Broghil Valley is a beautiful valley and trekking place in the Chitral district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which is still not popular with tourists like many other places and locations in Pakistan.
Pakistan has no dearth of natural beauty and picturesque tourist spots that leave visitors completely enthralled. From snow-capped peaks, lush forests, and green meadows to breathtaking glaciers and lakes, the country offers tourists a plethora of options to enjoy a refreshing escape.
One such place is the largely unexplored Broghil Valley – a magnificent work of nature located in the extreme north of Chitral in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).
Location of Broghil Valley
Broghil Valley is located in the remote mountainous region of Chitral district in K-P. It is a narrow valley located about 250 km from Chitral city. The valley borders Gilgit-Baltistan in its northeastern part and the Wakhan Corridor along its northwestern part.
There are two entry points to the Broghil Valley which are Ishkoman in Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Most tourists travel through Ishkoman to reach the famous Karomber Lake.
The northernmost part of the valley ends at the Karomber Pass, which forms the boundary between the Broghil Valley and the Ishkoman Valley. The famous Karomber Lake is also located in the Karomber Pass.
Surrounded by the Chiantar Glacier, the valley is home to many wild animals, including bears, marmots, snow leopards, and foxes. In addition, Lake Karomber also supports a wide variety of aquatic life.
Life in Broghil Valley Chitral
Although the valley is so beautiful that it is sometimes referred to as paradise on Earth, life is far from easy for the people of Broghil. The region experiences very harsh weather during the winter months, so much so that five to six feet of snow falls each year. As a result, the valley becomes completely isolated from the rest of the province and all communication is cut off.
Before the onset of winter, valley residents go to Chitral to sell yaks – their only source of income – to buy household items when they are stuck in the valley for the five winter months.
Broghil Festival
Every year during July, the Broghil festival is celebrated in this area, which is the best summertime to visit the picturesque valley. The festival features some unique competitions, including polo, yak racing, freestyle Polo, Buzkashi, and horse racing.
Chiantar Welfare Society Broghil is organizing the event itself, with government support it can become a famous festival for foreign tourists just like the Shandur Festival. The unique thing is that it all happens at an altitude of over 13,000 feet above sea level.
Due to the pristine weather, the best time to visit the valley is in the summer, especially in July, when the annual Broghil Festival is celebrated – an event not much known to the world.
However, steps are being taken to make it a regular event like the Shandur Polo Festival so that this unexplored ancient site can attract more local and foreign tourists.
Broghil Valley is home to more than 200 families, located about 260 kilometers from Chitral, the district headquarters. Lying in a border region, this valley is known for its remoteness and limited accessibility, requiring the visitor to travel on an unpaved, hard, and vulnerable road.
However, it has great tourist potential as it is home to green fields, mountains, glaciers, and more than thirty alpine lakes. But because of this road and the general lack of paved roads, harsh weather, snow for more than eight months of the year, and a lack of water and electricity, valley residents – and visitors – face many challenges.
Women and children have to travel long distances to get water from rivers and streams. Not only does this waste time and labor, but often the water is unclean, causing waterborne diseases.
