بالائی چترال صوبہ خیبر پختونخواہ پاکستان

As you head north from Chitral town the mountains become
increasingly spectacular, easily rivalling anything you might find
along the Karakoram Highway. The valley is initially carpeted in
fields and orchards, with each village clinging to the slopes that
grow ever-more grand. The northern valleys form a gnarled Y, forking
left into Turikho Gol and right to Yarkhun Gol. The welcome is warm
in the mainly Ismaili villages and women lead more public lives.

Travel is rough, mostly by passenger jeep. Only Mastuj, a key stop
en route to the Shandur Pass, offers any range of accommodation
(and shops), although larger villages such as Koragh and Buni have
cheap inns, and there are a few government resthouses. A sleeping
bag can also prove useful, as can candles and extra food to
supplement thin offerings along the road.

North of Chitral town the river changes name to the Mastuj River
and, beyond Mastuj village, to the Yarkhun River. Turikho Gol is
called Rich (pronounced reech) in its upper reaches.