Lake or water
Qurumbar Lake
Ghizer district · 4,272 m
At 4,272 m, a perennial lake at the head of Ishkoman, inside Pakistan's first wetlands national park.
Qurumbar Lake sits at 4,272 m in the far north of Ishkoman, close to the border with Afghanistan's Wakhan corridor. The book counts it among the most unique altitude wetlands in Pakistan, and it is a perennial lake, full all year round.
Kind Lake or waterDistrict GhizerElevation 4,272 mPosition 36.878° N, 73.701° E
About Qurumbar Lake
The lake lies in the Qurumbar National Park, which covers 740 sq km and was declared a national park in 2011. The book says it is the first wetlands based national park in Pakistan. The park is bordered by the Wakhan corridor and the Broghil pass of Chitral to the west, Hunza to the east and the Ghizer river to the south. The buffer zone runs from Bar jungle to Peyikhin village.
The park shelters snow leopard, brown bear, Himalayan ibex and wolf. Gilgit-Baltistan holds the largest population of snow leopards in the world, with sightings recorded in Qurumbar, Naltar and Khunjerab. Bring binoculars and enjoy the chance.
Qurumbar is also the name of a pass, at 4,343 m, that links the Broghil valley of Chitral to Ishkoman. The book describes it as a route from Darkot by way of Broghil.
Elsewhere in Ghizer
Swipe along the district, from the valley floor to the summits.
- 1,800 m
Town or village
Gahkuch
The district headquarters of Ghizer, on the Gilgit river, and the turn for the Ishkoman valley.
- 2,400 m
Town or village
Ishkoman
A valley where nine languages are spoken in Immit village alone, and the base for treks to Yasin, Naltar and Chapursan.
- 2,200 m
Town or village
Gupis
Where the Yasin river joins the Gilgit, and where the road divides for Yasin and Shandur.
- 2,250 m
Lake or water
Khalti Lake
Trout water below Gupis, frozen hard enough to walk on by January.
- 2,300 m
Town or village
Yasin
A Burushaski speaking valley, once a powerful independent kingdom and the gateway between the Oxus and the Indus.
- 2,800 m
Town or village
Darkot
The last village on the road north of Yasin, and the base for treks over the Darkot Pass into Chapursan.
Lake or water · 2,900 m
Phunder
The river braids into blue pools below the village: trout, poplars and a polo ground, on the road to Shandur.
- 3,700 m
Pass
Shandur Pass
At 3,700 m, the pass between Ghizer and Chitral, with the highest polo ground in the world on top.