Astor valley is situated at an altitude of 2 600 meters in the northern areas of Pakistan and is one of the six districts of the Gilgit-Baltistan Province. 120 km of this valley are divided in more than a hundred villages, inhabited by some 110 000 people. The whole area comprises of lush green pastures, wild forests, tranquil atmosphere and according to the season, fruits such as apples, apricots, cherries and almonds can also be found;in abundance. Astor Valley is accessible from Gilgit via Jaglot in the North, Skardu from the East and Chitral from the South and it can also be reached from other parts of the country by the Karakoram Highway (KKH). However, its access to Skardu remains seasonal as some of the passes are blocked from December to March due to snowfall.
The valley of Astor is also considered as trekker paradise. It offers a wide range of itineraries, from easy short walks for beginners and amateurs to strenuous treks for professionals. Walking through a village of this valley on a nice sunny day in summer, in absolute calm is quite an experience. The Astore valley has an area of 5,092 km² and an altitude of 2600m.
Pcaes to Visit:
- Chilam
- Bubin
- Fina
- Bulen
- Chongra & Tarashing.
- Rama Valley
Languages:
The main language spoken in the valley is Shina (also known as Tshina). Urdu, which is the National language of Pakistan, is the second most frequently spoken language.There are different dialect of Shina spoken in the region. Since Astore has a history of modest tourist traffic in the summer months, local guides and police in Tarashing or Astore may speak some English.
Contents Taken From: gandharatrails.com, wikipedia.org