The Shandur Pass connects Chitral to Gilgit-Baltistan across a wide grass plateau at 3,719 metres. The drive over the pass from Chitral to Mastuj and on to Phander and Gilgit is one of the great mountain road trips of Pakistan — about 25 hours of slow driving in total, with several rivers to ford and one of the world's highest polo grounds at the top.
The Shandur Polo Festival in early July fills the pass with tents, music and 20,000 spectators. The road is only open from roughly late June to early November; outside that window the pass is blocked by snow.