Dear Friends, we a group of 6 members just came back from Heaven on earth: Kumrat Valley. Kumrat valley is situated in Upper Dir District of KP & adjacent to Swat Valley. Both valleys are connected via a high pass called Badgoi Pass between Thall & Utror. It is fully jeep track used by locals. Kumrat Valley is very less explored. The Valley is Lush Green with many Meadows & full of trees. Main River of the valley is River Panjkora which flows throughout the valley & then meets River Swat near Malakand. Valley is now safe & there is no security issue for tourists just respect the local traditions & avoid photography in towns. Initial plan was made by Mr. Shahbaz Zain to explore Kumrat valley & track to Jehaz Banda Meadows & Katora Lake also Katora Lake situated in Upper Dir district KPK.
Initially Day-1 28-June 2013 Friday Track to Jehaz Banda & night Stay at Jehaz Banda Rest house also know as Jehaz Banda Alpine Rest House in camps. We reached Upper Dir at 05:30 am after unloading our luggage first of all searched for breakfast but unfortunately most hotels were still closed & rest don't have standard food so we decided to move forward to find some good place on the way to Kumrat.
So, jeep hired on rental
basis with our own fuel & started our journey for Dir City to Village Jandrai
at 07: 00 am. At 08:30 am we stopped at Sheringal for Breakfast. Sheringal is
one of the main towns of Kumrat valley. After Breakfast we started our journey
again & reached Jandrai Village at 120 pm, Major town we passed were:
1) Sheringal.
2) Barikot.
3) Byiar.
4) Patrak.
5) Kalkot.
6) Darwazo.
7) Lamoti.
8) Jandrai.
For Jehaz Banda you have to left main Kumrat road at Darwazo & enter in Lamoti Village than ascend to Jandrai Village, Jeeps will offload you at Jandrai than you have to track till Jehaz Banda. Upon reaching Jandrai we visited Local Museum called Hashmi Museum owned by Raja Taj Muhammad (main key person of Jehaz Banda track & owner of Jehaz banda Rest House). After arranging porters, we started our track at 01:30 pm, it was raining when we started our track but we decide to move on. when we tracked just 1 km heavy rain started so we stopped under the shadows of trees. Rain stopped after some time but stopped us many times on the track. We stopped for Lunch at 04:20 pm & Reached Jehaz Banda Top at 06:45 and Jehaz Banda rest House at 07:15 am.
Day-2 Track to Katora Lake
& returns to Thall, night Stay in Kumrat Forest Rest house.
Day-3 Explored Kumrat
Forest till Kala Chashma & return to home. Route & Directions:
When you travel on Timargara-Dir
Road, there is a right turn just few Km before main Upper Dir town goes to
Kumrat Valley. Road conditions are suitable for 4X4 only. so, for hiring Jeeps
first you have to go Upper Dir Bus stand & then return to main Kumrat road.
For Jehaz Banda Meadows & Katora Lake, leave main Kumrat road from Darwazo
(small town) just before Thall & passing through Lamoti Village take
Jandrai Village Track to reach last Jeepable stop.
1. Distances Upper Dir to Darwazo
(on jeep) is 85 Km (Travel Time 4.5 hours).
2. Darwazo to Jandrai (Jeep) about
80 km (Travel Time 0.5 hours).
3. Jandrai to Jehaz Banda
(Tracking) distance about 12Km approximate time required is 5.0 hours.
4. Jehaz Banda to Katora Lake (Tracking) distance
about is 06 Km (Tracking Time 3.0 hours).
5. Thall to Kumrat Rest house (Jeep), distance about
15Km (Travel Time 40 Min).
6. Rest House to Kala Chashma (jeep) 25 km
(Travel Time 2.0 hours)
