Shounter Valley or Pass Azad Kashmir

If you live in a mega city or even in an area where there is no mountain and you have only heard of the beautiful and picturesque green carpeted sceneries of Kashmir in movies and pictures then it is time pick the backpack and move on towards the Kashmir. The lush mountains covered by evergreen forests with blooming flowers in the summer scents the air to fill your lungs with the fresh air. The crystal clear streams running downstream and the trails passing through these wooded places give your soul a refreshment.
Shounter is a valley in Upper Neelum Valley of Azad Kashmir from this valley one can reach the Astore Valley of Gilgit-Baltistan via Shounter Pass.

The best time to visit this valley and pass is from May to August because most of the time it is being covered by snow. It can be accessed from the Kel Valley by a jeep track which gets opened for few months of the summer. This heavenly place has many picturesque and stunning places to see and visit. Lakes of this valley are famous in all over the Pakistan. The landscape is so breathtaking that one doesn't want to leave the valley once reached there.

Moreover, govt. of Pakistan has allotted budget for a tunnel which would link the Shounter valley of Azad Kashmir and Rattu village of Astore, Gilgit-Baltistan. The tunnel would be approximately 10-12 km long and after completion, the distance of Islamabad to Khunjrab (Pak-China border) would be shortened by 8 hours. So this would be the third route to reach Gilgit-Baltistan, two routes already operational (KKH and route through Babusar Pass).