Mastuj

Introducing Mastuj

From Buni the paved road degenerates into a jeep track and continues eastwards up the Mastuj Valley, revealing awesome views of Buni Zom. Parwak could serve as a base to explore the glacial valleys spilling down from the Buni massif.

The village of Mastuj (2400m) is three hours (110km) from Chitral town along a very rough 4km side road. It’s a good base to break the journey between Chitral and Gilgit, and you could easily lose time doing some lovely day walks in the fields and side valleys here, always under the snowy gaze of Tirich Mir. You must sign in with the police (at the bottom of the bazaar) if staying overnight.

Until 1880 (when the mehtar of Chitral took it) Mastuj was the ‘capital’ of the Kushwaqt state stretching eastwards into Ghizar. A British garrison confined here during the 1895 siege was rescued by the column that crossed the Shandur Pass. The old royal fort stands next to the Hindu Kush Heights Hotel.

From the south, Laspur Gol enters Yarkhun Gol. Up this canyon are the villages of Gosht (6km from the Mastuj turn-off), Harchin (14km from Gosht), Brook Laspur (2km from Gosht) and Sor Laspur (sometimes called just Laspur, 6km from Brook Laspur), and the road to Shandur Pass, two to three hours by jeep (42km) from Mastuj.

Last updated: Sep 30, 2008