The pass at the northern end of Kaghan Valley marks the boundary between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan, and connects the valley to the Karakoram Highway at Chilas. At 4,170 metres, it is an exposed, treeless place with sweeping views in every direction — south down the length of the Kaghan Valley, and north across a vast plateau to the snow giants of the Karakoram and western Himalayas. Nanga Parbat dominates the northern skyline on clear days.
The road over the pass is paved but narrow and dramatically steep on the Chilas side. It opens sometime in June — the exact date varies by snowfall — and closes again by October. Most visitors come as a day trip from Naran, which is about 75 kilometres south; the drive takes two hours or more depending on road conditions and the volume of jeeps. The summit of the pass has tea stalls and small shops selling woolens and local honey. Allow time at the top: the altitude hits some visitors harder than expected, and the views deserve more than a quick photograph.