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The Deosai Plateau, known as the highest plateau in
the world is located at the boundary of the Karakoram and the western
Himalayas. Deosai Plains are a backwoods country at about 30 kilometres
from Skardu. It is a beautiful summer pasture with greenery and
countless species of Fauna & flora. The view of the Karakorum Range from
the top of the 4,785 meterpass is legendary. Apart from fairies, this
plateau is the habitat of the greatly threatened Himalayan Brown Bear
and many other wild animals.
All those who take their chance to Siachin sector (via Skardu, the
valleys of Shigar,Khaplu, Kharmong, Rondu and onwards), purposefully
visit to see northern areas of Pakistan and or plan to have rendezvous
with fairies do pass though Deosai Plains, a plateau among high
mountains and unique landscape in the world.
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I first got acquainted with the area when Siachin sector was active.
Later, whenever I visited the area, one plan that I always had in mind
was to meet the fairies there.
Baikal is what I am reminded of whenever I see the Sadpara Lake situated
at a short drive (an easy walk) south of Skardu. The walk along the
torrent is more pleasant and shorter than following the jeep road. The
lake surrounded by bare mountains abounds in fish, and is an ideal place
just to sit there and think of fairies. Who wants fishing any way!
A meditating Buddha carved on the northern face of a large rock about
half way between Skardu and Sadpara is of interest mostly for the
foreign tourists. It is off the road across the Sadpara stream: cross a
footbridge over the stream and up to the slope on the other side at
Manthal. The Buddha, carved on a big rust brown rock, perhaps in the 7th
century, is the same style as one at Kargha near Gilgit.
The morning lights over Deosai beacon you to explore the land of the
giants. The mother nature plays the symphony on the canvas of world’s
second highest plains (4200m everage). Its both mystic and mysterious.
Nature blends this mystique and the mystery, around Deosai’s exotic
wildlife, around the melody of songs that reverberate the environs here,
its roaring rivers and above all its unique brown bear roaming proudly
over the plains of Deosai.
The Deosai Plateau, known as the highest plateau in the world is located
at the boundary of the Karakoram and the western Himalayas. Deosai
Plains are a backwoods country at about 30 kilometres from Skardu. It is
a beautiful summer pasture with greenery and countless species of fauna
and flora. The view of the Karakorum Range from the top of the 4,785
meterpass is legendary. Apart from fairies, this plateau is the habitat
of the greatly threatened Himalayan Brown Bear and many other wild
animals. Although few people will see a bear, quite a few are said to
make their homes in the heart of the plateau. At an average elevation of
3,500 meter, Deosai officially is a National Park and protected area for
wildlife.
Bara Pani whereyou may spend hours in a hope to watch a Bear or you may
enjoy fishing in the cold waters of BarwaiStream.
The undulating meadows here have no trees or shrubs and the area is snow
covered for most parts of the year. Spring comes to Deosai late when
millions of wild flowers begin to bloom all over the lush green
grassland. This is a time when Deosai looks like a fairies land with a
landscape full of wild flowers on green rolling hills and crystal clear
water streams with snow covered peaks in the background. That is the
seasons when most travellers go to the area.
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On my way to Gunma, at Deosai, army men break their journey at Sheosar
Lake. This place offers beautiful views of distant peaks and a panoramic
view of Deosai Plains. At Bara Pani, one may spend hours in a hope to
watch a Bear or you may enjoy fishing in the cold waters of Barwai
Stream. From Deosai, you can travel back via Skardu and Gilgit to enjoy
the most thrilling drive along the Indus River, or continue to Gunma if
you have to.
The Deosai Plains is interlaced with streams, a large brown bear
population, and multitude of golden marmots. Its remarkable biodiversity
has recently earned it recognition as a national wilderness park. Its
brief summer brings out intense July August mosquito swarms, which are
relieved by strong daytime winds. Early September frosts restore peace
to the plateau making trekking pleasurable.
A jeep track crosses the Deosai between Skardu and Astor Valley. From
Skardu, the road heads south up the Sadpara valley, passing Sadpara Lake
and a small sleepy village. It continues west across the Deosai plateau,
crossing large clear streams via bridges. As it leaves Deosai, it skirts
the northern shore of another charming lake, and then crosses the Pass
(4,266 meters) to upper Astor Valley.
A careful observation has shown that an amazing number of alpine plants
are living under the extremely severe conditions of this area. This is a
meeting place for three types of plants of Japanese and Chinese origin,
Central Asian origin and Mediterranean origin. Variegated plant species
also grow in harmony.
The area is surrounded by snowy mountains exceeding 5,000 meters in
height and suspended glaciers. In June one can see full blooms of purple
meadow cranesbill (geranium pratense), which cover all the slopes, mauve
flowers of eritrichium sp: the densely tufted knotweed (bistorta affinis)
in a sheet of dark red flowers, a line of yellow flowers of pedicularis
and many more in thick clumps.
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The rock anemone, paraquilegia microphylla, grows in rocky crevices
skilfully utilizing exuded water and taking advantage of the protection
from strong winds and cold. Its cup-shaped flowers of bluish white with
yellow centre bloom all together. The neat and clean pure white
saxifrage sibirica also blooms at this time of year, while the pretty
white-fringed flowers of the alpine campion (silence moorcroftiana)
bloom secretly in the shadow of rocks.
The Pseudosedium condensatum, a rare alpine plant, displays pink flowers
like a royal crown in a shrub of ephedra. Large groups of
pseudomertensis motikoides exhibit bright blue flowers, while other
alpine flowers noted in the pasture at Dalsangpa include the large
golden-yellow flowers of inula grandiflora, reminding some of
sunflowers, the dark purple flowers of lindelofia stylosa, pretty yellow
poppies, and the red flowers of the Himalayan stonecrop.
The most enchanting feature of the Deosai Plateau is its huge field of
alpine flowers, the scale of which is largest in the Karakoram and the
Western Himalayas. You can look out on an endless scene of alpine
flowers as far as the eye can see – the gently rolling hills are
carpeted in large part by the purple flowers of adenocaryum anchusoides,
or the reddish-purple flowers of the long tube louse-word (pedicularis
siphonantha). The mauve flowers of Aster carpet a wide area, and two
kinds of primroses with pink and red blooms can be found growing in
large clumps. Flannel mulmein (verbascum thapsus) and pedicularis
bicornuta, both yellow in colour, stand tall on the plateau.
Natives will often present you with a goodwill bundle of Horros flowers,
which produce so much aroma that will intoxicate anyone. It is an
unforgettable experience to be in this colour bonanza in the full bloom.
The peaceful atmosphere of the night, completely devoid of synthetic
noise, being broken only by the sounds of rolling stones and falling
ice.
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For a layman alpine plants in Deosai are simply too numerous to mention.
The colourful plateau is changed to a burning yellow carpet in autumn
under a clear sky. There are many places suitable for summer camping: on
the bed of edelweiss or at the riverside or lakeside. Chakor Pass (4,266
meters), located at the south end of the plateau, is the most impressive
part of the Deosai trip. The deep blue Shaucer Lake, nestled in the
pass, offers picture-book scenery. The view looking northward is of the
endless series of peaks of the Karakorum Range.
For adventure-loving tourists, there are few paradises in the world that
can compare to northern Pakistan for unspoiled natural beauty: a
combination of soaring mountains, shimmering glaciers, crystal clear
water streams and flower bedecked alpine pastures. In addition, the
gentle, warm and hospitable character of the villagers makes your trip
to this part of the world a fantastic and unforgettable memory of a
lifetime.
And, did I have had the chance to see the fairies during my zigzagging
in the area? Yes, I met fairy Jia Ku once in my dream that is. She said,
“Do not waste time running after fairies. Try finding what you want
among humans. And that is what I think I am doing ever since.”
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