Kondus Valley
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Kondus Valley
وادی کونڈس | |
|---|---|
Village administered by Pakistan | |
| Kondus Valley | |
  Kondus Valley Location in Pakistan  Kondus Valley Kondus Valley (Pakistan) | |
| Coordinates: 35°15′N 76°40′E / 35.250°N 76.667°E | |
| Administering country | Pakistan |
| Autonomous territory | Gilgit Baltistan |
| Baltistan division | Ghanche |
| Elevation | 9,500 ft (2,900 m) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 10,000 |
| Time zone | UTC+5 (PST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+6 (GMT+6) |
Kondos Valley (Urdu: وادی کونڈس; Balti:) is a valley in the Masherbrum Tehsil of Ghanche District of Gilgit-Baltistan. It shares boundaries with China on the northern side and India on the eastern side. It is 150km from Skardu and 50km from Khaplu with its population of approximately 10,000 people.[1] It is located 9,500 feet above sea level.
History
Kondus Valley part of the ancient kingdom of Baltistan, which was ruled by the Maqpon dynasty until the 19th century. The valley was strategically important for trade and exploration, as it was connected to the Silk Road and the Siachen Glacier. Siachen Glacier is a site of a military conflict between Pakistan and India since 1984. Due to this, Kondus Valley was closed to foreigners for 18 years, until it was reopened in 2002 with a special permit.[2]
Culture
The people of Kondus Valley are mostly Balti, who speak the Balti language, a Tibetan dialect. They celebrate various festivals and rituals throughout the year. The most prominent festival is the Nauroz, which marks the beginning of the new year and the spring season. The people also have a rich tradition of music, poetry, and art, which reflect their unique identity and heritage.
Geography
Khor Kondus
Khor Kondus is the main village of the valley, where the locals live in traditional mud houses and cultivate wheat and other crops. The village is surrounded by a forest of granite spires, and has a hot spring that is believed to have healing properties.[1]
Rivers
Two rivers run through the valley that are River Khorkondo and River Kayver which meet at the center known as Lobaha mor.
Mountain Peaks
Tahir Tower: A giant granite tower that was first climbed in 2000 by a team of American climbers. The tower is about 1,500 feet high, and has a challenging route that involves slabs, dihedrals, cracks, and offwidths. The tower is named after Brigadier Tahir, who helped the climbers get the special permit to enter the valley.
Dansam West: A 5,800-meter peak that was first ascended in 2018 by a team of French climbers. The peak has a striking shape, resembling a shark fin. The climbers named their route Harvest Moon, and described it as a mix of ice, snow, and rock climbing.
Saltoro Kangri I: This peak ranks as the 31st highest mountain globally and is about 7,742m high in elevation connected by a saddle with Saltoro Kangri II,
Chogolisa I: is one of the peaks of trapezoidal Chogolisa Mountain. This peak reaches an elevation of 7,665 meters.
It's considered as one of the last village of Pakistan near the Indian border. There are six villages Lachat, Thang, Jaffarabad, Choghogron, Karmanding, and Khorkondo respectively. People's occupations are farmers and mostly depend on agriculture. There are many waterfalls and springs especially hot-spring in Khorkondo. Due to this reason, Khorkondo is also known as a hot-spring. Water is enough for agricultural purposes. Two rivers are flowing through the village i.e River Khorkondo & River Kayver which meet at the center known as Lobaha mor. The road is not metalling however working is being carried in August 2021. The literacy rate is approximately 75%.
Education in Kondus
Kondus Valley is considered one of the most backward villages of Ghanche District. In the past, people were unable to get their education properly because of the lack of facilities and harsh environment of the valley. Due to this, Students of this valley used to go to nearby cities for higher education but now in recent years more government and private schools were built in the area.
References
- ^ a b "Kondus Valley | Vertical Explorers". 2019-05-17. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
- ^ "AAC Publications - Tahir Tower, First Ascent, and Exploration of Kondus Valley". publications.americanalpineclub.org. Retrieved 2024-08-10.
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