Field guides / Khyber Pakhtunkhwa / Chitral / Garam Chashma
Field guide · Nature
Chitral Lower
Chitral Lower District · Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Garam Chashma
A Chitral side valley named for its sulphur hot spring, about 48 km north-west of Chitral town.
Garam Chashma means “hot spring”, and the spring is the reason most people come: sulphur water that rises from granite under the Hindu Kush, said to be the warmest in the western Himalayan geothermal belt. The settlement sits at about 2,550 m in the Lotkoh valley, close to the Afghan border.
Why go
- ✦A sulphur hot spring rising from Hindu Kush granite
- ✦Brown trout in the Lotkoh River
- ✦One of the highest settlements in the Hindu Kush, at about 2,550 m
- ✦The road towards the Dorah Pass and Badakhshan
About
The valley of the Lotkoh (Garam Chashma) River runs up from Chitral towards the Dorah Pass (4,554 m), the old route into Badakhshan in Afghanistan. Khowar is the main language, with Yidgha spoken in the Parabeg side valley, and most people are Ismaili. Besides the hot spring, which people also visit hoping it will ease skin complaints, the Lotkoh is known for brown trout, and fishing is the other draw of the valley.
Geography and Surroundings
The spring emerges from Hindu Kush leucogranites about 18–20 million years old, and is also called the Sulphur Spring. The Lotkoh River runs the length of the valley, with snow peaks on either side and the Dorah Pass (4,554 m) at its head on the Afghan border.
How to Reach
About 48 km north-west of Chitral town by road, up the Lotkoh valley.
Responsible Travel
Use Leave No Trace principles, carry out all rubbish, avoid disturbing wildlife and livestock, and respect private/community land.
Planning tip
Best Time to Visit, May to September, when the valley road is most reliable.
Getting there, About 48 km north-west of Chitral town by road, up the Lotkoh valley.
Allow, A day trip from Chitral, or a night to make time for the spring and fishing.
What to Do
Nearby
Straight-line distance from Garam Chashma, within 5 km.
Nothing else genuinely close by (within 5 km of Garam Chashma) is published yet.
