Sarfaranga Cold Desert - Skardu Valley
Sarfaranga desert also called the Skardu Cold Desert in the Shigar district at a height of 7,500 feet. On the way to Shigar, one cannot miss it. Nature unfolds itself with a vast variety in this desert. The desert is surrounded by mountains and the Indus river flows nearby. The sunset is beautiful here. The calmness of a desert is at its best a surprising and mesmerising experience with sunset at the top of dunes.
Nice for a short trip to take group photos in a desert with mountainous surroundings. Not far from Skardu city, it’s hardly a 30-minute drive.
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What is so unique about this desert?
The first thing that comes to mind when you hear about a desert is the scorching heat. Normally the landscape of a desert is surrounded by dunes and a sign of water in and around the desert is somehow a nightmare. The deserts are found in low-lying areas and finding tall mountains around the desert would be a rare possibility. But this desert is not one of those deserts.
After having looked at this desert you would be in awe by its alluring landscape because it is a desert which has mighty rocky mountains in the backdrop, a freshwater lake at walking distance and a big river (in fact the biggest river of Pakistan, The Indus River) flowing beside the desert. The mighty rocky mountains surrounding the deserts present gleaming icy summits, some 6000 metres high on average. The river which flows nearby is the biggest river of Pakistan providing the water for thousands of acres of land from KPK and Punjab to the shore of the Arabian Sea.
Activities to do in Sarfaranga Cold Desert
Exploring the Sarfaranga Cold Desert is a unique sightseeing experience only Skardu Valley offers. Go Glamping in the cold desert, enjoy the reflection of multicoloured trees in the Indus River, mesmerising sunset over white dunes, and witness the Milky Way sighting at night. Most visitors travelling in groups cherish listening to the folklore, circling a bonfire, and enjoying Trout, and Yak for dinner. People also like motorbikes in the desert as this is the site to host eminent Jeep Rally events every year.
Sarfaranga Cold Desert Rally
Sarfaranga Cold Desert rally brought this hidden Gem to the world. The jeep rally has been conducted here for the past 3 years in August. Almost 80 to 85 vehicles and some bikers are participating in this rally. People from all over Pakistan and especially Gilgit Baltistan go there to enjoy the rally, and to support these activities in the region. Furthermore, the cold desert rally will give a chance to show the cultural variety of Gilgit Baltistan and extend the tourism industry.
Gilgit Baltistan Government and Pak Wheels are the organisers of this rally. The track was 35 km in 2018 further 54 kilometres were added to the track in 2019. About 10km of the track is rocky. There are 4 terrains on this track sandy, hilly, and powder. Although the track is difficult it’s a tradeoff between safety and performance.
The reward for the winner of this jeep rally is 3.5 million. along with a jeep rally, a marathon was also organised in 2019. A temporary Tent village on the bank of the Indus River for the participants is amazing. Different food stalls and local dishes are available there. During the rally, a freestyle polo match was also organised at the Shigar Polo ground.
Sarfaranga Cold Desert Jeep Rally 2024
The 2024 edition of the rally will start on the 14th of October and the final event will be on the 16th of October. The track for the rally has now screeched to 75 kilometres as per the details shared by government officials.
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