A day trip/ hike

Travel by coaster observing strict SOP's.

Alberuni in his travelogue “Kitab ul Hind” has mentioned the legendary ‘Tilla Jogian’ (Peak of Jogis) near Jhelum as the center of Jogis (Ascetics). This centuries-old monastery of Jogis was in existence when Alexander the Great fought the famous battle with Raja Porus near this ‘Tilla’ in 326 BC. It has also been known as ‘Tilla Gorakh Nath’ and ‘Tilla Bal Nath’ at different times. The remnants of the monastery and shrine still exist like a big pond with balconies, masonry tombs, places for meditation, banyan trees, etc.

Tilla Jogian is the highest peak in the Salt Range 3200 feet above sea level. It offers a panoramic view of the Potohar plateau and splendid scenic beauty throughout the trip.

We will travel on the G T road and then about 35km off-G T road to reach (via Domaili & Gattat villages) at the village ‘Bheet’ located at the base of Tilla Jogian Mountain.

One-way travel time is about one and a half hour or slightly more. The hill is quite steep and after a maximum one & half hour’s moderate to strenuous hike, we will reach the top .

Wear sturdy shoes; bring own refreshments.

One of the most regular hikes in the ASG Hiking calendar- not to be missed!

The Tila Charauni, at 1490m, is the highest peak of the Margalla Hills ridge, adjacent to Islamabad. Categorized as a moderate level hike the total distance is 10Km, half of which is the climb to the top.

We will take the old route from the foothill village of Noorpur to Pir Sohawa through the valley. This is an old route developed and used by local villagers.It offers a fascinating experience of walking past the old villages in the hills, besides offering views of the valleys below…

We will pool cars to go to the actual starting point of the hike: the parking of Loh Dandi. From there we will start the hike which is around 8-9Km long .We will climb up a track through the valley and loop back via the Loh Dandi track.

At Talhar Village, we will cross a freshwater stream and start our hike towards Khanpur. This is an old route developed and used by local villagers and it offers an opportunity of walking past old villages in the hills besides taking in the lovely views of the valleys. At the top of the ridge, we will stop for refreshments/ photographs and return back to the starting point through a different path.

Let’s kick off the fall season with a hike on this beautiful Margalla Ridge behind the Shah Allah Ditta Caves…a trail slightly off the beaten track!

We will go to the the Ban Faqiran Stupa and Mosque and then carry on to reach the ridge. From there turn right and keep on walking on top of the ridge till the Losar Baoli. Losar Baoli is the the 16th century step well made by Sher Shah Suri for travelers .Though it has survived the test of times, unfortunately the recent constructions around it have affected its maintenance., but it’s still well worth a visit!