The Mighty Kharphocho Fort. 🏰🧗🏻

Hello AOA Hivers! How are you all today I hope you’re all having great time. In my travelling series there’s another experience which I am going to share with you all and it is about a Fort named Kharphocho located in Skardu, Pakistan.

History

Kharpocho Fort which is also called Skardu Fort, is a historic fortress over the top of Skardu and the Indus River.

The fort is traditionally associated with the Maqpon (Makpon) dynasty which was the ruling family of Baltistan. It is generally dated to the late 16th century, with its construction commonly attributed to Ali Sher Khan Anchan, one of the most prominent Maqpon rulers of this region. Its location on a steep rocky hill now a kind of track has been made back then the fort provided natural protection and a commanding view of the surrounding valley.
It served as a royal residence and defensive stronghold of the Maqpon rulers. Over the centuries, the fort witnessed struggles for control of Baltistan involving local rulers and outsidersIn the 19th century, during the Dogra conquest of Baltistan, the fort became part of the military campaigns that brought the region under Dogra ruler
Today, although much of the original structure has deteriorated, the remaining walls and ruins are an important reminder of Baltistan’s royal and military history and many of its areas have been renovated aswell

My Experience

We reached Kharpocho Fort by bike, but once we got there, we found out that we still had to hike to reach the fort.

So, we started our hike. We were wearing joggers, and honestly, it was quite a steep and rocky mountain. The hike was pretty challenging, especially for someone who isn’t a regular hiker. It’s definitely not an easy hike.

As we continued walking up, the views below were absolutely beautiful. On one side, we could see the entire Skardu Valley, and on the other side, we could see the Indus River. We hiked for around 20 to 25 minutes before finally reaching Kharpocho Fort.

There was a small entrance door that we had to pass through, and once we entered, there was a guide who explained the history of the fort to us.

Inside, there was a wall with the names of the wazirs written on it. There was also a small room in the basement that used to be a prison or dungeon.

But the best part was definitely the view from the top. The entire city of Skardu was visible from there, and the view was absolutely breathtaking.

After exploring the fort, we started making our way back down. Going downhill was definitely a little easier compared to climbing up. We stopped somewhere along the way, had some tea, relaxed for a while, and then continued
our journey back.

Thats it . I hope you all like the pictures. And let me know about your reviews regarding The fort.

Translation is done with the help of Chatgpt