Tie your seat belts and get yourself ready for the thrilling and exciting ride through the terrains from Skardu to Askole. This travel blog tells our unforgettable journey, packed with bumpy rides that will take you to stunning vistas, and you will have a splash of adrenaline through this experience.
As a group of explorers from England, we had an extensive stay in Pakistan and ventured to explore its breathtaking regions. After a blissful trip of Shigar Valley, our next stop was Askole. This blog narrates our exhilarating journey!
Expedition from Skardu to Askole:
It is one hundred and thirty kilometers along a dusty road from Skardu (2,500 m) to Askole (3,040 m). It takes by jeep around seven hours. Despite the bumpy and rough roads, it’s still an exciting journey that definitely enjoy!
Routes Covered:
The ride goes from Kargil-Skardu road, taking us through the Sarfranga cold desert and leading through a wide valley of the river Shigar, full of oases before it turns sharply off to the east and rises through the valley of the river Braldu.
As we passed the few hours, the day brought us to the crossing of the river. The unstable and not ready rickety bridges gave us a hard time when our jeeps were passing through them. These crossings turned out to be a mix of roller-coaster excitement. The utter admiration as we viewed the jeeps wade through flowing waters. And as we moved, we saw many villages and their locality. From watching them, we were looking at how they carry different norms in their localities through their culture.
Some smiling faces rolled and got excited with our arrival and greeted us warmly. As we moved forward, we tended to go to the deeper roads. This is where we observed a maze of twists and turns, which led us to higher mountains and roads. The engines roared as we tackled steep inclines and hairpin bends. The panoramas looked more bewitching as we went further into the climb. This all made every moment a pure joy and happiness. The road combines and passes through Braldu Valley, which is combined with the Braldu River and flows with parallels of Askole village. Askole is the last settlement and a remote village in Shigar Valley, Gilgit Baltistan.
Reaching Askole (The Last Town):
Later, after two hours, we reached the Askole, a remote village which is surrounded by towering peaks. It is also the last settlement of Pakistan before the Karakoram Ranges. The magnificent valley seemed like it was a hidden gem at the end of the whole scenic view of the journey. We parked our jeeps amidst the beauty of nature, a feeling of accomplishment settling in as we took in the breathtaking scenery. We camped for a night and woke up early morning to gear up for the trek to Muztagh Tower.
Conclusion
Our journey through the jeep was a ride full of splash of different emotions and excitement. It was a taste of adventure and much happening for a boring life routine. The rambling jeeps carried us through river crossings, village trails, and mountain paths, each bump and jolt adding to the tale.
The whole joy of doing this adventure was worth it when we experienced different places and looked at their beauty and that made our journey much exciting and challenging as well.
