NARAN (The Thursday Times) — Heading to Kaghan for the snow? Heavy snowfall has blanketed the valley, and police have temporarily stopped traffic between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan on the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad road. For now, tourists can go no further than Naran.
Snow began early on Monday at Babusar Top, Saiful Muluk Lake, Battakundi, Basal, Lolosar Lake and Naran, and fell on and off through the day. Temperatures dropped sharply across the valley.
What it means if you go
The road to Naran is open. Crews have cleared it as far as Naran, the valley’s commercial hub, a police official said.
Babusar Top is off limits. Police have barred tourists from travelling beyond Naran towards Babusar Top until the weather improves.
Saiful Muluk needs a 4×4. Four-wheel-drive vehicles can still use the road from Naran to the lake, said Abdul Rasheed Tanoli, the sub-divisional wildlife officer for the valley.
Take the drive slowly. Hussain Deen, chairman of the Kaghan Valley Hotel Association, said tourists were still coming up to see the snow. He urged motorists to take care between Balakot and Naran, where the road is slippery, and to avoid reckless driving.
If you are going on to Gilgit-Baltistan
The Babusar road usually closes for the winter once heavy snow sets in, so check its status before you set out. The Karakoram Highway through Besham is the year-round route north.
Thinking of Murree instead? Here is what its new winter safety plan means for you.
