubin pass
- Harpo pass
- Kinibari
- Mazino pass
- Banak la
- Rama
- Rupal Valley
- Daas Khiram
- Minimerg
- Burzil Pass
- Chilim
- Gutumsar Valley
Hotels to stay in Astore:
- PTDC Motel Rama
- Madina Green Palace Hotel
- Kamran Hotel
Culture/Art and Languages spoken
The local dialect is Shina, however, Urdu and English are also spoken and understood.
Embroidery clothes, caps, purse and much more crafted by industrious and loving people of Astore valley can be found in its handmade items bazaar’s (marketplace). Gemstones, medicinal plants are also found in Astore.
Weather of Minimarg Astore
Weather of Minimarg is astonishing and it varies in between -20C to 25C throughout the year.
In summer, the weather is very breathtaking and the temperature is in between 15C to 20C. In summer weather, very frequent rain and the sky remained covered with dense clouds. The tourist inflow in Minimarg Astore used to be overburdened in summer and near to zero in winter.
Winter is also special in Minimarg for few ski enthusiasts. In winter, temperature remains in between -10C to -20C most of the time and may be less than -20C during snowfall. Ski slope and track in Minimarg is one the mostly visited place in GB in winter. From all over the Pakistan used to visit Minimarg in winter for Skiing.
