Photo: Government of Gilgit-Baltistan Tourism DepartmentField guides / Gilgit Division / Hunza Valley / Kilik Pass and Mintaka Pass
Field guide · Nature
Gilgit Division
Hunza District · Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
Kilik Pass and Mintaka Pass
Two old Silk Road passes north of Misgar, the ancient routes from Hunza into Xinjiang.
The Kilik Pass (4,827 m) and the Mintaka Pass to its east cross from upper Hunza, north of Misgar, into Xinjiang. Before the Karakoram Highway they were the caravan routes between the Indian subcontinent and Tashkurgan.
Why go
- ✦Two passes of the ancient Silk Road
- ✦The Kilik at 4,827 m
- ✦The old caravan route to Tashkurgan
- ✦Misgar, the last village below them
About
In ancient times these were the shortest way from the Tarim Basin into northern India, open most of the year but hard going. Laden animals could cross into upper Hunza, but from there loads had to be carried by porters along the rafiqs, the “hanging passages” of the gorge, to Gilgit. Mintaka was the main pass until glacier ice advanced over it; after that caravans favoured the Kilik. Both are now in a border zone, so visiting means going as far as Misgar with local permission.
History
From Tashkurgan travellers went about 70 km south, then some 80 km west up the Chalachigu (Minteke) valley to the Mintaka Pass, with the Kilik about 30 km further on. From upper Hunza, goods went on to Gilgit and then either to Kashmir and Taxila, or west through Chitral to Jalalabad or, via Swat, to Peshawar.
How to Reach
North of Misgar in upper Hunza, off the Karakoram Highway at Sost; the passes lie on the border, so ask locally about access.
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, June to September.
Getting there, North of Misgar in upper Hunza, off the Karakoram Highway at Sost; the passes lie on the border, so ask locally about access.
Allow, A day from Sost to Misgar and back.
What to Do
Nearby
Straight-line distance from Kilik Pass and Mintaka Pass, within 5 km.
Nothing else genuinely close by (within 5 km of Kilik Pass and Mintaka Pass) is published yet.
