Photo: GB TourismField guides / Baltistan Division / Skardu & Baltistan / Olding Valley
Field guide · Nature
Baltistan Division
Kharmang District · Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
Olding Valley
A Balti village high above the Shingo River in Kharmang, on the old route from Skardu to Kargil.
Olding, originally Olthing Thang, sits at about 2,644 m on a spur some 800–1,000 ft above the Dras (Shingo) River in Kharmang District, just before the river meets the Indus near Marol. It stood on the traditional trade route between Baltistan and Ladakh via Kargil.
Why go
- ✦A village perched above the Shingo River
- ✦The old Skardu–Kargil trade route
- ✦Apricots in half a dozen local varieties
- ✦Balti and Purgi culture
About
Travellers in 1912 described it as a big village and a regular halt between Kargil and Skardu. It is 13 miles from Gangani, the first village north of the Line of Control, and remains close to it today. People here are Balti and Purigpa, speaking Balti and Purgi. The village is known for its fruit: apricots in many local varieties, apples, grapes, mulberries, cherries and peaches.
How to Reach
From Skardu east along the Indus to Marol, then up the Shingo valley to Olding. Close to the Line of Control; carry ID and follow local checkpoints.
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 October; apricots ripen in summer.
Getting there, From Skardu east along the Indus to Marol, then up the Shingo valley to Olding. Close to the Line of Control; carry ID and follow local checkpoints.
Allow, A stop of a few hours on a Kharmang drive, or a night.
What to Do
Nearby
Straight-line distance from Olding Valley, within 5 km.
Nothing else genuinely close by (within 5 km of Olding Valley) is published yet.
