hiking trails

We discuss some trails that are available in Islamabad.

Trail – 2 (ZOO TO DAMN – E – KOH)

Trail-2 leading up to Damn-e-Koh is ashort trail. It has two distinct trail heads. First is located at a narrow dirt track astride Marghazar Zoo. Alternately, a well-marked trail head is present at the start of Pir Sohawa Road, short of Trail-4 parking area.

The trail is short but steep and it takes almost 45 minutes to reach the top. It can be a good choice if one is looking for a short Sunday hike with family. The track does not end at Damn-e-Koh and has an extension towards the Cactus Ridge. 1.4 km long trail starts just across the road, opposite Damn-e-Koh main parking and leads to Cactus Ridge. The top of Cactus Ridge offers panoramas of Islamabad.

TRAIL-3 (SECTOR F-6)

Trail 3 ascends over 600 meters up to Gokina Chauki (Monal Restaurant) on the Pir Sohawa road. It takes almost 90 minutes to reach the top. This is a popular hiking trail of Margallah Hills which is well marked and properly maintained. Trail head is located opposite Sector F-6 on Margallah Road and a dedicated parking area is available at that point. Initial ascent of trail is steep and it takes over half an hour of moderate hike to reach the ‘Viewpoint.’ Viewpoint offers great sights of Islamabad and almost all major buildings, monuments, avenues are identifiable with naked eye from here. For majority of the hikers with families, View Point marks as the culmination point of Trail-3. However, for the more enthusiastic ones, it is just one third of the journey.

Beyond Viewpoint, the trail passes through trees constantly going uphill. Area around mid of Trail-3 is relatively plain. With no water source near or along the trail, it is suggested to carry water bottles. All along Trail 3, benches lie at appropriate places for rest, a luxury which is nonexistent on any of the other trails.

From the mid-way, it takes almost an hour of rigorous hike to reach finish point near popular recreational spot of Monal Restaurant on Pir Sohawa Road. Due to its ease of access, proper marking, suitable resting places, appropriate cleaning measures and better maintenance, Trail-3 is a popular choice for hikers of all ages.

Trail 4 (Open), and Dhok Jeevan Loop

This trail originates at the parking of the La Montana restaurant, off the road to Pir Sohawa on the left, about a kilometer from the Marghzar Zoo. Leaving the first turn on the left about 300 meters from the parking, the trail runs parallel to Pir Sohawa Road and then gradually turns right leading to the Dhok Jeevan Loop Trail. To stay on Trail 4, you will have to take a sharp left about a kilometer from the parking lot. From here Trail 4 zig-zags up the hill climbing for about 300 meters until it reaches the ridge separating the Dhok Jevan Valley from the adjacent Faisal Mosque/Darra Kavani Valley. Continuing on the ridge for about a kilometer and leaving the Dhok Jeevan Loop Trail that turns right—leaving the Chak Jabbi Trail that turns left—Trail 4 veers off and gradually climbs right towards the north, heading in the direction of Pir Sohawa Road which is visible all along.

For the Dhok Jeevan Loop, you should stay on the trail from the parking lot as described above until you reach a small washed out concrete dam about 3 meters high and 20 meters wide. From here the trail climbs up towards the Pir Sohawa Road at the hair pin bend. Staying on this trail and not taking a right turn to climb up to the road, you will descend into the ravine, cross a stream, and gradually climb up. Leaving the right turn that will take you to the Pir Sohawa Road about a kilometer further up, you will go past a small spring, traverse the valley, and join Trail 4 at the top of the ridge as described above. From here you can either come down on Trail 4 back to the parking lot, cross over to Chak Jabbi and Faisal Mosque Valley, or turn right on Trail 4 and end up at Pir Sohawa Road.

TRAIL-6 (CHAK JABBI) – RIDGE TRAIL

The valley to the north of Faisal Mosque is locally also known as Darra Kavani.Trail-6 or the Chak Jabbi Trail is one of the latest trails that has officially been recognized and opened to general public. Trail head is located at the rear of Faisal Mosque near car parking. It is about 4km long and leads up to Village Jabbi. This trail gradually gains height and passes through thick jungle. After about half an hour from the start point, it takes you to a beautiful water spring with date and palm trees around it. The upper half of trail consists of steep climb and reaches to the small village of Jabbi about 4 km from the Faisal Mosque.

Going straight ahead to north the trail takes you right up to the ridge known locally as Budho Ban where your options are to return, turn west on the Ridge Trail and go into another valley and come down, or turn east and continue walking on the Ridge Trail until you reach Pir Sohawa Road.

Trail is surrounded by thick vegetation and water spring is also accessible during the hike at different places. It also links up with the adjacent Trail-4 and leads up to the parking at Pir Sohwa Road. Trail has been appropriately marked, is well maintained and can be done with family in about 3 hours’ time from start to finish.

The Ridge Trail

This trail runs along the top of the first ridge in the hills overlooking Islamabad. The Ridge Trail begins at Boulder Pass (Kot Ban) and ends at Pir Sohawa Road. The total length of the trail is about 8 km and takes four to five hours to reach Pir Sohawa Road from Kot Ban. The hike starts at the small cemetery from where the trail goes uphill along the ridge then continues on the northern side overlooking Khyber Pakhtunkhwa passing through an olive grove to a saddle with a number of ruined houses overgrown with fig trees. It follows the ridge on the northern side until the head of Kalinjher Valley and continues on the southern side of the ridge overlooking Islamabad, partly along the crest of the ridge up to Pir Sohawa Road.

TRAIL-5 (DARRA JANGLA)

This trail lies in the Darra Jangla valley, a half kilometer beyond trail 3 and is one of the most wooded and quiet valley in the National Park. This trail is also quite popular. The visitor facilities are located at the entrance of the valley and include a medium sized car park, a large forest nursery to raise indigenous plants, Visitor Information and Education Center, picnic areas, and a campsite.

Earlier it was not open for the general public due to security concerns but can now be visited. The start point is located few hundred meters ahead of Trail-3 opposite to Sector F-5 on Margallah Road and it leads up to Pir Sohawa Road. This trail has about three sub-trails and is also linked with the adjacent Trail-3. At the start point, presence of a seasonal water stream makes it a popular picnic spot for families. Initially water stream goes along the trail making it more enjoyable and in the mid, a fresh water spring provides a good resting spot for hikers. Second half of Trail-5 is steeper which requires strenuous hiking. At the top, it offers beautiful vistas of the Islamabad city and finishes near a security check post on main Pir Sohawa Road. About 500 m walk on the main road towards west leads to Monal Restaurant. Trail is rigorous and is recommended for families’ upto ‘Ficus Spring’ only.

KALINJER AND WESTERN TRAILS

Darra Kalinjer

This trail starts behind Sectors E-8 and E-9 and consists of three interlinked sub-trails. Easiest way to the trail head is by reaching Kalinjer village driving towards Margallah Hills from the junction of Agha Shahi Avenue on the road dividing sectors E-8 (Pakistan Navy) and E-9 (Pakistan Airforce). The visitors are required to present identification to security personnel, and foreigners are not normally permitted. Hiking can be start from a small mazar in Kalinjer village. Alternatively, you can take the track going west from the Trail 6 Visitor Information Centre at Faisal Mosque and then walk along the fence of the Naval Golf Course to the village of Gandhian and Kalinjer villages.

From Kalinjer village, initially the trail moves along a water stream that leads into the mountains. Following the stream up from the dam, the track rises and takes you to a Y- junction at Panryas (spring). The track to the right ascends up to Loran di Gali where it joins the track on the ridge from Gandhian. If you take the track going left, you come to Kalinjer Gali, from where you can turn east to reach the View Point (Old CDA fire picket). From here you can look down into Kalinjer and Sanyari valleys at the same time. To the north is Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa.

From here you can turn West and go up to Sandhuri from there follow the Ridge Trail to Boulder Pass; take the track that descends into Sanyari Valley; follow the Link Trail to Boulder Pass (Kot Ban) and walk down or get your driver to bring the vehicle up and drive down to Balimah; or go east follow the track on the Western Ridge right up to Pir Sohawa Road.

You can go down into the Sanyari Valley where the trail ends at a small graveyard in village Sanyari near a famous clump of Banyan trees. From here the metalled road leads to the exit point on the main Margallah Road, opposite F-9 Park.

At Gandhian you can also walk up the ridge to Jabri, from there to Loran di Gali and turn west and descend to Panryas (spring) or go further up to Budho Ban, turn East and follow the Ridge Trail to Pir Sohawa Road or go west all the way to Boulder Pass.

The Ridge Trail

Link Trail

This trail also begins at the Boulder Pass. Just below the pass there is a trail heading east towards a saddle (Hameeda Gali 940 m) between Darra Balimah and Darra Sanyari. From there it follows the contour at the head of Darra Sanyari to a small ridge at an elevation of 770m and then climbs along switchbacks across open country to a narrow high saddle at 972m. From here you can easily climb up to a height and have a view of the Kalinjher and Sanyari Valleys towards south and see Kot Jindan in the north. From here you can turn west and go to Sandhuri and follow the Ridge Trail back to Boulder Pass or from the saddle continue East down into Sanyari valley up to Panryas (spring). From here the track branches off, turning south into Kalinjher Valley, or going north-east to a ridge where it divides again. Going north the trail joins the Ridge Trail at Budho Ban where if you turn west it will take you back to Boulder Pass. If you go east the Ridge Trail will end at Pir Sohawa Road.

Darra Sanyari

This trail is flat for almost 2 km where you reach a spring. The track then starts to climb up and within half an hour or so you come to a place where the track divides. You can go straight up to Sandhuri to the Ridge Trail, or follow the Link Trail East or West.

Darra Balimah

This is an interesting track, it zigzags up to a point where you have to leave the jeep-able road and walk up to the spring. This spring is shaded by fig trees. The place where the spring emerges has been turned into a prayer area, a little below this is a small enclosed place where men can have a bath. Follow the track up to Kot Jindan and get a stunning view of the city that you left behind.