DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.36956#0032
Situation
The valley is at the extreme western end of the Great Himalayas, where
the Indus, flanking them to the north, contains them by a southward
bend. At this point the northwest spur of the range culminates m a peak
of 4,923 m. Like the other tributaries between here and Nanga Parbat,
some 130 km upstream, the Sazin mAGA runs roughly northwards,
descending steeply from the valley through a gorge to the river 350 m
below, where its mouth is 7-10 m wide, almost opposite the point where
the Tangir mA/uA pours out its turquoise waters into the much murkier
Indus. The mam river valley here is rocky and dry, due to its exposure,
with little vegetation, m marked contrast to the much greener slopes
further westward around the bend; no agriculture is to be seen there,
though there are traces of derelict fields higher up, to the west of the
77zh/uA mouth. The Highway follows the southern bank of the Indus
throughout this part of its course, and crosses the mh/uA over a low
bridge 40 paces long; 8 km further eastward a bridge crosses the Indus
itself at the village of Shatial, connecting the Highway to a road that
climbs the northern bank towards Tangir. The unsurfaced road for Sazm
leaves the Highway some 74 km west of Chilas, or 56 km east of Dassu:
although the road itself is only 6.5 m m length, its tortuous windings up
the mountainside require careful negotiation, and the drive by jeep
requires a half hour. At about 300 m above the Highway the track levels
out, and fertile soil with a good growth of shrubs takes the place of bare
rock, shale and sand. It then moves up close to the western cliff of the
77?L/uA until it overlooks the broad spread of terraced fields and the two
sections of the village, at about 35°30' N and 73°30' E; it continues to
skirt the western slopes of the valley to the upper section, leaving the
closed village, or Log 30 m below.
From here the valley can be seen as divided into two sets of fields above
and below an abrupt step of some 15-20 m running straight across from
east to west between the converging mountain slopes (Tug .AezuA /Tu7u
16
The valley is at the extreme western end of the Great Himalayas, where
the Indus, flanking them to the north, contains them by a southward
bend. At this point the northwest spur of the range culminates m a peak
of 4,923 m. Like the other tributaries between here and Nanga Parbat,
some 130 km upstream, the Sazin mAGA runs roughly northwards,
descending steeply from the valley through a gorge to the river 350 m
below, where its mouth is 7-10 m wide, almost opposite the point where
the Tangir mA/uA pours out its turquoise waters into the much murkier
Indus. The mam river valley here is rocky and dry, due to its exposure,
with little vegetation, m marked contrast to the much greener slopes
further westward around the bend; no agriculture is to be seen there,
though there are traces of derelict fields higher up, to the west of the
77zh/uA mouth. The Highway follows the southern bank of the Indus
throughout this part of its course, and crosses the mh/uA over a low
bridge 40 paces long; 8 km further eastward a bridge crosses the Indus
itself at the village of Shatial, connecting the Highway to a road that
climbs the northern bank towards Tangir. The unsurfaced road for Sazm
leaves the Highway some 74 km west of Chilas, or 56 km east of Dassu:
although the road itself is only 6.5 m m length, its tortuous windings up
the mountainside require careful negotiation, and the drive by jeep
requires a half hour. At about 300 m above the Highway the track levels
out, and fertile soil with a good growth of shrubs takes the place of bare
rock, shale and sand. It then moves up close to the western cliff of the
77?L/uA until it overlooks the broad spread of terraced fields and the two
sections of the village, at about 35°30' N and 73°30' E; it continues to
skirt the western slopes of the valley to the upper section, leaving the
closed village, or Log 30 m below.
From here the valley can be seen as divided into two sets of fields above
and below an abrupt step of some 15-20 m running straight across from
east to west between the converging mountain slopes (Tug .AezuA /Tu7u
16