Gilgit-Baltistan – The Spectacular Roof of the World

Gilgit-Baltistan is the most spectacular and fascinating region of Pakistan. It is here that the world's three famous mountain ranges meet — the Himalayas, the Karakorams, and the Hindukush. Northern Pakistan has come to be known as a paradise for mountaineers, climbers, trekkers, hikers, and anglers of the famous trout fish.

This region, at a stone's throw from the Amu Darya, is known as "Bam-e-Dunya" (the roof of the world) — the great Pamir plateau, apex of six of the world's mightiest mountain ranges.

The Karakoram Range

The historic Karakoram Pass (5,575 m), an ancient trading route between Kashmir and Xinjiang, gives its name to the range that forms the watershed between the Indus and Central Asian deserts. The Karakoram extends over 322 km westwards to the Karumbar River and the Hindukush range. Here, Nanga Parbat (8,126 m) is the western anchor of the great Himalayan range.

The Karakoram is a remnant of a primeval ice age — "the third pole" — with extensive glacier systems and the greatest concentration of lofty mountains in the world. The Karakoram Highway snakes through this superb landscape, passing the Baltura Glacier, rated among the world's seventh largest. The Khunjerab Pass and nearby Mintaka Pass lie astride the ancient Silk Route that led from Europe to Asia, travelled by Marco Polo, the Chinese Monk Fe Hien, and the Arab historian Al-Beruni.

Glaciers and Peaks

The Siachin Glacier is 75 km long, while the Hispar (52 km) joins the Biafo at Hispar La (5,154 m) to form a 116 km ice corridor. The Batura is 58 km long, but the most outstanding is the Baltoro (62 km), fed by some 30 tributaries with a surface area of 1,219 sq km. Of the fourteen 8,000 m peaks on earth, four occupy an amphitheatre at the head of the Baltoro: K2 (8,611 m), Broad Peak (8,047 m), Gasherbrum-I (8,068 m), and Gasherbrum-II (8,035 m).

In the Lesser Karakorams are equally great peaks such as Rakaposhi (7,788 m), the dominant giant of Hunza Valley. There are scores of peaks over 7,000 m and hundreds of nameless summits below 6,000 m. The Hindukush contains hundreds of peaks above 7,000 m, including Trichmir (7,705 m), the highest point of the range.

Culture, Heritage and People

Gilgit-Baltistan is home to diversified cultures, ethnic groups, and languages. Shina is the basic language, while Wakhi, Brushaski, Khowar, and Balti are also spoken. Urdu and English are the official languages. Because of these various cultures, the pattern of living, housing, and food has become a beautiful mixture of many colors.

The people have a beautiful mix of lifestyles and attitudes — from those preserving traditions to modern people influenced by education and media — creating a pluralistic society living together in peace and tranquility. The majority are Muslims belonging to Sunni, Shia, and Ismaili communities, with a small number of Christians also residing in Gilgit.

Festivities, Music and Dance

Festivals include religious celebrations such as Eid-e-Ghadir, Eid-ul-Fitr, and Eid Miladunnabi, along with cultural events like Navroz, Jashn-e-Baharan, Cultural Festivals, Shandur Polo Festival, Babusar Polo Festival, and Harvest Festival. These are great opportunities for people to gather and share their talents.

The famous trio band music is played in this region, and men love to dance to its rhythm. Unique dances include the Old Man Dance, Sword Dance, and Cow Boy Dance (Payaloo). Traditional instruments include Dadang (drum), Damal, Surnai, Sitar, Gabi (flute), Rabab, and Duff, with Khiling-boo, Chang, and Porgho-too used in Baltistan. Music styles include Alghani, Ajoli, Souse, and Dani.

Major Festivals

Harvest Festival: After months of growth, plants are ready for reaping. Villagers thank Allah for the bounty with lively music, drum beats, dancing, and sharing happiness.

Shandur Polo Festival: Held annually in July at what was until recently the world's highest polo ground (12,263 ft), Shandur hosts a fierce rivalry between teams from Chitral and Gilgit. The plateau is home to grazing sheep, goats, and yaks, and its shallow snowmelt-fed lakes form one of South Asia's great bird-migration flyways.

Babusar Polo Tournament: Organized at the world's highest polo ground at Babusar (13,812 ft), this tournament includes tug of war, tent pegging, paragliding, photo exhibitions, gemstone and handicraft exhibitions, trekking, horse riding, and campfires.

Geography and Geology

Gilgit has an area of 38,000 sq km, lying on the foothills of the Karakoram mountains at an average altitude of 1,500 m. It is drained by the Indus River and borders the Wakhan corridor of Afghanistan, China's Xinjiang region, Indian-controlled Jammu and Kashmir, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The Karakoram and Himalayas are important to Earth scientists as one of the world's most geologically active areas at the boundary between two colliding continents. Mountain glaciers serve as indicators of climate change, and these ranges may have caused global cooling when they formed over 40 million years ago.

Land of Famous Mountains

Pakistan is home to 108 peaks above 7,000 m and probably as many above 6,000 m. Five of the 14 highest independent peaks in the world (the eight-thousanders) are in Pakistan, four of which lie around Concordia — the confluence of the Baltoro and Godwin Austen glaciers. In an area about 500 km wide and 350 km deep, there are more than 700 peaks above 6,000 m and more than 160 above 7,000 m.

K2/Chogori (8,611 m): The second highest mountain on Earth, named by T.G. Montgomerie in 1856. Chogori is a Balti word meaning "King of Mountains." It was explored by Captain Henry Haversham Godwin-Austen in 1860-61.

Nanga Parbat (8,126 m): The western corner pillar of the Himalayas, meaning "Naked Mountain," originally called Diamir, "King of Mountains." Its Rupal face is the highest precipice in the world. First climbed in 1953, it has claimed many lives since 1895.

Gasherbrum I – Hidden Peak (8,068 m): The highest of the six Gasherbrum peaks, meaning "Shining Wall." First attempted in 1936 and first ascended in 1958 by an American expedition.

Gasherbrum II (8,035 m): First ascended on 8 July 1956 by Austrians Fritz Moravec, Joseph Larch, and Hans Willenpart. The approach via Skardu and the Baltoro Glacier is described as one of the world's best treks.

Wildlife

Gilgit-Baltistan is rich in flora and fauna due to varied climatic conditions and ecosystems. Despite past unscientific management and hunting, wildlife still supports rare and endangered species like Marco Polo sheep, blue sheep, markhor, black bear, brown bear, chakor, and ram chakor.

Mammals: Fifty-four mammal species are estimated for Gilgit-Baltistan, including one shrew, 10 bats, 18 carnivores, 6 artiodactyls, 3 lagomorphs, and 16 rodents. The woolly flying squirrel is the only endemic mammal. Large mammal diversity hotspots are upper Hunza and the triangle between the Indus and Astore rivers. Endangered species include snow leopard, Marco Polo sheep, Himalayan brown bear, black bear, musk deer, flare-horned markhor, Ladakh urial, blue sheep, and Himalayan lynx.

Avi-fauna: About 230 bird species have been estimated for this region, including passage migrants, vagrants, residents, breeding, and irregular visitors. The area is a staging, transitory, breeding, migratory, and native ground for many species. Rare breeding species include lammergeyer and golden eagle. Snow partridge and Himalayan monal pheasant are extremely rare and may be at the verge of extinction.

Freshwater Fish: About 17 species of native fish and 3 exotic fish, belonging to five families, are found here. Four native species are endemic to Gilgit-Baltistan. Brown trout was introduced in the early 1900s and is now well established in most rivers and lakes of Gilgit and Ghizer districts.

History

Historically, the area remained a flashpoint of political and military rivalries among the Russian, British, and Chinese empires. After British rule ended in 1947, the people decided to join Pakistan through a popular local revolt against the Maharaja of Kashmir.

The history of Gilgit-Baltistan can be divided into several periods:

Pre-History: The earliest inhabitants can be traced to the 5th millennium BC — the Rock Art People, who were hunters living in rocks.

Megalith Builders: These people came from Chitral and Swat, built large megaliths, used metals like copper, bronze, iron, gold, and silver, and developed irrigated fields.

Dardic People: Lived during the Achaemenian Empire (4th century BC), mining and trading gold, establishing trade routes with Central Asia and China.

Scytho Parthians: Introduced the Kharoshti script and Taxila-style stupas, establishing close trade relations with Taxila.

The Kushans: Established rule between 1 BC and 1 AD, using gold for trade along what was perhaps the Silk Route.

The Post Kushans: The Sassanis from Persia controlled the area in the early 3rd century AD, during which Buddhism flourished.

The Huns: Central Asian warriors who ruled through Shina and Brushaski kings called "Rajas."

Medieval to Modern: From 612 to 750 AD, the Patoal Shahi Dynasty ruled. Between the 7th century and early 19th century, various dynasties ruled including the Tarkhans of Gilgit, Maghlots of Nagar, Ayasho of Hunza, Burshai of Punyal, Maqpoons of Skardu, Anchans of Shigar, and Yabgos of Khaplu. In the early 8th century, the Tarkhan rulers embraced Islam. By the end of the 19th century, the British created the Gilgit Agency. In 1947, the people fought against the Maharaja and gained independence, later administered under the Federal Government of Pakistan.

Geography and Climate

The region is home to some of the world's highest mountain ranges — the Karakoram and western Himalayas, with the Pamir mountains to the north and the Hindu Kush to the west. Three of the world's longest glaciers outside the polar regions are found here: the Biafo, Baltoro, and Batura glaciers.

The climate varies from region to region, with surrounding mountain ranges creating sharp variations in weather. The eastern part has a moist zone of the western Himalayas, while toward the Karakoram and Hindu Kush the climate dries considerably. Towns like Gilgit and Chilas are very hot during summer days yet cold at night, while valleys like Astore, Khaplu, Yasin, Hunza, and Nagar remain cold even in summer.