Skardu (Urdu: سکردو) is a city in Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan region and serves as the capital of the Skardu District. Skardu is located in the Skardu valley 10 kilometers wide and 40 kilometers wide next to the Indus and Shigar rivers at an altitude of nearly 2,500 meters. The city is an important gateway to the 8,000-strong Karakoram Mountains. The city is located on the Indus, which separates the Karakoram range from the Himalayas.
Tourism
Skardu together with Gilgit is an important center for tourism, hiking and expeditions in Gilgit - Baltistan. The region's mountainous terrain, which includes four of the world's 14 peaks and eight thousand, attracts tourists, hikers and mountaineers from around the world. The main travel season is from April to October; except at this point, the area can be logged for long periods of snowy, freezing winter weather.
Mountains
Accessible by road from Skardu, near Ascole and Husse are the main gateways to 8,000 meters of snow-capped peaks including K2, Gasherbrums, Wide Peak and Trango Towers, as well as the great glaciers of Baltoro, Biafo and Trango. This makes Skardu a major tourist and mountaineering base in the region, leading to the development of a relatively extensive tourist infrastructure including shops and hotels. The area's popularity causes high prices, especially during the main trekking season.
Deosai National Park
The journey to the Deosai Plain, which is the second highest in the world after Chang Tang in Tibet at 4,114 meters above sea level, starts or ends at Skardu. In the local Baltic language, Deosai is called Byarsa བྱིར་ ས, which means "summer place". The plain stretches over an area of about 3,000 square kilometers as far as Ladakh and provides habitat for snow leopards, ibexes, Tibetan blue bears and wild horses.
Fort Scardou
Fort Scardou or Fort Harfocho is on the eastern side of Hardrong Hill or Mindock Har (Queen Mindock Castle), 15 meters above the town of Scardou. This fortress dates from the 8th century BC. and contains an old mosque, possibly from the Islamic revival in the 16th century BC. This fortress offers panoramic views of the city of Skardu, the Skardu Valley and the Indus. Built by the ruler of the McPhon dynasty in Baltistan. It was a seven-story building. Most of the locals say that the Harpucho were created by ghosts because they were servants of the ruler at that time.
Harfocho Fortress (Scardou) was built in a similar design to the Leh Palace and the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet. The name Harpohhe means great fortress - Har means palace or fortress in Tibetan, and Che means great.
K-2 is on its way to the second highest mountain in the world and is the fortress of Shigar. It is also known as Fong-Khar, which means "Palace of the Rock" in the local language. The complex at Shigar includes a 400 year old fort / palace and two new buildings: the "Old House" and the "Garden House". The former King Shigar palace has been turned into a 20-room guesthouse. The large auditorium serves as a museum of Baltic culture and contains examples of beautiful sculptures and other historical objects.
Lake Kachura
There are two Kachura lakes - the lesser-known Kachura Lake (top) and the more famous Shangrila Lake ("Lower Kachura Lake"). Lake Shangrila is home to the Shangrila Resort (possible reason for the lake's alternative name) built in Chinese style and was another popular tourist destination in the Pakistani government of Kashmir. The resort has a unique restaurant on the fuselage that crashed nearby. Lake Kachura is famous for its blue water.
Satpara Lake
Satpara Lake is the main lake in the Skardu Valley. In 2002, the federal government decided to build a dam on Lake Satpara, which allocated US $ 10 million for the project. However, progress was slow in 2004. Lake Satpara is 9.6 km from Skardu. Lake Satpara is one of the largest freshwater lakes in the province and offers trout fishing and kayaking. This lake is the source of Skardus drinking water. The dam was mostly completed in 2011 and four power stations are in operation. last started in June 2013.
Journey
Road
The normal route in Skardu is via the Karakoram Highway and Skardu Road (S1) to the Skardu Valley. The road once connected Skardu to Srinagar and Lech, although neither was open to cruises.
Weather in Skardu can negatively affect transportation into and out of the area, as Skardu is often covered in snow during winter. The entry and exit of Skardu can be blocked for long periods of time, sometimes air travel is the only viable alternative.
Air
There are daily direct flights to Skardu Airport from Islamabad. Traveling by air in winter can experience disruption due to unpredictable winter weather.
It is believed that the name "Skardu" comes from the Balti word "lowland between two heights". The two "elevations" mentioned are the city of Shigar and Lake Sapara at high altitudes.
Etymology
It is believed that the name "Skardu" comes from a Baltic word meaning "lowland between two high places".
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