An astonishing valley of Gilgit Baltistan, Shigar Valley is
located in the northern region of Pakistan, Shigar. Shigar River flows through
the valley and falls in the Indus River at the Skardu. This is the major
entrance to the Karakoram mountain ranges, 2nd highest peak; K2. The
approximate length of the route from Skardu to Askole is 170 kilo meters. The
largest community of this valley is Shigar which has a number of villages
including Namika, Alchori, Sildi, Kashmal, Yono, Hiaderabad and Tisar. On the
other hand, Askole is far away from the mountain ranges and considered as the
last accommodation. The elevation of this valley is about 2230 meters with a
population of nearly 140,600.
Regardless of the hard surroundings, this Valley is famous for
mountaineering, hiking, trekking, and tourism. This valley is loaded with
historical buildings which includes Shigar Fort, Khilingrong Masjid, K2 base
camp, Garam Chasma, Astana of Syed Mir Yahya, Ree Masjid. Apples, cherries,
apricot, pears and walnuts are the most common fruits of Shigar Valley. The
major tourism attractions which add to the beauty of the valley and make it
more mesmerizing are Shigar view point, Blind Lake Shigar, Shigar fort, Apple
garden, Baltoro Glaciers, Snow Lake.
Serena Shigar Fort is a traditional boutique hotel located in a
peaceful and calm nature. It has recently added "Old House" and
"Garden House," comprises of 20 rooms and suites.
Most of the tourists prefer to visit Shigar valley in spring
season i.e. March to May. During
these months, valley is full of lush green meadows, runny lakes, enchanting
fields, captivating hills and presents a hypnotizing scenery. Summers are
mostly warm and provide enjoyable moments to the tourists. After September,
prices of hotels begin to fall because of less number of visitors. In winters,
all the mountains are covered with snow, temperature gets too low and it rains.
Nearly all roads are blocked so it is not possible to visit the valley in
winters.
